In 1974, British keyboard virtuoso Rick Wakeman was a rock star of stature. Surrounded by a battery of organs, synthesizers and Moogs and wrapped in a long glitter cape, he looked like the captain of a spaceship, on stage with the well-known prog rock group . His solo album (1973) was also a great success. This formed the breeding ground for the ambitious plan to set Jules Verne's science fiction
… classic Journey to the Center of Earth (1864) to music for band, orchestra and choir. Too ambitious perhaps, because Wakeman had to take extra mortgages on his assets to pay for the plan. A studio was still too expensive and so his compositions were performed live and recorded at The Royal Festival Hall in London with the , the and the famous actor as narrator . The result is far from perfect, with rattling classical passages and sometimes false lead vocals. But it also contains allure and a lot of strong music, culminating in the wild The Battle, which depicts the fight between two sea monsters. Journey To The Center Of The Earth is truly a prog classic that is now being lovingly re-released. (MR)more
