Review of Rick Wakeman's Criminal Record submitted on 2nd April 2003

Yes - It´s it. When You reflect what might be the best Album or piece of music you ever heard - you will of course make no decision. But there are some things that will come out every 5 years. So I wonder what´s been going on in his mind - the mind of the creator of f. e. Music Reincarnate. Variations on only that 5 Notes - ascending or descending - will hammer you a concept in your mind - I don´t know if Rick has had really this concept of consequent variation. But I think developing such a cycle of so different pieces of music, based on a little five-tune-theme, can be named almost classical. My Favorites: In 1978 I was surely first impressed by Judas Iscariot (Tr. 6) but soon I found the Birdman of Alcrataz (Tr. 4) - You can hear each single Bird out of one overdubbed Piano - just MUSIC HISTORY. But then you go into the Chamber of Horrors (Tr. 3) - for me one of the greatest and most dramatic pieses of music ever composed - very breathtakin, anytime you listen to it - imagine there is no vocal on it - But you can feel the story so real! But when you know the record intensively you´ll discover there is an Opener - Statue of Justice (Tr. 1). There will never be another Intro. The tunes get introduced - there´s a wake up - and then you an imagine what means the Word: to compose. (Wasn´t it the Year of Awaken Mr. Wake.man?) It´s a Composition. I´th ONE composition - the whole Album. Probably one of the best. Wish similar came out today !!

Note, published as received