Rick Wakeman's The Real Lisztomania Limited Edition Box Set Now Available For Pre-Order!

The Real Lisztomania to be released as Rick Wakeman always wanted - available CD/DVD & Deluxe Box Set!

London – Keyboard legend Rick Wakeman's The Real Lisztomania Limited Edition Box Set is now available for pre-order! This is an extremely rare find as the master tapes were long since considered destroyed. Back in 1975 Rick was asked to oversee and compose a lot of the music for the film Lisztomania, which was directed by Ken Russell. Rick was also given a part in the film in which he played the god Thor.

A soundtrack album was later produced by Rick, which was subsequently turned down by A&M Records, much to Rick's disgust. There were huge disputes going on at the time and they basically hated everything he produced even though he was selling albums for them in multi-millions. It is not commonly known that they actually turned down Journey To The Centre Of The Earth initially and it was only by forcing the contract that Rick had signed with them, that it was ever released. They also initially didn't want to release The Six Wives Of Henry VIII until some vocals were put on it!

After rejecting Rick's soundtrack master, A&M then produced a soundtrack of their own which had very little of Rick on it and yet they still thoughtfully put his name on the front cover along with that of Roger Daltrey! Rick was furious to say the least and hated the soundtrack album vehemently and told the press accordingly! It sold accordingly well! However, the film went on to become one of the cult films of all time and to find this original soundtrack is quite unbelievable as there was only one master ever in existence and yet somehow it has managed to survive more than 25 years in a box amongst some old football shorts! It was originally released as part of Rick's fabled, Treasure Chest box set of a limited edition of 500 on the Voiceprint label, copies of going for over £500 on eBay. Now back by popular demand, in its rightful place with the film it is the soundtrack of.

The tapes have been carefully re-mastered and all concerned believe that this is truly something special. Rick's idea was always to try and produce a completely different type of soundtrack and he produced this one by making it into a form of story with intermittent hilarious narration that runs throughout spoken by Paul Nicholas.

Guest vocalists include Roger Daltrey, Paul Nicholas & Linda Lewis. It may be more than 40 years since these altercations, but as they say, “Better late than never!” It's certainly a very different soundtrack to any that have ever been produced in the world of film music. It's very funny too, which is perhaps what we have come to expect from Rick with humour and music in one.

The box set, as well as other items, available will be shipped from UK for early April 2018



Pre-Order Now: https://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/rick-wakeman-lisztomania

Rick Wakeman's official website: http://www.rwcc.com/

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

New PledgeMusic Campaign To Support the Recording & Filming of Rick Wakeman's "Live Portraits"

Pre-order experiences, albums, merchandise and much more!

Keyboard legend Rick Wakeman will be recording a live version of his critically acclaimed album “Piano Portraits” at the Lincoln Cathedral in London on March 7th, 2018. “Live Portraits” be released on CD/DVD later this year. A new PledgeMusic campaign has been started to help fund the recording & filming of the event!

Hello everyone.

Last year I released the studio album Piano Portraits which was really well received and went Top 10 in the UK for several weeks. . Over the past year I have been touring “Live Portraits” to sell out audiences, so as a lasting record I have decided to film and record a very special performance of “Live Portraits” at Lincoln Cathedral on 7th March 2018.

After the success of the “The Myth & Legends of King Arthur” campaign in 2016 here on PledgeMusic I have decided to again work directly with you the fans on bringing this one off concert and recording to life.

By working this way I can offer so much more in the way of experiences, signed memorabilia and different formats, and create exactly what I would like everybody to see and hear.

The concert will be based on many of the tracks from the Piano Portraits album plus many additional pieces, all embellished as can only be achieved in a staged live setting,.

Thank you in advance for supporting the campaign and I hope you enjoy what we create together.

Rick

The Lincoln Cathedral in Lincoln, England is the seat of the Anglican bishop. Building commenced in 1088 and continued in several phases throughout the medieval period. It was the tallest building in the world for 238 years (1311–1549), and the first building to hold that title after the Great Pyramid of Giza. The cathedral is the third largest in Britain (in floor area) and is highly regarded by architectural scholars. Part of the blockbuster film “The Davinci Code” was filmed there.

For more information and special packages being offered: https://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/rick-wakeman-live-portraits

Rick Wakeman's official website: http://www.rwcc.com/

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Concert Review: YES Featuring ARW Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman

YES Featuring ARW Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman 

The Palace Albany, NY October 5, 2017

 http://yesfeaturingarw.com

Around this time 15 years ago I saw Yes perform in Albany. Then it was the classic lineup. How things change with the passing of time. Since then a lot has happened for the men involved with the legacy of this legendary band. Most significantly, Chris Squire, one the band’s founding members, passed away. The other musicians have remained active.

Now we have Jon Anderson (vocals), Trevor Rabin (guitar, vocals) and Rick Wakeman (keyboards and luminous cape) with Lee Pomeroy (bass) and Louis Molino III (drums) holding down the bottom end.

I sat in some excellent seats in the left orchestra section. The seats were so generously provided by Jamie Carroll of Press Here Publicity.  The Palace is one of my favorite places to go to a concert, it is beautiful and easily accessible from where I reside. I am very grateful for the opportunity to provide coverage.

Yes, is the godfather of Prog Rock as far as this music listener is concerned.

Oddly enough my favorite recording is 90125 which was their most commercial release and their biggest seller. Well, I was in for a treat because a few of those songs were played. I think because Trevor (who recorded 4 studio with Yes) was in the band for that album, it made sense to dive into those tracks. And speaking of godfather’s, Rick Wakeman is and always will be THE ultimate prog rock keyboard master. Everyone else came after him and was influenced in some way by the man.

I was amazed by how fantastic the band sounded, they exceeded my expectations, which were very high prior to entering the venue. Jon Anderson sounded great, as good as ever.  For a gent that is 72 years old he is truly an iconic and inspiring individual. His energy is so positive and he simply owns the audience.

“Cinema” kicked off the evening. This was a great choice to get the crowd into it right from the start. There was no problem with that. The place was packed, which came as no surprise to me. Mr. Rabin is a superb guitar player with a great vocal range as well. His vocals certainly compliment Jon’s and when he takes the helm it sounds powerful and commanding. Of course, Mr. Anderson has one of the most identifiable and unique vocal styles in the world and you immediately recognize no matter where the music of Yes is playing. This is a trademark style so impactful that it is hard to ignore

“Heart of the Sunrise” is a prog rock classic we are all familiar with and it just has to be a part of their set. It was not only done well, it was presented with perfection. Each member clicked as if they have been touring together forever. And I cannot forget to mention how the gents in the back of the stars, Lee Pomeroy (bass) and Louis Molino III (drums), were the quintessential rhythm section that held it all together. They deserve a lot of credit.

I realize their set list does not seem that extensive however we must remember this is prog and each song is musical workout that carries on a good 15 minutes or more with plenty of improvisation. That is the beauty of progressive rock and what I always found so intriguing.

The classic everyone knows, “Roundabout,” was the obvious encore and they did not disappoint. It was a bit shorter than I expected however, that is not a complaint just an observation. We certainly got a good dose of Yes music for the evening and everyone enjoyed the show.

Yes is timeless and legendary with a deep catalog that could keep them touring until they were all 90 years old. Although that is not realistic we all should continue to support them while they are still recording and touring. I will be there, you can count on that!

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck
October 6, 2017

Set List:
Cinema
Perpetual Change
Hold On
South Side of the Sky
And You and I
Changes
Rhythm of Love
I Am Waiting
Heart of the Sunrise
Awaken
Owner of a Lonely Heart

Encore:
Roundabout