Rick Wakeman (with trusty band and friends) does the London Palladium in style over a two night stint that covers the cream of Wakeman.

Release Date: 16th February 2024

Label: Fragile Records / Esoteric Recordings

Format: 4CD clamshell box

With a career spanning decades and a legacy spanning a vast range of music from sessions, to solo work and as a member of Strawbs and Yes, Rick Wakeman is set to leave an incredible musical legacy when his imminent retirement finally kicks in.

However, it’s more than likely he’ll be remembered for a handful of key albums and a selection of works that made up the setlist for two nights at London’s famous Palladium back in February 2023. Recorded for posterity here, three of his iconic works and a selection of Yes material rearranged for band and choir are given top-notch readings by a band that includes long-term band members Adam Wakeman, Lee Pomeroy and Dave Colquhoun with Adam Faulkner on drums and Hayley Sanderson on vocals. There’s additional narration by Peter Egan and Ian Lavender (who sadly passed away just a few days ago) with Egan’s rich tones ensuring that no-one can complain about missing the original David Hemmings narration on the album from the Royal Festival Hall all those years ago. Topping off the cast is the English Chamber choir conducted by Guy Protheroe.

First up is the Six Wives Of Henry VIII album, extended in a number of places that sees plenty of room and space for an experienced and well rehearsed band to work out alongside Rick’s keyboard wizardry. An album that’s had a faie share of workouts across the years, sees the instantly recognisable Wakeman piano leading Catherine Of Aragon before the choir makes a first appearance following the doomy omens of portent.

Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard both head off beyond ten minutes. Anne highlights some of Rick’s playful parts while Dave Colquhoun gets a moment in the spotlight ahead of the fizzing synth and funky workout that seems one of those – ‘let’s see where this takes us’ moments, in this case to a bit of slapping of the bass from Mr Poms. The medieval theme suddenly taking a turn for a soul show. The grand organ pipes (plus choir and guitar line) herald Jane Seymour and the Hard Rock drama of Anne Of Cleves see another one of the familiar themes from the album and advance notice of the groove that this band can pull off. While the first half has been top notch, with Rick excelling on his vast range of keyboards the second half shows the band thoroughly warmed up and about to lift off.

The intro to Catherine Howard is uplifting and full of vim and verve that belies its half-century and Rick’s seventy plus years. Beautifully fluent piano flows before the main theme arrives and jostles with the (not quite) barrelhouse piano section. Catherine Parr sees the ensemble at the top of their game, some dazzling interplay and for a first set, it seems Six Wives is going to be hard to top. The 2024 version is, like the albums which are set to follow, almost a definitive reading and gives a shot of new life to a fondly remembered album.

Arthur – (or The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table as ’tis more commonly known) is packed with signature moments and fanfares – and the thought that maybe in another 50/100 years time, these might be as recognisable as something like the 1812 Overture or William Tell. The Palladium set sees the original version and the extended 2016 versions get blended into a sequence where the Merlin The Magician album highlight is held over for the encore to allow some solo passages to slip into the arrangement.

It’s another ‘future classic’ fanfare that heralds Arthur and recurs through the set. You’re never too far from a ‘dah-dah-dah-dah-dah-daaaaah’ Arthur theme as the band and choir come into their own, combining particularly effectively in the grand arrangement of Lancelot And The Black Knight where Hayley Sanderson channels some Acid Queen/Tina Turner. Perhaps the best known with handfuls of familiar parts, you’d hardly notice the missing theatrics played out on ice in past extravaganzas. In fact, the strength of the music gives the contemporary versions a reboot with a new bite and sheen.

Classic Yes places Rick’s new Yes Suite against the might of its three set fellows. It feels churlish to say that the Yes material seems the weakest, but while it’s always great to hear Rick play some Yes music, not hearing the voice of Jon Anderson will inevitably find some struggling to balance what they hear in their head with an alternative arrangement. The Meeting from the ABWH album is given its usual lovely piano intro and instead of Jon’s tones, we get first the choir before Hayley chips in. An interesting alternative with Wonderous Stories and South Side Of The Sky completing the suite. The latter is the most effective with the harder rock more suited to the Sanderson emotion.

Instrumentally, the music is spot on with Rick leading the charge and the band keeping apace. Key moments in And You And I and Starship Trooper (extended to a marathon 17 minutes) are electric – particularly the latter where the trading off of solos – presumably between the two Wakemans and Dave Colquhoun – is excellent.

And for a finale, Journey To The Centre Of The Earth is presented as the ‘2012’ version that reinstated the cuts from the original 4 track version. The basic sequence of The Journey – Recollection – The Battle – The Forest, gets significantly beefed up and revisited from the performances around a decade ago. It’s perhaps the highlight of the set, with the combination of musical parts and narration at its zenith with the higher profile of the choir and where Hayley Sanderson is at her best. The iconic recording from the Royal Festival Hall with David Hemmings in the high basket weave chair can be allowed to retire gracefully with this version now on offer. Some might feel it’s a step too far into musical theatre while some may see the piece as definitive progressive rock. All that aside, it’s a great story, given a musical accompaniment deserving of its merit.

Exhausted but sated, Journey ensures we end on a high point. The latest version of Journey possibly its definitive reading in a set that captures top fabulous versions of iconic works. We’ll be catching Rick at Cropredy this Summer, so will be interested to see how he meets the challenge to work up a single set! Bringing a choir to the festival might be a step too far for recreating Journey, but I’d be quite happy with a full Six Wives or Arthur on this showing.

Here’s an audience clip of The Last Battle:

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