Review of The Myths & Legends of King Arthur & The Knights of the Round Table 2016 submitted on 19th April 2018

Rick Wakeman's crowning achievement (yes; pun intended). I have always loved The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table; but, have felt disappointed when I would consider what it could have been. The themes are so strong, musically and lyrically, and, given the vast subject, it could have been something offered on a grand scale... a double album prog epic masterpiece! Plus, with Wakeman's association with Yes, and Roger Dean, where was the cover art it SHOULD have been given? Well, here it is! All of it! It's like Rick Wakeman read my mind! Normally, I would cringe at the idea of rerecording a classic; but, in this case, it wasn't just rerecorded... it was finally completed and fully realized... and what an epic it is! Before we even put the discs on the player, we are captured and drawn in by some of Dean's finest work! Then there is the sound quality: a vast improvement over the original! The performances are just as good or even better than 1975! Every one, including Ashley Holt and Rick, himself, (with his blazing classic analog synth and his Steinway piano) are in top form in this new recording! Hayley Sanderson, who sings the newer compositions, does so just beautifully; and the newer pieces are generally calmer than the original songs, providing a welcomed contrast... and, as you would expect, the newer melodies are gorgeous and the lyrics are every bit as high quality as the older material. By the end, you don't even feel as if you sat for almost 90 minutes! In fact, you will likely just want to listen to it all over again. This album is finally the classic prog epic masterpiece I always knew it could be, and I just want to say God bless Rick Wakeman and Roger Dean for making it so!