Customer Reviews

Myths & Legends Of King Arthur & The Knights Of The Round Table

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

When Yes broke up the first time in 1975, interestingly enough all the former members of the band came out with solo or duo albums. All of them produced their albums at about the same time and all of them combined an orchestra with their works.

I like Steve Howe's "The Steve Howe Album". Double Rondo is a work that Steve composed and highlights his guitar prowness. However, Wakeman's work is more impressive. Rick also composed every song and instrumentation. While he composed in such a way as to highlight his own skills also; the overall level of the composition is such that Wakeman's keyboarding is much more integrated into the overall composition than his fellow former (and future) bandsmen from 'Yes' integrated their skills into their albums.

Each title of this album focuses on one of the characters of the King Arthur legend - except for the final title entitled "The Final Battle". Wakeman captures his interpretation of the character in each title. For example, 'Merlin the Magician' has some very whimsical parts to it sounding like a player piano playing in a old US Western movie.

Wakeman has the English Chamber Chorus supplying vocals in each title - sometimes producing a very dramatic effect. Rick plays a variety of keyboards: grand piano, mellotron, synthesizer, electric organ, lyritron. Trumpets from the orchestra in 'The Final Batlle' remind me of wakeman's syntesizer towards the end of the yes song 'Heart of the Sunrise'.

If you like early Yes (The Yes album, Fragile, CTE,TO Topo Oceans), then I think you will like this work by Wakeman - even though it has a more ochestral sound then Yes. out of all the works by former Yesman in ~1975; I think this has the most 'Yes' sound to it.

Question: What do you get when you combine classical music with a Victorian edge and progressive rock? Why, you get one of the most brilliant pieces of musical geniusness ever put on record! The result is "The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table", by one of (progressive) rock's most gifted keyboardists - Rick Wakeman. A rather quaint, well versed British-esque narrative sets the tone of "Arthur" in grand fashion. The rather brief "Lady Of The Lake", the lengthy "Merlin The Magician" and the timely adequate "Sir Galahad, all display the same introductory Victorian choir chant and piano stylings. "Guinevere", "Sir Lancelot And The Black Knight" and "The Last Battle" each display a unique pattern of progressivism, which is a perfect compliment to the Victorian-styled classical music and Shakespearean themes etched throughout this CD. If you like these four titles by Genesis: "Trespass", "Nursery Cryme", "Selling England By The Pound" and "A Trick Of The Tail", then you'll most likely enjoy "Myths and Legends..." Of the four above mentioned titles, "Selling England" would make the best companion CD to "Myths", due to its' very British lyrical and musical nature. The shock value of "Myths" will be surprising to many Yes fans, because the progressive chords featured on it don't sound anything like the typically progressive instincts provided by Yes, of which Rick Wakeman was a member during the early and late '70's, and also during the early '90's on the group's '91 release "Union". Also, another perfect companion CD to "Myths" would be the Yes solo compilation title "Affirmative: The Yes Solo Family Album", which features two Wakeman tracks, the above mentioned "Merlin The Magician" and "Catherine Howard", with the latter track also featured on another of Rick's solo efforts, titled "The Six Wives Of Henry VIII". "The musical theme of "Catherine Howard" would have fit in with the other songs on "Myths and Legends.." as well. Since it is very rare to hear such exceptional musical genius really shine through on "Myths", by no means should any hardcore fan of progressive rock, or in some cases, classical music, be without this title in their must have CD collection(s). A rare find, to say the least.

A master piece by Rick Wakeman telling the epic story of the legendary King Arthur and his knights of the round table. One of Wakeman's best albums and an album that still compete with albums in today's rock.

This is one of Wakeman's better albums, and it is also one of my favorite albums in general. As one would expect of him, Rick plays a lot of different keyboard instruments on this album (Moog Synthesizer, Grand Piano, Harpsichord, etc.) so you get a lot of accoustic and electronic tambres. This effect is enhanced by his use of a rock band with solo vocalists along with a male choral group, a full choir, and a full orchestra. This amitious project worked out really well. There are recuring musical themes both instrumental and a capella, as well as the full ensemble passages. There are many a moment on this album which sent chills down my spine; this was due to the exiting and moving music, but also because there is much drama in the lyrics as well. The "Guenevere" song would bring any sentimental soul to tears. "Merlin the Magician" begins and ends with a small male a capella choral group, but the real fire is the instrumental movement in between. The music gets really sinister and exiting with screaming Moog lines accented with demonic-sounding decending piano passages. I don't even know why I'm trying to describe this album, because it really needs to be heard rather than talked about. I would recomend it to anyone who is into Arthurian tales, anyone who likes grand rock music, or maybe even an open-minded classical music fan who is willing to try orchestral/operatic rock.

This masterwork stands out even the elapsed years as one of the most fervent, overwhelming and majestic creations of this brilliant musician as Rick Wakeman really was. "The myths and Legends..." meant for him, the concretion of a long expected dream in the soul and minds of many people around the world about the most significant myth in the Western hemisphere.

An admirable tribute and a priceless musical document for the next generations to come. Don't miss it!.

Believe it or not, it was my mom that introduced me to this album. She told me that when she was about my age she had it on tape and loved it. Since then I wanted it and I have finally got it. I really don't think to many people have heard of Rick Wakeman's solo projects. I'm sure they know him from Yes and the album he did with Black Sabbath but not of his own works, I could be wrong though. From what I've gathered, this is his third album the first being The six Wives Of Henry VIII and the second Journey To The Center Of The Earth. If this album is any indacation of how good his solo works are, I need to pick those other two up. On to the music. The story is about Arthur and his companions and their many exploits and I think he loosly based this album on Thomas Mallory's Le Morte D'Arthur in particular. This album shows that Wakeman is a master (if not the master) of the synthisizer and keyboard. Each song is distinct from the previous which is good in my book. And while there isn't a whole lot of singing, the songs themselves do a good job of telling the story and characters. I just love the different arrangements that go with the different characters, especially Merlin and Guinevere. Plus Rick is accompinied by an orchrastra and The English Chamber Choir which is totaly cool. I've read some reviews saying that some of the singing isn't that great but I have to disagree. While it's not the best singing I've ever heard it's still pretty good. The use of jazz and fusion jazz is also good and in my opinion really helps this already excellent album out. If I have any complaints it is that this album is too short and that it comes with no lyrics. For the first, it doesn't really matter because even though it is over forty-two minutes, I've got other cds that are good but are shorter. And as for the lyrics, I'll get over it because there isn't a whole lot of singing and what singing that is there is pretty much understandable. Definitely an excellent album that shouldn't be passed up.

I was 8 the first time I haerd this album, and yet it stirrs in me endless childhood weekends, my parents gaming, and my friends and I in the back yard playing out the adventures we heard from our parents music from the window. many times I was merlin, others I was galahad. but never was I truly wonered as to when I played arthur. this isn't just a music from a time of the past, this music will still be here long efter me and mine have passed from this world. I reccommend it to anyone who has a twinkle of a child left in their hearts, pick up the wooden swords and ride off into the imaginary battles once again.

After recently purchasing an Audio-Technica USB Turntable and a Logitech 2.1 speaker system for my computer I began gathering up some of my old friends from the 70's.

First, I need to explain to you younger folk what I am talking about. These "old friends" are black vinyl, with a hole in the middle, normally having a round paper label attached to said middle. We called them records, or albums, or simply LP's.

Secondly, I need to admit that I've never listened to any other Wakeman solo albums or CDs except for Journey to the Center of the Earth. I've also never listened to Myths & Legends of King Arthur & The Knights of the Round Table except on vinyl, although I do own over 250 CD's, this is not one of the titles that I own.

Thirdly, I am no audiophile by any stretch of the imagination, BUT, I know what I like, you can debate facts and fiction with me, and whether or not it is popular or not makes no never mind to me. I stick to my guns.

OK, all else aside here is my review. I listened to this LP ALOT in 75 & 76 and loved it. After listening to YES Fragile on my new set up (and loving it) I pulled out this LP and began to listen to it. Was it as good as I remember it being some 30+ years ago? absolutely not!! It was even better than I remembered!!! I love the composition, the music, and the sound ROCKS. I love the orchestration combined with the progressive rock sound (perhaps that's why I think Metallica's S&M is the best Album they have released thus far ... I own it on CD and vinyl and in my lowly opinion vinyl far outshines the CD version). Face it, you either like symphonic progressive rock or you don't. If you like The Who's Tommy (not the Movie Soundtrack), Metallica's S&M, you may like this one. As for me, I love it.

This particular album is one of Rick Wakeman's finest works. Although it was regarded in the mid '70's as a colorful spoof with mediocre quality, I must thoroughly disagree. In studying the themes and contrapuntal texture, not to mention the addition of a stylized classical rock mixture, this album should be re-released and marketed for a new generation of music connoisseurs that appreciate true musical talent and not merely a beat with clever words thrown in. Guinevere is my favorite track as well.

Somehow I missed this one when it was first released. I fell in love with "Merlin The Magician" when it appeared in the Winter 2008 edition of Piano Today. After listening to the whole CD, I like other pieces from the work even more (Guinevere, Lady Of The Lake). Though the Moog (Mellotron?) makes it sound a little dated, it's still very listenable, and it'll be nice to play on a rainy afternoon. Though Wakeman was a member of Yes, I think this is going into the CD rack next to the Moody Blues' Days of Future Passed.