The New Gospels (1996)
| Rick's Perspective |
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| Notes |
| Almost there with this one!!! I'm very proud of this work although I would still like to redo the choir. It really needs a huge 90 piece choir if the truth be known. I would also like to do a couple of little rewrites and there are two more pieces I would like to add....will it never end as regards this oratorio I ask myself? I would also like to perform it with a full orchestra....dream on Wakey!!!!! |
| Wakey's Verdict |
| If you're not sure, try and catch a live performance. That should sway you hopefully! |
| Little Known Trivia |
| The re-write first came about at the request of the late Roy Castle who wanted me to perform it in Liverpool Cathedral for his Roy Castle Lung cancer Charity. I finished the re-write with one day to spare. |
| Reviews |
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Peter Kistemaker on 12th July 2000 [Other reviews] Oh boy, was I dissapointed after receiving both the video and the CD. High expectations after reading his book "Say Yes" drove me to buy this work of Rick Wakeman, but after 5 minutes my expectations decended to a new low record. With the rock opera Jesus |
Julian Simpson on 23rd July 1999 [Other reviews] I think this is a great album - I should make it clear from the start that I am a Christian which perhaps makes me biased. Because of my beliefs I love the message that the music is giving. However on a purely musical level, it rates very highly also. The outstanding track for me is "Children of Mine" which musically has a Tubular Bells feel. The narrated passage telling the story of the two apostles meeting Jesus on the road to Emmaus gives me goose-bumps every time I listen to it. The one small criticism I have of the album is the occasional excessive amount of vibrato in Ramon Remedios's voice - whose is otherwise excellent. Interestingly when seeing Ramon on Rick's recent church tour I detected no vibrato in his singing. |
Joost Warners on 11th December 1997 [Other reviews] This is one of the most beautiful consistent pieces of work delivered by Rick. Or anyone else for that matter. Sure, it is different, but that is what makes it so special! There are stunning melodies, sung by Ramon Remedios, backed with a choir. The keyboard accompaniment is quietly complex and very fitting. Unfortunately, the choir sounds a bit 'thinnish' at times, but once you're used to that.. Enjoy! This version is different from The Gospels in the absence of a drum computer, and the choir parts are much more elaborate. There are also two titles added, and the order of the tracks has been rearranged so as to give the album a more fluent story-line. |