Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Rick Wakeman - Journey to the Center of the Earth - with awesome wear marks


Rick Wakeman - Journey to the Center of the Earth.  Killer wear marks on this beat up jacket.  I love how that looks.  So...JTTCOTE is the second album (and first live album) from English keyboardist and composer Rick Wakeman, released through A&M Records in May 1974.  The album is a live recording from his second of two sold-out concerts on 18 January 1974 at the Royal Festival Hall in London.  I read that  its concept is based on Jules Verne's eponymous science fiction novel, which tells the story of Professor Lidenbrok, his nephew Axel, and their guide Hans, who follow a passage to the Earth's centre originally discovered by Arne Saknussemm, an Icelandic alchemist.  Wakeman performs with the London Symphony Orchestra, the English Chamber Choir, and a group of hand-picked musicians for his rhythm section.  Actor David Hemmings provides the narration to the story.  As the cost of recording the album in a studio was too high, the 40-minute piece was instead recorded live.  After a number of problems were resolved during the mixing of the album, Journey to the Centre of the Earth was overall well-received by music critics.  The record topped the UK Albums Chart, the first album from A&M Records to do so, and peaked at number 3 on the US Billboard 200.  It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in October 1974, and earned Wakeman an Ivor Novello Award and a nomination for a Grammy.  A total of 14 million copies of the album have been sold worldwide.  In 1999, Wakeman released a sequel titled Return to the Centre of the Earth.  Side one: "The Journey"/"Recollection" – 21:20 and Side two: "The Battle"/"The Forest" – 18:57...

2 comments:

  1. Absolutely right about the wear marks - you don't get those on an iPod!

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  2. thanks for commenting, Stacey - I know you loves those too!...

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for commenting!