Alan Morgan on 3rd August 2019 [Other reviews]

I consider the Rick Wakeman Album "The Natural World Trilogy" to be a "Good" album. By that I mean an album that can be listened to in its entirety, without interruption, and be enjoyed for its own sake. The musicianship is, as one has come to expect from our Mr. Wakeman, of exceptional quality. Rick is a long standing professional, who has been a member of too many top class groups and sessions to be anything else. His 1999 album therefore cannot be anything other than what it turns out to be on playing. A perfectly executed piece of pure class. If you are expecting dramatic drums and soaring guitars, you will be disappointed, but make no mistake here; what you will get is a keyboard player who has realized that these trappings are totally unnecessary to show his own artistry and ability as both a writer and performer. To cut it short, I bought this album on Ebay, thinking it would be a gap-filler. I loved it. Rick is brilliant on this. A definite precursor to his later piano projects of the very recent past, like Piano Portraits and Piano Odyssey, both of which I have and love. That's not to say that this trilogy is a piano project. There is, naturally, some piano on it, but the overall feeling and style is of the kind of album that the majority of "keyboard" orientated artists would produce if they could actually play the keyboard instead of programming it. There are no sequencers on this album - every trill and every repeated phrase is played by Rick and he can reproduce it live. That is the beauty of a genuine keyboardist like Rick Wakeman. If you want further proof of his ability, just watch him during his keyboard solo slots on any of the Yes live videos he's participated in. His live renditions of the themes from his own "Six wives of Henry VIII" are absolutely stunning! Look at it like this - if Rick Wakeman came to your house and played a track from this album live in front of you, and you did not know who he was (say, He wasn't famous), you'd want him to join your band immediately because he's a keyboard maestro, and it shows. Buy It!

Sergey Lenkov on 21st December 2005 [Other reviews]

A great continuation of the "Aspirant" saga. New Age or New World electronic meditative music. 3 CDs. Each with one hour programme. All I had written about "Aspirant Sunset" I could repeat here. Musical landscapes. You could return to the places created by wizard Rick many times and each time you would find something new. Very mentally healthy, positive and clear music. Our crazy depressive world is in the need of it now. Rick, please, more of that cure... Some melodies sounds more impressive than music of "Sun Trilogy". "The Snow Leopard" reminds me of music from operas by Rimsky-Korsakov. If you are lover of ambient and new age, this album - is your choice. If you are an old rocker - well, try before sleeping time, may be you would like it, it’s good to try something new sometimes.

Siggi Zielinski on 8th October 1999 [Other reviews]

This trilogy consists of 3 separate discs called "The Animal Kingdom"(inspired by the animal world; I thought this is also a very cruel world before hearing this), "Beneath the Waves"(inspired by the sea world) and "Heaven on Earth" based on some peaceful aspects of the nature. The first disc seems to be musically less interesting than the other ones. I guess the music here should be understood more as a functional relaxating background matter. It seems to me that "The Art in music trilogy" provides some more valuable musical themes than this one. The kind of music and artwork are very similiar on both Trilogies so they could've become a 6CD-Box as well.