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Rick Wakeman: Return to the Centre of the Earth

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: EMI Classics
Released: 1999.03.23
Time:
 76:51
Category: Symphonic Rock
Producer(s): Rick Wakeman
Rating: ********** (10/10)
Media type: CD
Web address: www.rwcc.com
Appears with: Yes
Purchase date: 1999.06.09
Price in €: 16,99



 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] A Vision (R.Wakeman) - 2:33
[2] The Return Overture (R.Wakeman) - 2:40
[3] Mother Earth (R.Wakeman) - 3:48
      a. The Shadow of June
      b. The Gallery
      c. The Avenue of Prismed Light
      d. The Earthquake
[4] Buried Alive (R.Wakeman) - 6:01
[5] The Enigma (R.Wakeman) - 1:18
[6] Is Anybody There? (R.Wakeman) - 6:35
[7] The Ravine (R.Wakeman) - 0:50
[8] The Dance Of A Thousand Lights (R.Wakeman) - 5:41
[9] The Shepherd (R.Wakeman) - 2:01
[10] Mr. Slow (R.Wakeman) - 3:47
[11] Bridge Of Time (R.Wakeman) - 1:12
[12] Never Is A Long, Long Time (R.Wakeman) - 5:19
[13] Tales From The Lidenbrook Sea (R.Wakeman) - 2:57
      a. River Of Hope
      b. Hunter and Hunter
      c. Fight For Life
[14] The Kill (R.Wakeman) - 5:23
[15] Timeless History (R.Wakeman) - 1:11
[16] Still Waters Run Deep (R.Wakeman) - 5:21
[17] Time Within Time (R.Wakeman) - 2:39
      a. The Ebbing Tide
      b. The Electric Storm
[18] Ride Of Your Life (R.Wakeman) - 6:02
[19] Floating (R.Wakeman) - 1:59
      a. Globes Of Fire
      b. Cascades Of Fear
[20] Floodflames (R.Wakeman) - 2:00
[21] The Volcano (R.Wakeman) - 2:10
      a. Tongues Of Fire
      b. The Blue Mountains
[22] The End Of The Return (R.Wakeman) - 5:24

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


RICK WAKEMAN - Keyboards, Compositor, Orchestration, Story (inspired by Jules Verne), Mastering, Producer
FRASER THORNEYCROFT-SMITH - Guitars
PHIL WILLIAMS - Bass
SIMON HANSON - Drums

PATRICK STEWART - Narration

OZZY OSBOURNE - Vocal on [4]
BONNIE TYLER - Vocal on [6]
TONY MITCHELL - Vocal on [10]
TREVOR RABIN - Vocal, Guitar Solo on [12]
JUSTIN HAYWARD - Vocal on [16]
KATRINA LESKANICH - Vocal on [18]

LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
DAVID SNELL - Conductor

ENGLISH CHAMBER CHOIR
GUY PROTHEROE - Conductor

FRANK RODGERS - Executive Producer
PAT DODD - Studio Manager
JAMES COLLINS - Engineer, Mixing, Mastering
ERIK JORDAN - Assistant Engineer, Assistant Mixing, Mastering
STUART SAWNEY - Engineer, Assistant Engineer, Assistant Mixing
DAVID GUERTZ - Chief Engineer for Narration
MICHAEL MILLER - Assistant Engineer for Narration
PAUL LINFORD - Engineer on [12]
RON RUTLEDGE - Studio Manager on [4]
MIKE BAUMGARTNER - Engineer on [4]
SIMON HEYWORTH - Mastering
CAROLYNE RODGERS - Project Co-ordination
CANDY ATCHESON - Project Co-ordination
ROGER DEAN - Cover & Booklet Artwork, Painting, Drawing, Lettering
MARTYN DANN - Booklet Design
SIMON FOWLER - Photography

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


CD CDC 5 56763 2 EMI Classics UK
CD 7243 5 56763 2 0 EMI Classics Worldwide
Vinyl LP EX 5 56763 1 EMI Classics UK
Vinyl LP 7243 5 56763 1 3 EMI Classics Worldwide
Cassette EL 5 56763 4 EMI Classics UK
Cassette 7243 5 56763 4 4 EMI Classics Worldwide
MiniDisc MD5 56763 8 2 EMI Classics UK
MiniDisc 7243 56763 8 2 EMI Classics Worldwide

Studios:
CTS Studios Wembley, UK
Bajonor Studios, I of M, UK
POP Sound, Santa Monica, CA
Jacaranda Room, Hollywood, CA
The Dog House Studios, Henley, UK
A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA

Equipment:
Steinway Concert Grand Piano
Korg 01W ProX
Roland JD 800
Kurzweil K2500R
Korg Trinity ProX
Korg X5DR
Technics WSA
Mini Moog
Fatar SL 880
GEM Pro 2


Liner Notes:

THE DREAM TEAM

To have been able to call upon artists for whom you have great admiration, to play such important roles in the making of Return To The Center Of he Earth, has been a very special privilege.

To work again with the London Symphony Orchestra, under the tremendous guidance of David Snell, was a honour difficoult to put into words, and my longstanding association with Guy Protheroe and the English Chamber Choir is just as exciting for me now as it was when first meet twenty-five years ago.

It took three clear days for reality to actually set-in as to the enormity of Patrick Stewart's contribution. His inpit, skill and "voice to die for" brought out of emotions within me that I was truly unaware I possessed.

The ability to create visual music is a gift possessed by very few artists past or present. The past master of this specialist artistry is Roger Dean. His friendship, combined with complete understanding of the music and a total involvement from day one, has produced yet another Roger Dean classic.
To my londstanding friends, Trevor Rabin, Ozzy Osbourne and Justin Hayward, and to my newfound friends, Bonnie Tyler, Katrina Leskanich and tony Mitchell, I thank you all with genuine sincerity.

Long may each one of your God-given talents give continuing pleasure to countless millions around the world and in return bring music and love the centre of the earth.

Rick Wakeman



Twenty-five years after the release of Rick Wakeman's groundbreaking Journey to the Centre of the Earth album, a sequel entitled Return to the Centre of the Earth was released, this time including a who's who of musicians and vocalists. Still employing the London Symphony Orchestra to accompany his plethora of keyboards, Wakeman uses Patrick Stewart of Star Trek: The Next Generation fame to narrate the story and former Yes guitarist Trevor Rabin for some spicy solos. But, even with famed vocalists like Justin Hayward, Bonnie Tyler, and Ozzy Osbourne in the spotlight, the music gets lost in fields of pretentious instrumental clamoring and strays far from Wakeman's intentional story line. Not enough time is given to enjoy Wakeman's artistry because of an overabundance of other instruments and unnecessary hubbub that disappointingly drown out his synthesizers. When Wakeman is caught playing, he falls short of his polished self, sounding rushed and irregular. His first Journey album sounded clean and finessed, thanks to simple organization and the fact that the focal point was aimed at his masterful keyboard playing. On the Return album, the music is louder, messier, and somewhat musically obtuse since it contains too many fragments of instruments, almost sounding like heavy metal at times. Even Patrick Stewart seems to be a little too long-winded throughout most of the album's duration. If programmed properly, the disc can be heard in the narrative only, or just the instrumentals. Wakeman's idea for a sequel was a good one, but he should have kept to his crisp progressive formula. Instead, the album falls prey to an evident case of overproduction and a classic example of the "too many cooks" cliché.

Mike DeGagne, All-Music Guide, © 1992 - 2001 AEC One Stop Group, Inc.



For almost 30 years, Rick Wakeman has been slogging it out as one of the preeminent keyboardists in rock -- notably as an off and on member of Yes. Along with ELP's Keith Emerson and Deep Purple's Jon Lord, Wakeman brought the keyboards to the frontline of the band -- often outsoloing guitarist Steve Howe while throwing in dashes of classical and jazz just to show how well schooled he was.

As Emerson and Lord barely stray away from the confines of their respective group situations, Wakeman has continually forged ahead -- composing full conceptual pieces in which his keyboard navigates makeshift ensembles of rock players around full-blown orchestras and choirs. During the early 70s, Wakeman lodged these musical experimentations with classic allegory. With historical accuracy, he boldly released The Six Wives of Henry VIII and The Myths & Legends Of King Arthur and The Knights Of The Round Table. His most well-received album, however, was based and titled after the classic Jules Verne tale -- Journey To The Centre Of The Earth.

In and around 1974, pretentious, theme-oriented albums were becoming the norm. Jethro Tull ( Passion Play, Thick As A Brick), The Who (Tommy, Quadrophenia), Pink Floyd (Dark Side Of The Moon), Genesis (The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway), even Wakeman's present band, Yes (Tales From Topographic Oceans) -- had all been stirring up the conceptual fire with a measurable amount of success. Rick Wakeman -- brandishing his infamous sparkle-covered cape -- decided to up the ante with Journey.

To begin, he brought in The London Symphony Orchestra and The English Chamber Choir. Then he patched together a group of session players and singers. To give Journey a more cerebral slant he threw in a narrator by the name of David Hemmings to read passages in a manner in which the listener became part of the journey. To make it even more ambitious, he performed and recorded the album "live" before an audience.

It was pretty much downhill from there. Progressive, classically-charged rock outraged the critics, and gave way to a roots revolution in the form of punk, heavy metal and an R&B strain called disco. Wakeman and his ilk had to either conform or retire. With occasional resurfacings, he would never eclipse the artistic satisfaction or commercial success of Journey.

These days many of the great conceptual works of the 70s have re-emerged. Tommy, Quadrophenia, Dark Side Of The Moon and The Wall have all been submitted to various treatments. Technical advances in video, audio and instrumentation have made the idea of recreating such monstrosities far easier. This, along with a desire to possibly regain his momentum, is what has apparently driven Rick Wakeman to Return To The Centre Of The Earth.

For almost 77 minutes, Wakeman pulls out every trick in the book. Once again, he procures the services of The London Symphony Orchestra and The English Chamber Choir. He employs a backing band of virtual unknowns. This time, however, Wakeman peppers his piece with a few big names. Guest vocalists include Trevor Rabin (Yes), Justin Hayward (Moody Blues), Bonnie Tyler, Katrina Leskanich (Katrina and The Waves) and Ozzy Osbourne. Reading the passages this time -- with infectious precision -- is Patrick Stewart, best known as Captain Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Contained within the elaborate gatefold packaging by longtime Yes artist Roger Dean, Return opens up with a pattern of lush orchestrations, slyly garnishing Stewert's poignant articulations throughout. Utilizing a number of computerized gadgets and tools, the keyboards are seemingly shrouded -- certainly not as distinctive as Wakeman's sound can be. It isn't until the fourth track -- Buried Alive -- that Return sonically surges forward. Ozzy Osbourne's vocals swim effortlessly through The London Symphony's framework. Wakeman unleashes one of his trademark solos during the song's mounting crescendo.

From here, the Return takes on a rather ethereal tone. With no real central theme to convey -- aside from the journey itself -- there are, nonetheless, some stellar performances. Bonnie Tyler's nicotine-stained reading on Is Anybody There? is lifted to a glossy finish as the English Chamber Choir sails through each emotive verse. Tony Mitchell's generic turn on Mr. Slow is also largely carried by the orchestral/choir accompaniment.

Trevor Rabin's vocals and guitar on Never Is A Long, Long Time take a backseat to the additional instrumentation. This is one song that could do without the spiraling strings and chamber voices. On the other hand, Justin Hayward is able to make Still Waters Run Deep sound like something he'd do with the Moody Blues.

The CD's most lilting track may be the Katrina Leskanich vehicle, Ride Of Your Life. Without her "Waves" and without Wakeman's somewhat excessive arrangements, Leskanich executes her range to its full potential. It would be interesting to see a song like this launch her comeback.

With talk of comebacks, one must wonder how Return To The Centre Of The Earth fits within the contemporary music scene of the 90s. In truth, it doesn't. It isn't much more than a self-fulfilling aspiration for Rick Wakeman. A chance to relive the days of glory, with an assembled "Dream Team" along for the ride.

Perhaps Wakeman should think about a visual counterpart -- a multimedia concert or film. Today's audiences -- many orbiting in a nihilistic trance -- simply don't have the patience or desire to sit through something like this. Thought-provoking, literary exercises of this sort have never registered high on the richter scale of mass taste and popularity.

Shawn Perry
(This review originally appeared on the Classic Rock channel of about.com, October 1999)



Rick Wakeman revisits hallowed ground for himself and his legions of fans world-wide in his mammoth 77-minute work for orchestra, choir, and rock ensemble; "Return to the Centre of the Earth". So should fans expect a simple rehashing of the story and musical structures of his original "Journey to the Centre of the Earth," from 1974? In a word, no. Gone are the flourishes of warm mini-moog and analog white noise sweeps; in their place is a mindblowing symphonic sound featuring the best that today's digital world has to offer. In this big-budget 'sequel,' Wakeman has outdone himself in terms of creating a musical and narrative story, composing all the music, lyrics and narratives himself; inspired by the original Jules Verne novel. Wakeman's story jumps foward two centuries from the original, as three 'geologian explorers' attempt to emulate the original 'journey' of Professor Lindenbrook and his two companions. It is told through 11 sections of narration by the formidable Patrick Stewart and his "voice to die for." I can't think of a better choice to tell this story! The narratives, with enormous and varied symphonic backing from the London Symphony Orchestra and English Chamber Choir convey a much deeper storyline than the original, and serve as bridges to the 11 major musical tracks. It is the fusing of these narratives and their own strong musical themes, with the progrock vocal and instrumental pieces that they bridge together, that defines this album as a true Wakeman masterwork.

So what to expect besides stirring narratives from Patrick Stewart? The most striking aspect of the music throughout is the tremendous role given to the LSO and the Choir, they consistently create a huge wall-of-sound that fully complements the playing of the progrock musicians. The orchestral and choral elements are taken further than Rick has ever taken them before in a concept album. One could almost call this the "Return Symphony!" So what else do we get on this nifty disc?

How about Ozzy Osbourne backed by orchestra in metal-riff mode along with the choir in "Buried Alive?" Rick really lets the orchestral strings and brass shine in a tremedous wall-of-sound, as well as letting them rip some inspired solos to join his own flying-fingered Korg solo near the end of the piece. This is tremendous stuff, Ozzy fits in perfectly here, I only wish Rick had let him sing another piece or two.

Rick's finest playing of the album thus far comes on the magical instrumental, "Dance of a Thousand Lights." This is a sensational piece for piano and orchestra, with Rick providing some nimble and spirited piano work that evokes memories of his best playing on "1984" and his "Classical Connection" albums. Again, the strings group together and do a fast run of their own over rick's main theme...outstanding!

Patrick Stewart reintroduces us to the 12-foot tall "Shepherd," still watching over his flock of prehistoric creatures amidst the dense foliage of the Forest. Punctuated by some fine minimoog bass notes, "Mr. Slow" features Tony Mitchell's vocals as the lumbering giant in this 'haunting' orchestral/choral ballad.

Soon Trevor Rabin takes over the vocal and guitar duties in "Never is a Long, Long Time," featuring nifty guitar work and lot's of up-tempo interplay between orchestra and choir. "The Kill" features a good amount of Wakeman soloing throughout the first half, then the Choir gets to handle some vocals, followed by more flashy Wakeman speed on the analog keys. It doesn't get much better than this!

Well...we also have guest vocal appearences from Justin Heyward, Bonnie Tyler, and Katrina Leskanich, as the pace quickens toward the end of the return. Suffice to say that there are loads of high points in the playing from Rick and the gang as the story comes to it's volatile conclusion.

This album takes many playings to completely realize it's full depth; there's just so much here to listen to. It took two or three spinnings for me to even begin to truly appreciate it...don't judge it on your first listen! The production is absolutely top-notch and lovely to behold through both speakers and headphones.

So do I have any gripes with this colossus? Yup. First off, Rick's playing is often mixed too far back for my enjoyment. I realize he wanted to be a part of the integrated whole, but his playing is excellent, so get it a bit further out in front! And I wish there had been a little more of it as well! I would have suggested using more of the minimoog for his soloing, as he often blends in a little too closely with the orchestra's own voices (although the clarity of the digital synth patches can't be denied). I also would have preferred seeing his long-time vocalist Chrissie Hammond in on this, in place of Bonnie Tyler and Katrina Leskanich, as I think she has the best voice of the three.

I'll pass on comparing it overly much to his analog epics of the seventies, that was a far different time with it's own pluses and minuses. I certainly think it belongs in the same league with "Journey," "Arthur," "Six Wives," etc. I don't know of many composer/musicians that could have pulled off such a monumental feat, especially 25 years after his first 'Journey.' Just run out and buy it when it hits retail in your part of the world, and play it loud!

Karnevilj's Progressive Music Site



To celebrate the 25th anniversary of his bestselling 1974 album Journey to the Centre of the Earth, keyboard maestro Rick Wakeman has created a conceptual opus that serves as both impressive sequel and ambitious revisitation to his original premise. Wakeman himself has continued the Jules Verne narrative, delivered here with flawless thespian diction by Patrick Stewart, and his music draws together a seamless cohesion of the London Symphony Orchestra, the English Chamber Choir, and guest vocalists including Ozzy Osbourne, Bonnie Tyler, Justin Hayward, Trevor Rabin, Katrina Leskanich, and Tony Mitchell. Wakeman can be accused of overindulgence in both arrangement and production, and, frankly, his talent as a lyricist leaves much to be desired. But even when this bravura effort slips into heavy-handed pretension (which fortunately isn't often), it's great to hear Journey reconceived with the state-of-the-art recording technology. Whether it's heard in its entirety or with music and narration tracks isolated, this is a dynamic recording that grows richer with each listening. Sure, it's likely to appeal primarily to Wakeman's fans and receptive converts, but overall this is a journey well worth taking.

Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com



Having never heard of it, I saw this album at a large department store and picked it up thinking it was simply a new re-recording of "Journey To The Centre Of the Earth", (which as always been a favourite of mine) only this time using the digital technologies of nowadays. But to my utter amazement it turned out to be a completely new work, based on the former title, but featuring entirely new music and lyrics. And, as I listened to it that night, lights off, I just couldn't believe how good it was, I am not exaggerating at all when I say I thought it couldn't be real, I was just dreaming. From the very first track I remained there, in total disbelief of finding each track as good or better than the former one, from the narrator's very first words to the final choral climax. It hasn't even a single bad track, all of them are either very good or extraordinary, and there are plenty of them because this CD is some 77 min. long. The sound quality is absolutely superb, among my top 5 CDs (and I've got some 1,500+), in breathtaking Dolby Surround, boistering both the deepest bass and the cleanest high frequencies you can imagine. The styles are also incredibly varied, both vocal and instrumental, as are the featured singers and even the production is also beyond belief, with some awesome graphics and booklet. On top of that, the narrator is no other than Patrick Stewart, i.e: Star Trek TNG's Captain Picard himself. His voice talent adds a new dimension to this already wonderful masterpiece with all kinds of subtleties and nuances, as well as perfect tempo and intonation that lead you straight into the story, as if you were there. His performance is on a par to Richard Burton's classic one in "The War of the Worlds". The arrangements, the orchestra, the chorus, even the incidental music which serves as background to the narrative, all are of the utmost quality, which you can appreciate in every minor detail such as the fact that the track numbering has been indexed in such a way that you can easily program your CD reader to either listen to just the narrative or just the music if you so desire, and the booklet doesn't forget to tell you about it! Briefly, this is an absolute masterpiece which will let you wondering in awe as you go discovering layer after layer of complex harmonies. It's difficult to single out a "best track", but then "The Dance of a Thousand Lights" and "The Kill" will no doubt leave a deep impression in your musical soul. A must.

Valentin Albillo from Spain



The second coming of Rick Wakeman? Well, given the presence of a the English Chamber, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the master himself up to his old Moogs-stacked-on-a-grand-piano tricks, it sure sounds like it. (And in an unwelcome flashback to those glory days, Rick once again fell deathly ill during the final stages of recording). EMI spent a hair-raising sum to provide Wakeman with a production that matched his previously unrivaled "Journey to the Centre of the Earth." It's also lavishly packaged, right down to embossed Roger Dean artwork on the LP release. The "Return" song cycle is comprised of alternating narrative by Patrick Stewart and songs by Wakeman and the orchestra. It's a clever design -- you can simply listen to the narrative by programming only the odd numbered tracks to play, or just instrumentals by programming in even numbered tracks. Given the 74-minute length of this album -- double the length of the original "Journey" -- it could fairly be described as two albums braided together.

The narrative portion is a retread of the original Verne story used in "Journey" -- not a bad retread, but it's a shame that Wakeman didn't simply take on a different tale altogether. Though this reprise is clearly meant to appeal to his original audience, it's also diminished by the long shadow of its extraordinary predecessor. The orchestral arrangement is less sophisticated at times than in "Journey, " often serving to simply emphasize the bass line; there's not enough contrapuntal interplay between different sections of the orchestra.

Unlike "Journey, " here there are a series of guest vocalists wedged between the bits of Patrick Stewart's regal narration -- not unlike the star turns taken between Richard Burton's narration in Jeff Wayne's "War of the Worlds." Some of "Return"'s best moments come with the guest appearances of Ozzy Osbourne and Justin Hayward; the latter's "Still Waters Run Deep" is enriched by some wonderful Moog work. The clear highlight of the album, though, is "Dance of a Thousand Lights, " a gentle piece for piano and orchestra that ranks with the best work of his career. While "Return to the Center of Earth" may not be the commercial comeback that it was intended to be, it's clearly the most artistically ambitious project that Wakeman has tackled in decades. It's good to have the Caped Crusader back.

Paul Collins, All-Music Guide



Rick Wakeman's soon to be released Return to the Centre of the Earth is a beautiful balance between narration - as spoken by the pleasant voice of Patrick Stewart - and music. Others that lend their (singing) voices to this disc are Ozzy Osbourne, Bonnie Tyler, Justin Hayward, Katrina Leskanich (of Katrina and the Waves fame), Trevor Rabin (late of Yes). The only name unfamiliar to me is Tony Mitchell (of the band Kiss of the Gypsy).

Instrumentally, Wakeman is joined by Fraser Thorneycroft-Smith on guitar, Phil Williams on bass, Simon Hanson on drums, and both the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Snell and the English Chamber Choir conducted by Guy Protheroe.

Without revealing any of the story details, this album is a follow up to his earlier - much earlier, 25 years earlier - release Journey to the Centre of the Earth, a musical telling of the Jules Verne. In this, Return, he does just that - returns to the centre of the Earth.

Before I set off exploring this wonderful disk, I should admit something up front - though I am familiar with who Rick Wakeman is, his past associations (Yes mainly), I haven't really heard much of his work - aside from that in Yes. I do have have a couple past solo discs - The Myths & Legends of King Arthur & The Knights of the Round Table and Softsword. If you aren't familiar with Wakeman, the brief bio of highlights is: a prolific solo artist; a member of both Yes (off an on throughout their career) and the Strawbs (briefly).

I'd like to say if you are into harder edged prog, you might not get into this, but the truth is that if you can appreciate accomplished playing, then you will like this. Listening to Wakeman "tinkle the ivories" on a track such as "The Dance of a Thousand Lights" is magic. In fact, musically this is just wonderful and worth getting for that alone. The arrangments are rich, lush, dramatic, vivid - you can see the story unfold.

Also, and especially in the all too brief "Floodflames," you can easily tell who such proggers as Marillion's Mark Kelly were influenced by.

Mitchell has a pleasant voice, but sings with a light touch and compared to the rough vocals of Osbourne and Tyler, seem underpowered. That said, I don't think Osbourne's vocal style quite fits here. There is the expectation of harder edge material, and even with the drama needed for "Buried Alive," it would inappropriate.

Another picky thing: the lyrics, or at least most of the lyrics, to "Never Is A Long Long Time" seem lifted from a series of cliched ideas. I do like Rabin's vocals here, and next to Leskanich, he fares best with the material. "Ride of Your Life," Leskanich's turn in the spotlight has the same verve and energy as her work with Katrina and the Waves. Though it does run dangerously close to pop because of it.

The English Chamber Choir are, perhaps, the most suited to this production singing-wise - their voices are angelic with an undercurrent of darkness.

I've been a long time Moody Blues fan, but Hayward seems off his game here, a bit off key and flat at times. And yet, there is a melancoliness to his vocals that comes through, and his voice seems well matched to the material.

Patrick Stewart is just perfect - his voice has the right tenor, the right timbre. I really could listen to him read the phone book - I'd be gripped by the drama he could instill in it.

I don't care what your particular brand of progressive is, you needs must go out and get this disk. Listening to it is an adventure that you find you need to repeat to catch every nuance.

Reviewed by: Stephanie Sollow, April 1999
www.progressiveworld.net - Your Ultimate Guide To Progressive Music



Every artist with a career that spans more than thirty years should at least have one highlight in his or her life. That highlight can be anything at all, but of course it's always nice when it's a release that can be regarded as the absolute best that particular artist has ever produced. With a solo output of nearly fifty different releases (!) it is with great pleasure for me to tell you that Rick Wakeman has released his all-time masterpiece in the form of Return To The Centre Of The Earth!

When the original vinyl album, Journey To The Centre Of The Earth, was recorded live more than 25 years ago, the story took us to the centre of the earth by means of a tunnel in the crater of Sneffels Yokul. This time we take another tunnel in that same volcano to encounter a totally different 'journey'. Instead of the 38 minutes of the vinyl 'forefather,' this all digital CD runs in excess of 76 minutes, taking you from one highlight to the another. With the help of the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Snell, the English Chamber Choir conducted by Guy Protheroe, a superb talented young backing band, and numerous guest singers, this new album puts Rick Wakeman back on the map in capital and bold letters!

What is nice about this album is that the 22 tracks have been edited in such a way that you can programme the CD to either hear the story alone, the music alone, or the entire project. The odd numbered tracks contain the fantastic deep voice of actor Patrick Stewart, best known for his work on Star Trek: The Next Generation. So who better than Patrick to create that necessary sci-fi feel based on the great Jules Verne saga? The even numbered tracks contain the actual songs, six of which have been sung by guest singers. Whilst some of you might find the combination of singers rather weird, I can guarantee you that it works perfectly well.

Longtime friend Ozzy Osbourne lends his distinctive voice to "Buried Alive," whilst back again is the glorious sound of the Moog synthesizer that we have missed for so long.

In "Is Anybody Out There?" the sandpaper voice of Bonnie Tyler goes really deep, backed once again by the outstanding choir. Having already worked with Jim Steinman in the past (whose "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" sold more than one million copies in the US alone!), it is not the first time Bonnie lends her unique voice to this kind of music. Newcomer Tony Mitchell sings by far the most commercial song on this album, "Mr. Slow." Backed by a very modern percussive sound, the melody is very catchy and should be a strong contender to get lots of radio airplay. The same applies to the uptempo "Never Is A Long, Long Time' for which ex-Yes guitarist Trevor Rabin has been called in. Rick has always felt very strong about Trevor and I guess it won't be too wrong to suggest that we will might see (and hear!) a joint album between them! Apart from recording an ace vocal output, Trevor also plays a fab guitar solo, whilst the orchestra puts a lot of power into the song.

Next on the list is Moody Blues singer Justin Hayward. Whilst his Days Of Future Passed album has been regarded as probably the very first prog album, his longtime friendship with Rick, together with the unique colour of his voice, was the main reason why he'd been asked to collaborate. "Still Waters Run Deep" has a slight folk-like feel and floats nicely, backed again by heavenly violins and choir. Pure rock 'n roll is reserved for Katrina Leskanich better known as the singer from Katrina and the Waves. Having won the Eurovision song contest Katrina is used to being a winner. Even if "Ride Of Your Life' is probably the longest track she has ever done, she does it with enormous input and splendor.

If there is one song on the album which perfectly entertains both the classic purists and the rock audience it will be the all instrumental "The Dance Of A Thousand Lights" in which Rick delivers that whirlwind on the piano he alone is capable of! Another all instrumental is "The Kill" in which all our attention goes towards the Bach trumpet.

I cried when I heard this album for the first time! Cried because I have known Rick for so long and know he has always been capable of delivering this kind of masterpiece. Unfortunately the world runs on money not on talent, so for the last twenty years or so Rick has been unable to create the work he ís really capable of producing. With Return To The Centre Of The Earth he has clearly made his mark. Not only is it a return to the centre of the earth but also the return of the 'real' Rick Wakeman we have all loved for so many years.

Knowing that the first 'Journey' sold a mere 12 million copies, this one should at least sell twice as much! Above all it proves once again that progressive rock is now definitely back and I trust this album to be the locomotive for the well-deserved revival of the genre. In the name of all progressive rock lovers in the world, all the musicians who have taken Rick as their prime example and all the new prog acts all over the world: thanks Rick for giving us the injection we have been waiting for for so long. Thanks for being back. We all love you!

Thanks also to Richard C Lyttelton, President of EMI Classics, who believed in Rick's talent and enabled him to record this masterpiece with no limits whatsoever. If it wasn't for him then the only man who would ever have heard "Return To The Centre Of The Earth" would have been Rick Wakeman himself, in his mind! Now go out and buy that album, the interlocking key to go from the rock room to the classical room and back again. Buy one for yourself and one to give as a present to your best friends. They will love you forever!

[Hear, hear! I second that! -ed.]

Review courtesy John "Bo Bo" Bollenberg
www.progressiveworld.net - Your Ultimate Guide To Progressive Music



The Return of Rick Wakeman!
Interview by John "Bo Bo" Bollenberg

It is 7:30 pm on February 9, 1999 and in the 'earth galleries' of the famous Natural History Museum in London, record company EMI Classics has found the ideal location to launch the brand new Rick Wakeman album Return To The Centre Of Tthe Earth [released April 1999]. Only 300 people could get in, whilst rumours have it that a further 600 found their names on a list, anxiously waiting for someone not to show up. The doors open, invitations are checked, security people run from one place to the other, famous and less famous faces fill the hall. At 20:15 the opening suite from Wakeman's latest record fills the gallery, whilst Rick comes down the escalator, heavily applauded by the audience. Camera people almost kill each other in order to make the best shots. An emotional Rick Wakeman invites us to the rear of the gallery.

EMI Classics president, Richard C. Lyttelton, speaks. "Rick Wakeman is a fantastic musician. Not only is he an ace keyboard player, he is also a phenomenal contemporary composer and a talented producer. He is someone I have admired and respected for many years. For EMI Classics he is the ideal person to have on the label. Return To The Centre Of The Earth was an enormous project. Not only does it comprise the work of 150 musicians, but I have luckily resisted the temptation in using a cheaper, eastern-European orchestra. If we were to do this outrageous idea then we should do it to the fullest. The London Symphony Orchestra and English Chamber Choir were magnificent, as were the young gifted musicians Rick had in his band. Also my thanks and admiration have to go to Patrick Stewart. What a voice! For everyone at EMI Classics this was an enormous undertaking. I now invite you to watch some video footage about the making of Return To The Centre Of The Earth.

In the video we are shown several aspects of the recording process for the album, and one by one the guest singers are presented. After this short film, next to Rick himself, director David Snell, choir leader Guy Protheroe, Bonnie Tyler, Katrina Leskanich, Tony Mitchell and even Roger Dean climb on stage. Approved by family and friends the applause goes on and on before drinks and snacks introduce the start of a hectic attack of media interest.

I talk to an emotional Nina Carter, Rick's wife and friend in need. "I'm glad about the enthusiastic crowd because for us this has been a very difficult decision to make. In the end this might well be Rick's work of his life and the end result really is mind-blowing!" Second son Adam says, "Until now I haven't heard anything at all on the album. I have arranged bits and pieces for the choir and that was very complex. I am very happy about the media attention and the confidence EMI has in my father. I am very proud … and curious to finally hear the album!" Oliver, the eldest son, adds, "My father has worked in secrecy on this album. No one from the family has heard one bit, which is very strange as he takes us to listen to his work all of the time. This time it was 'strictly confidential' all the way. The project was masterminded on the Isle of Man, and because me and my brother Adam live in England, we haven't heard anything."

Another "old" face in the crowd is that of drummer Tony Fernandez. "I still do bits and pieces left and right. I do a lot of gigs with Ruthless Blues and I have been in Adam's band Jeronimo Road for some time. Now that Damian Wilson has left, it looks like the band is no more. Sad really." A distinguished man in his fifties looks in my direction. It's Ramion Remedios, the tenor who did The Gospels and A Suite Of Gods. "I'm glad Rick has finally been able to record with a decent budget in order to record one of his compositions. It's a pity there was no room to include myself, but then again it might well be that the success of Return will see the revival of The Gospels. Who knows? Personally I'll probably be doing the Phantom Of The Opera later this year."

I'm getting thirsty and try to find the bar. Of course it's the ideal place to find Ashley Holt. Ashley has been the rough voice Rick has been using for years in his English Rock Ensemble. He sang on the original Journey To The Centre Of The Earth and was the singer with Warhorse, the band formed around ex-Deep Purple bass player Nick Simper. "I'm thrilled Rick is getting so much attention. He's had it difficult for a long time, but I wish him all the best with his new project."

Whilst Ashley drinks his 57th beer, I have a chat with Jim Davidson. Jim is a very popular TV-presenter for BBC, having a very important TV programme on Saturday evenings. "I have been friends with Rick for years and I thought it was very sad [that] the media were no longer writing about him. With this new album I'm sure he will get all the attention he really deserves. I'll grab a copy of the album on my way out because I have to hear that album!"

Born and bread in Swansea, Bonnie Tyler seems to be in form. Her rough sounding voice is overtaking the entire reception! "My manager got a phone call from Rick's management asking me if I'd be interested in collaborating? Because I have worked with Jim Steinman in the past [his "total Eclipse Of The Heart" sold a staggering 1 million copies in America alone!], working together with an orchestra wasn't new for me. The power you get as a singer, if you get the chance to sing with such an orchestra, is fantastic. It's as if they push you forward. The moment Rick takes this baby on the road I want to be part of it!"

Unfortunately the shy Roger Dean has already left the building and the competition beer drinking continues between Dr. Doom (alias Stuart Sawney) and guitar player Fraser Thorneycroft-Smith. I still haven't been able to say hello to the man of the evening: Rick Wakeman. Someone from yet another TV-channel is preparing his questions whilst Rick gets another layer of make-up on. Spotlights flash on and another interview takes place. Richard C. Lyttelton smiles. I finally shake hands with Rick. An enthusiastic smile and a "hello mate, nice you could make it. See you tomorrow!" conclude a very fatiguing day.

The interview time I've been given the next day runs from 13:00 to 13:20 exactly. Just in time, I arrive at the luxurious Kensington Hilton where I am informed that I am expected on the fourth floor in suite 4017-4029. The lovely Natasha from EMI Classics asks me to wait because a Danish journalist has a final question. Wakeman answers that question until it's exactly 13:20, but I don't panic, knowing I'm the last journalist of the day. My 23 year friendship with Rick Wakeman is an advantage because the moment the world's best keyboard player sees me, time suddenly is no longer an issue. The small 20 minutes I was given by the record company suddenly runs well over an hour and a half! In my hurry, all of the prepared questions are still in my printer at home, so I guess it's improvisation time once again.

Thanks to the generous people at EMI Belgium, I had already received a copy of the Return album (the only copy available in all of Belgium at the time!) enabling me to do my "thing." In a relaxed atmosphere and with some typical English "tea," we embark on yet another chapter of the already well documented life of Richard Christopher Wakeman!

More than 25 years after the vinyl release of the original Journey To The Centre Of The Earth we now get Return To The Center Of The Earth on CD. From 36 minutes analogue we go to 76 minutes digital. Was Wakeman unhappy about his first offering? "Not at all. The technical side of things has changed so much over the years that I can do things in a completely different way now. For this album I started to write a completely new story as if I was Jules Verne myself. I am still very happy about the first Journey album because it was the best you could do at the time. I also worked with an orchestra, a choir, a narrator, and a band. However the concept was done in a way where you had a part for the orchestra, then a part for the band, etc… You didn't have the possibilities you have now. Just take a look at the multitude of software that is available now! Today it is possible to record every single detail separately and then add it later on without any loss of quality. I can tell you that the new album, as it sounds today, couldn't have been done three years ago. With the length of the CD I also have more possibilities. On the original Journey I had to bear in mind that I had to record the material over two sides. This time I didn't have to take this in consideration. Initially I had 126 minutes of music but I needed to have it on one single CD so I had to remove a lot of material. The result was much more direct. I was asked to make the total duration under 78 minutes in order to guarantee the quality. Meanwhile, it also has something to do with the CD-R which has a maximum capacity of 74 minutes. There are however CD-Rs which last longer, yet they cost more than a pre-recorded CD!"

Listening to the album for the very first time makes you aware of the confident sound of the Moog synthesizer. Especially since the way Wakeman plays this instrument is unique, a sound associated with the vintage Wakeman. It's as if Wakeman has come "full circle." "You're absolutely right. What I have learned from my children is the following. In the eighties, and even in the beginning of the nineties, everything sounded dated. That sound refers to that period, that way of producing is typical for that period, that singer has to be seen in that period, everything's got a date and a label. What I see in the world of fashion, music, literature, art, film, is that there is only one rule: if it's good, it gets put on the shelves; if not, no one will stock it. So you no longer have to write material in a certain pattern; what you do has to be good and not just be en vogue. In particular, my daughter Jemma listens to a lot of pop music that nowadays contains a lot of covers from the sixties. Sometimes I ask her: 'do you know how old that song is?' and then she answers: 'daddy, I don't care. If a song is good, then it's good. Period!

If you see what the 'kids' wear nowadays you will see a mixture from the thirties right down to the current day. There no longer is one fashion. The same applies to films, books. No writer starts writing a 'certain type' of book. He or she has to put his or her entire soul into the book in order to put everything as original as possible onto paper. Only then do you get recognition and will people buy your product. Of course marketing-wise it's not an easy task to promote something. I haven't thought one minute about who would buy my album. From the day I knew I could spend time on this project, I have started to work without asking myself any further questions as to who would buy it. What strikes me is the attention from the media. They have called me, telling me what a refreshing idea it is and what a nice change it all makes! The reviews we got so far are all very promising. Even a magazine like Metal Hammer is very positive. They even asked us if they could do a review because they like the album so much. Metal Hammer? These guys think Metallica is a folk band! Of course there's the song with Ozzy but people won't go through an entire album just to hear the one song with Ozzy! Then there's the Classic CD magazine that likes the album a lot as well. What my music can be is, like you say, be the key to go from classical to pop and from pop to classical."

How is it that someone "big" like Rick Wakeman, who has been obliged to release one low budget album after the other for years, suddenly sees a budget of £2 million being invested in a new project? "Record companies have lost all feeling for music itself for many years now. People in charge mainly are businesspeople who want to make profit. The strange thing is that, in nearly two months time, I had four interested companies all trying to sign me up. In February last year EMI joined them. The big difference between EMI and the other companies was that EMI wanted me for the right reasons. Apparently the seventies are back in fashion and most companies thought it would be a good move to give this project a chance because of the sudden interest in the period and the analogue sounds. I told them I wasn't interested in delivering a 'seventies' album. What I wanted to do was to make an album in 1999 that was ready for the new millennium. I told them I would need at least three months to do the orchestrations alone. They told me that wasn't necessary. The orchestra would only be added as a visual gimmick!

Suddenly Richard Lyttelton from EMI came waltzing in. It's not as if because the man is president of the classical department at EMI that he doesn't know anything about pop music. The man was responsible for signing Queen to EMI! He knows a great deal about all sorts of music. When I had dinner with him, he asked me how I would feel if my album would be released on EMI Classics. I told him that wasn't important for me as long as the album was taken care of with the right attitude. I have had plenty of dinners with record company executives in the past, and what I have learned is that they all use the same tactics. If you ask them to give you £100 they find a way to finally give you £75. If you ask for ten musicians, in the end you get six. They all are alike!

Yesterday, when Richard Lyttelton spoke about a certain 'someone' suggesting we use an eastern-European orchestra in order to cut the budget, that was very gentleman-like of him because that 'someone' was none other than yours truly! I was so keen to make that album that I was willing to settle for lesser-known orchestras as long as it would cut the budget. I proposed an eastern-European orchestra, an eastern-European choir, and a tiny budget for a good yet unknown narrator. Then suddenly I was having dinner with the big authority, Mister Lyttelton and he said: 'I've looked at your budget ...' and I thought 'here we go again!'

'I have studied it well', he said, 'but I can't figure it out. You know that EMI would love to do this project, however with these figures I can't work it out. Let's start with the orchestra.'

I interrupted his conversation, saying to him that I compared the best prices I could get and had to settle for this orchestra in Belgrade. He said: 'if we do this project it has to be done well, the best.' He asked me what the best orchestra in Europe is? I answered: 'the London Symphony Orchestra'. 'Correct', he said, 'and did you base your budget on the LSO?' I told him this wasn't necessary, that these people would probably cost ten times as much. 'I know these prices', he said, 'they are under [an] EMI contract, so I know the prices. Well, that's OK then, I can put the LSO down as the orchestra shall I?'

Of course he could, but if we took on the LSO, there was no more budget left! 'Ah, the choir', smiled Lyttelton. 'What about the English Chamber Choir? They were once founded by the LSO and their leader is Guy Protheroe. An excellent choice.' I said to him: 'you have just added £100,000 to the budget!' He said: 'Well, £122,000 to be precise! Now, let's talk about your band. You have an excellent band, very skilled musicians. Yet I would like you to use a complete new line-up. I want you to use musicians you have never before played with in your life. I want those boys to push you to new limits, limits you never thought were possible. In your own way you will push these youngsters to limits they didn't think were possible.' Even if this sounded rather strange in the beginning I have to admit he was 100% right. I had to rewrite all of my keyboard parts; I had to work bloody hard. We are about to sign the contract when suddenly EMI America's boss, Gilbert Hetherwick, asks me: 'Who is going to do the narration?' I told him I was thinking of an internationally acclaimed actor who hopefully was into science fiction. Hetherwick said: 'someone like Patrick Stewart?' 'Exactly, but do you know what a bloke like Stewart costs', I asked him. 'Of course', said Hetherwick, 'I live in Hollywood; I know exactly what these guys charge.' He turns around, looks at Richard Lyttelton and asks him: 'What do you think of Patrick Stewart?' 'Excellent choice', smiles Lyttelton. 'OK, Patrick Stewart it is', smiles Hetherwick.I thought: this can't be true. Record companies deduct money not add it.

'Have you thought about the sleeve?' Lyttelton continued. 'Personally I'd love to have a Roger Dean cover. He's a friend of yours isn't he? Why not make an appointment with him and talk things over?'

The next day I was with Roger Dean talking about the idea. One thing that was very important was what Lyttelton told me afterwards. He said: 'There's only one way to do this project and that's the perfect way. You have to decide who the singers will be. I won't put pressure on you asking you to use people who have just had a major hit. The choice is yours yet I would like you to choose the right singer for the right song.' I left the office with mixed feelings. One was of relief and happiness that they would finally give me the chance to do this project on a big scale. The other was one of responsibility. Without having heard one single note of music they provided me with the best musicians and a huge budget which was brought together by the shareholders in the first place. I didn't know whether at all I should be glad or sad. It might sound unbelievable but financially I have it harder now than before. I put heart and soul into this project thus not taking on any other commitments. They asked me to do two soundtracks, which I have declined, as right now I have to be available to do promotion for the new album. I am also preparing the live shows we are planning to do with this project. Believe it or not but we are taking this extravaganza on the road. Roger Dean is already working on the stage set!"

Wakeman gets sparkles in his eyes. The illness he got last year has given him a new perspective in life, has brought him closer to his family than ever before. The tours of the past were both a financial disasters and a threat to his health. Now we have Return To The Center Of The Earth which can put Rick Wakeman back on the map. He was given nine months to do the entire project, but the real nailbiting began in December 1998, when the orchestral parts had to be recorded.

Before we were to record the orchestra nothing was ready. I had done recordings in Los Angeles, in New York, in London, on the Isle of Man. We had used several formats of tape; recordings were being flown from one side of the planet to the other. I never had any material available to let the investors hear what I was working on. It was as if I had this huge jigsaw puzzle and was throwing all of the pieces on the table. As long as these pieces made a huge pile it didn't mean anything. The first sessions with the orchestra were cancelled because I was in hospital so they were postponed until December. In my thirty year long career this has been the most nerve-wracking experience I have ever witnessed. We are all sitting in studio 1 in CTS, one of the most expensive studios in London. Before me sits the entire London Symphony Orchestra, it is a couple of seconds before ten o'clock. Conductor David Snell raises his baton. 96 digital channels are waiting to be recorded. Behind me is the president and the board of directors of EMI Classics. I am thinking about the quarter million pounds which is going to be spent over the coming two days just to record the orchestra alone! In twenty seconds time I will hear for the very first time whether at all the arrangements I have done will work, will sound perfect or whether it'll sound terrible, as if the LSO was a third rate brass band. I asked myself what these EMI directors would've done if it had sounded terrible. Would they run outside in panic and throw themselves under a bus? Those final twenty seconds have been the most silent twenty seconds of my life. As if in slow motion I saw the baton going up and even when I only heard a rough mix in the control room it was as if thick clouds were making way for the sun to emerge. That moment all stress left my body as I turned around and only saw laughing faces. If I still had doubts, they all left that same instance. Only then was I sure that it would work 100%. Everyone involved in the project has given himself to the fullest as if their lives depended on it! Personally I heard the entire piece for the very first time on December 17th. Halfway [through] January I got a CD-R, followed by a copy of the actual album on 2nd February. The copy was still hot!"

Maybe Return To The Center Of The Earth can be seen as the locomotive to pull the revival of progressive rock. Maybe the 'old' Rick Wakeman can inspire a new breed of upcoming young prog-minded souls? 'You might have a point there. Everyone has worked so hard. It's as if they all wanted to be part of it, as if they want to tell their grandchildren that they have collaborated on this project. Patrick Stewart we had booked for two hours but he stayed all day without asking any extra money. He even cancelled a couple of other engagements. He also has shown a great interest to be involved during the forthcoming live concerts of the project. Even if the actual recordings in the CTS studios started at 10 in the morning, certain technicians would already be at work when I arrived at 8:30. I warned them: 'boys, we really can't afford to go over the budget. Every hour in this expensive studio is costing us heaps of money.' But they told me they had discussed it with the studio's manager and they could do all they wanted without any additional cost. The hours they put in before ten o'clock they did out of free will, without being paid, simply because they wanted things to be perfect. During the recording of a huge orchestra you always have someone making some noise. Those technicians would look up those 'noises' and digitally remove each and every one of them. They saw this collaboration not as a job. All of the singers stayed much longer than asked for. The result can maybe be evaluated by other record companies, and maybe they can think: 'Hey, those guys at EMI believed in this kind of music and look what the result has been. Maybe we should give this sort of music a chance as well?' It might well be there will be an interest in this genre of music again and hopefully Return To The Center Of The Earth will be an inspiration not only to the many wonderful musicians out there but also to the industry. I honestly hope it'll mean something!"

Apart from a lot of press coverage and many TV-documentaries, the best promotion for this kind of music remains radio. If you hear something you like chances are you might go out there and buy it … "'That's why we have done 'radio edits' from most of the songs in order to keep those songs under the four minute barrier. Radio stations in England work along a certain 'format' yet they tend to get more freedom as time goes by. The guy who's doing the breakfast show on Radio One loves the album very much and even if his programme has some very strict rules he will play certain tracks off the album. Breakfast radio means many millions of listeners! Classical radio will probably love tunes like 'The Return Overture' and 'The Dance Of A Thousand Lights.' You see, a lot of people have spoken to me and told me: 'Either this album is going to do well, or it'll do very well. In the end EMI will get their investment back because they are doing massive promotion. The album Journey To The Centre Of The Earth sold 12 million copies worldwide, although I think we have to be very realistic here. Times have changed drastically, yet EMI think they can sell 3 million units. We have high hopes because several sponsors have knocked on our door willing to invest. We have a major company who wants to film our live shows and broadcast it on TV. There are no limits. Take Tubular Bells. In the beginning the album didn't do a thing, then someone used a couple of minutes of the music for The Exorcist and before you know it there's Tubular Bells II, III and who knows, IV. You don't know what you can get out of such an idea."

With the new approach around the old Jules Verne novel, maybe there's a possibility for Wakeman's Myths and Legends And The Knights Of The Round Table to be re-worked for the digital format? "I don't think so [laughs]. What I would like to do is to release a new concept album every three to four years, something with a large orchestra, but then I need some good subjects. I would also love to do the soundtrack for a major film not limited to just synthesizers but a soundtrack with full orchestra."

On May 18th, 1999, Rick Wakeman turned 50. The man who put the immortal mellotron into Bowie's "Space Oddity," the heavenly piano in Cat Stevens' "Morning Has Broken" and who was the figure-head of Yes is finally back and you, you should already have bought the new album and played it to smithereens!

www.progressiveworld.net - Your Ultimate Guide To Progressive Music



In the 70s, a sub-genre of rock and roll began to make itself obvious. It was an outgrowth of earlier work done by bands like the Moody Blues, Procol Harum, Pink Floyd and, to a lesser extent, the Beatles. In place of the often ponderous music and sometimes pretentious lyrics of Procol Harum and the Moodies, bands like Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Styx, King Crimson, Journey and Yes pioneered a new approach that emphasized faster tempos, advanced musicianship and intricate song arrangements. ELP and Yes were in the vanguard of this new art rock movement, and both bands were dominated by their keyboard players -- ELP's classically trained Keith Emerson (formerly of the much underrated band The Nice) and Rick Wakeman of Yes. Emerson and Wakeman both exploited the then-new Moog synthesizer and its rapidly developed offshoots from Korg, Yamaha et al, and the bands' trademark sound was that whiny, glissando-rich synthesizer wail.

At the same time, the idea of the concept album, pioneered by the Electric Prunes with their release Mass in F Minor, the Beatles with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and the Moody Blues with Days of Future Passed, gained precedence among these bands. It seemed to be the natural means of expression for them as they sought new ways of dealing with extended melodic lines and increasingly intellectual lyrical content.

Rick Wakeman first achieved success with Yes, joining the band for their fourth album, Fragile. It was an instant hit. Capitalizing on this, he released a solo work, The Six Wives of Henry VIII, in 1973. It was a critical and popular success. Purely an instrumental album, it covered a lot of ground and certainly showcased Wakeman's expertise on the keys. Following Six Wives, Wakeman released Journey to the Centre of the Earth in 1975 after leaving Yes. Journey was narrated by David Hemmings (whatever happened to him?). Its orchestral and choral arrangements put the album on top of the charts in Britain. It did well in America, too.

Wakeman released other well-received solo albums and eventually returned to Yes. Now, a good many years later, he has a well-deserved reputation as one of the most accomplished progressive rock musicians still working in the genre. This sequel to Journey to the Centre of the Earth, released exactly 25 years after the original, will do little to harm that reputation, though his edge may have become a little blunted. Rock is, after all, a young man's game.

Be that as it may, this album has a lot to offer. Wakeman, 50, is more than willing to share the spotlight. He's chosen some outstanding talent to help him, foremost among them Patrick "Jean-Luc Picard" Stewart as narrator. It's impossible to hear Stewart's distinctive mellifluous voice without paying attention, which must have been Wakeman's intent from the get-go. As always, Wakeman's music is fluid and melodically sophisticated without being as demanding as, say, bebop jazz. In other words, it's an unapologetically commercial effort. To underscore this, he's recruited solo vocalists both veteran and new, as well as the English Chamber Choir.

The album apparently took three years to plan and tells the story of three explorers seeking to retrace the steps of Verne's intrepid voyager, Professor Lidenbrock, from the 1864 novel. Lidenbrock got into trouble trying to follow after Arne Saknussemm, and these guys do too, but as is common in musical "retellings," the lyrics don't really seem to have a hell of a lot to do with any of the ostensible narrative. It's fun listening to Ozzy Osbourne wailing about being buried alive, though, in a tune clearly tailored for him. Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues has a song, as does Trevor Rabin of Yes, Bonnie Tyler, and Katrina Leskanich.

The one jarring note (pun mandatory) about this production is that Wakeman, who must have written the narration, screws up the English language a couple of times. He uses "emulates" for "emanates" at one point, and "pastiche" when I think he means "series." (I promise you, he doesn't mean pastiche.) Oh well -- Patrick Stewart sounds so magnificent that I forgave the gaffes. I kept waiting for "Engage!" or "make it so," in vain..

All in all, an enjoyable way to spend time, and a worthwhile addition to your progressive rock collection. Certainly better than Tales from Topographic Oceans.

Copyright © 1998 by A.L. Sirois



Rick Wakeman's recently released Return to the Centre of the Earth is a beautiful balance between narration - as spoken by the pleasant voice of Patrick Stewart ("Star Trek") - and music. Others that lend their (singing) voices to this disc are Ozzy Osbourne, Bonnie Tyler, Justin Hayward, Katrina Leskanich (of Katrina and the Waves), Trevor Rabin (late of Yes). The only name unfamiliar to me is Tony Mitchell (of the band Kiss of the Gypsy). Without revealing any of the story details, this album is a follow up to his earlier - much earlier, 25 years earlier -release Journey to the Centre of the Earth, a musical telling of the Jules Verne novel. In this, Return, he does just that - returns to the centre of the Earth.

Instrumentally, Wakeman is joined by Fraser Thorneycroft-Smith on guitar, Phil Williams on bass, Simon Hanson on drums, and both the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Snell and the English Chamber Choir conducted by Guy Protheroe.

Before I set off exploring this wonderful disk, I should admit something up front - though I am familiar with who Rick Wakeman is, his past associations (Yes mainly), I haven't really heard much of his work - aside from that in Yes. If you aren't familiar with Wakeman, the brief bio of highlights is: a prolific solo artist; a member of both Yes (off an on throughout their career) and the Strawbs (briefly).
I'd like to say if you are into harder edged prog, you might not get into this, but the truth is that if you can appreciate accomplished playing, then you will like this. Listening to Wakeman "tinkle the ivories" on a track such as The Dance of a Thousand Lights is magic. In fact, musically this is just wonderful and worth getting for that alone. The arrangments are rich, lush, dramatic, vivid - you can see the story unfold.

Also, and especially in the all too brief Floodflames, you can easily tell who such proggers as Marillion's Mark Kelly were influenced by.
Mitchell has a pleasant voice, but sings with a light touch and compared to the rough vocals of Osbourne and Tyler, seem underpowered. That said, I don't think Osbourne's vocal style quite fits here. There is the expectation of harder edge material, and even with the drama needed for Buried Alive, it would inappropriate.

Another picky thing: the lyrics, or at least most of the lyrics, to Never Is A Long Long Time seem lifted from a series of cliched ideas. I do like Rabin's vocals here, and next to Leskanich, he fares best with the material. Ride of Your Life, Leskanich's turn in the spotlighthas the same verve and energy as her work with Katrina and the Waves. Though it does run dangerously close to pop because of it. The English Chamber Choir are, perhaps, the most suited to this production singing-wise - their voices are angelic with an undercurrent of darkness. Hayward seems off his game here, a bit off key and flat at times. And yet, there is a melancoliness to his vocals that comes through, and his voice seems well matched to the material.
Patrick Stewart is just perfect - his voice has the right tenor, the right timbre. I really could listen to him read the phone book - I'd be gripped by the drama he could instill in it.

I don't care what your particular brand of progressive is, you must go out and get this CD. Listening to it is an adventure that you find you need to repeat to catch every nuance. There are also some things I don't like on this CD: the production is much too clean and the musicians are sometimes far away in the mix. And there is Simon Hanson's drumming; why not a great drummer like Simon Philips ???

Conclusion: 7.5 out of 10.
Dirk van den Hout



Back in 1974 Rick released the massively successful Journey To The Centre Of The Earth, an album which boosted his solo career several hundred steps up the ladder of success. Ever since that time Rick has wanted to do a sequel album but time, money and technology have never been favourable to the idea - until now. The new album, Return To The Centre Of The Earth was released in March on the EMI Classics label with a huge press campaign and entered the national album charts at number 34 in it's first week. Three years of writing, planning and recording together with a £2 million budget have resulted in Rick calling this 'without question the most important and exciting musical journey that I have been involved with since the original Journey.' The contributions of the London Symphony Orchestra and the English Chamber Choir bring the album it's underlying classical feel whilst the contributions from many top contemporary vocalists add a rock edge, all of which is perfectly blended together by Wakeman's astoundingly diverse talent. Incidentally those vocalists include Justin Hayward, Bonnie Tyler, Katrina Leskanich and Rick's long-time friend Ozzy Osbourne, who takes the lead for Buried Alive, it's difficult to imagine any other vocalist handling this particular song so well, despite it's unusual time signature. With narration from Star Trek's Patrick Stewart carrying the story along Return...is a compelling listen.

10/10
Sound420.com



Rick Wakeman ist zurück. Gut zweieinhalb Jahre nach seiner letzten Trennung von der Gruppe YES wagt er sich mit „Return To The Centre Of The Earth“ an die Fortsetzung seines 74er Albums „Journey To The Centre Of The Earth“. Mit eben letzterem hatte Wakeman vor genau 25 Jahren einen Riesenerfolg, und so stellt sich freilich von selbst die Frage, ob dieses Nachfolgeprojekt wirklich jenes Niveau wieder erreichen kann: Denn immerhin ist das in den Siebzigern derartigen Bombastprojekten durchaus zugewandte Publikum längst abhanden gekommen.

Wie in den Siebzigern arbeitete Wakeman mit dem London Philharmonic Orchestra und dem English Chamber Choir zusammen, ansonsten griff er auf zumeist neue Gesichter zurück. Neben dem ehemaligen YES-Gitarristen Trevor Rabin gastieren u.a. Ozzy Osbourne (Black Sabbath), Justin Hayward (Moody Blues) und Bonnie Tyler bei dem Projekt, „Captain Picard“- Darsteller Patrick Stewart übernahm die Erzählerrolle. Diese eigenartige Besetzung verwundert. Was hat z.B. die „Rockröhre“ Bonnie Tyler in einem solchen Projekt überhaupt zu suchen? Nicht nur, daß das krächzende Organ bei einem stark auf klangliche Stärken ausgelegten Album stört - der Gesang auf „Is Anybody There?“ klingt zudem eigenartig akzentuiert und driftet fast ins Alberne ab, wenn Tyler vom English Chamber Choir begleitet wird. Es ist nahezu unmöglich, Tyler die nötige Ernsthaftigkeit abzunehmen, die ein solches Projekt benötigt. Zumal sich „Is Anybody There?“ darüber hinaus so anhört, als sei der Song einem ihrer unsäglichen Soloalben entliehen.

Doch auch Trevor Rabin kann mit seinen typischen Gitarreneinlagen genauso wenig dazu beitragen wie Ozzy Osbourne, Rockelemente so überzeugend mit denen klassischer Musik zu verbinden, wie es Wakeman 1975 mit „The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur“ eindrucksvoll gelungen ist. Vielmehr verfestigen die Rockeinlagen die Zwittergestalt des gesamten Projekts. Nur einmal gelingt es Wakeman die Uneinheitlichkeit des Albums zu überwinden. „The End Of The Return“ verzichtet auf den Einsatz der Rockorgane und überläßt Chor und Orchester weitestgehend das Feld.

Zu den musikalisch anspruchsvollen und interessanten Momenten gehört zweifelsfrei die Hintergrundmusik während der Erzählungen Patrick Stewarts. Obwohl Stewart seine Aufgabe gut macht, stören diese Passagen ungemein, da sie die Musik zu sehr überlagern. Überhaupt ist es problematisch, die Musik ständig durch Erzähleinlagen zu durchbrechen. Dies war schon die größte Schwäche des Vorgängers „Journey To The Centre Of The Earth“.

Dem gesamten Projekt läßt sich keinesfalls nachsagen, nicht mit größter Mühe und Aufwand produziert worden zu sein, schließlich wurden immerhin 5 Millionen DM aufgewandt. Dennoch wirkt es seltsam überfrachtet und überambitioniert.

Ob „Return To The Centre Of The Earth“ tatsächlich die „wichtigste und spannendste musikalische Reise“ seines Lebens ist, sollte sich Rick Wakeman vielleicht doch noch einmal gründlich überlegen. Die Platte ist ein Rückgriff auf längst vergangene Zeiten. Schließlich knüpft Wakeman an seine Konzeptalben der 70er und frühen 80er an. Doch dies scheint auch das größte Problem zu werden. Es gibt kaum noch Verlangen nach einer Musik, die schon vor 18 Jahren keine Interessenten mehr fand, als er mit „1984“ scheiterte. Ein wirklicher Schritt nach vorne wäre sicherlich der Versuch gewesen, „Return To The Centre Of The Earth“ gleich als klassisches Album zu arrangieren und auf die Rockzitate zu verzichten. Denn ohne Zweifel liegen die Stärken der Produktion in den klassischen Arrangements.

Alexander Ring
Musik: 6
Arrangements: 7
Klang: 9



Rick Wakeman is back. Almost two and a half years after his last split with YES, he comes up with the sequel of his 1974 recording „Journey To The Centre Of The Earth“. That particular album had been a massive success exactly 25 years ago. The question may arise whether that level can be achieved again with „Return To The Centre Of The Earth“. Nobody should know better than the British keyboard wizard that these bombastic projects will not gain much interest anymore in the nineties - as they even have not done since the second part of the seventies. The London Philharmonic Orchestra and the English Chamber Choir are the only parties left from the original line-up of „Journey To The Centre Of The Earth“.

Former YES guitarist Trevor Rabin, Ozzy Osbourne (Black Sabbath), Justin Hayward (Moody Blues) and Bonnie Tyler are - amongst others - the new faces in the project.

„Captain Picard“ impersonator Patrick Stewart takes over the storyteller role. This strange line-up may make you wonder. What has Bonnie Tyler to do on this record at all? With her raw organ, the singing on „Is Anybody There?“ sounds strangely accented and almost ridiculous when accompanied by the English Chamber Choir. The song itself could have been easily taken from one of her dreadful solo efforts. Also more than stereotype: Trevor Rabin with his typical guitar hook-lines, who along with Ozzy Osbourne fails to connect his boring AOR rock parts to those of classical music - as opposite to the musicians on Wakeman´s real masterpiece „The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur“.

„Return To The Centre Of The Earth“ neither is a rock album, nor a classical recording, it is something somewhere in-between. „Directionless“ may be the best description.

Although Patrick Stewart does a fine job telling the story, less would be more as the narration overlays the music too much. This however was already the largest problem of predecessor „Journey To The Centre Of The Earth“. Whether this work is the „most important and most exciting musical journey“ of his life, Wakeman should think about once again. It is a relict of passed times, and by far not the best one.

Alexander Ring
Music: 6
Arrangements: 7
Sound: 9



A subterranean symphony

Back in 1974, Rick Wakeman, a classically trained pianist best known at the time as the keyboard player for the band Yes, decided that Jules Verne's epic adventure Journey to the Centre of the Earth was the perfect source material for an extravagant musical production. The resulting album, recorded live with a full-scale orchestra and chorus, was a phenomenal success, selling more than 12 million copies worldwide.

Unfortunately, 25 years ago the inherent limitations of technology kept the artist from presenting his vision as fully as he'd hoped. So, with the increasingly sophisticated digital techniques now readily available to musicians, Wakeman decided to remedy that situation by revisiting Verne's fantastic fable on his latest disc, Return to the Centre of the Earth, due out later this month.

The CD contains 22 all-new tunes that, like the original outing, relate Verne's tale through both classically inspired compositions and contemporary melodies. Ozzy Osbourne (Black Sabbath), Trevor Rabin (Yes), Justin Hayward (Moody Blues), Katrina Leskanich (Katrina and the Waves), Bonnie Tyler and Tony Mitchell each sing on one track apiece, while Star Trek: The Next Generation's Patrick Stewart provides appropriate narrative segues. The vocal cuts are primarily accompanied by Wakeman and a trio of rock musicians, with The London Symphony Orchestra and The English Chamber Choir providing ethereal embellishments and short instrumental passages throughout the work.

A phenomenal follow-up

Although Wakeman's vintage presentation of Journey to the Centre of the Earth remains highly enjoyable, the technological restrictions of the time, along with a few significant shortcomings in the performance itself, meant that the recording was unable to fully express some of the most wondrous aspects of its literary provenance. Return to the Centre of the Earth fortunately does not suffer from such handicaps, and as a result it presents a wholly compelling version of Verne's 1863 masterpiece.

Wakeman, who in addition to playing on the disc also composed and orchestrated the entire production, wisely exploits the talents and musical reputation of each guest artist. He utilizes Osbourne's considerable skill (and inherent notoriety) to invigorate a chilling number early in the story titled "Buried Alive," while lighter tunes are voiced by singers such as Hayward and Leskanich, who capitalize on their somewhat more pop-oriented proficiencies. Meanwhile, whether describing the stark Icelandic landscape or such unbelievable sights as a giant shepherd leading a troop of mastodons, Stewart's narration is exceptionally erudite and absolutely enchanting.

The diverse voices are augmented by consistently rich melodic components, which fuse symphonic, classic and modern rock elements into a stirring and highly cohesive collection. In the end, Return to the Centre of the Earth is unequivocally exhilarating and exceptional. It serves as a fitting and phenomenal follow-up to Wakeman's earlier adaptation.

It can be awfully hard to see on the CD cover, but artist Roger Dean does a tremendous job depicting one of the tale's massive underground caverns. Look closely enough and you can even pick out three tiny explorers and a couple of menacing pterodactyls. -- Jeff

Review by Jeff Berkwits
Sound Space at www.scifi.com



The best CD of 1999 is also one of the most overlooked. Rick Wakeman's concept album masterpiece "Return to the Centre of the Earth" is a bombastic, over-the-top, massively epic work -- and that's why I like it so much. The disc is a follow-up to Wakeman's 70's release "Journey to the Centre of the Earth", with music, lyrics, and story all written by Wakeman (though the story is adapted from Jules Verne's "Journey to the Centre of the Earth", of course).

Wakeman is aided in no small part by the incredible assemblage of talent that appears on this disc. The standard guitar/bass/drums mixture is augmented by the majestic classical sounds of the London Symphony Orchestra and English Chamber Choir; Patrick Stewart brings his distinctive voice to the role of the narrator; and there are a host of guest vocalists that includes Justin Hayward, Trevor Rabin, Bonnie Tyler, Katrina Leskanich, Tony Mitchell and Ozzy Osbourne (!!).

The story and lyrics are serviceable, if a bit grandly overstated; narrative tracks are interspersed with the fully musical ones. Stewart's rich voice ties the whole thing together, adding details to the aural picture as the journey wends its way ever downward. Strange locations and stranger events come to life, threads of music providing color and depth to the story and painting an intricate musical work of art. The guest vocalists add their own unique stamps to their tunes, with Tony Mitchell's track "Mr. Slow", Ozzy Osbourne's "Buried Alive", and Trevor Rabin's "Forever is a Long, Long Time" being the real standouts. Rabin even guests on guitar on his track.

Wakeman himself is apparently content to let the music itself be the star; although he does take center stage with some absolutely astounding playing in several places (the intricate piano of "The Dance of a Thousand Lights" and the blazing synth solos of "The Kill" come immediately to mind), most of the time he seems to prefer remaining in the background, adding layer upon layer of synth, keyboard, piano, organ, and Hammond sounds to the already epic orchestral rock sound. He makes use of every single keyboard in his arsenal, switching from cathedral organ to ripping analog synths to grand piano to blazing Hammond organ to digital keyboard leads without missing a beat. Wakeman clearly shows why he's considered one of the greatest players ever to sit down in front of a keyboard.

Clocking in at over 76 minutes, "Return to the Centre of the Earth" makes sure that you get your money's worth. From the opening notes of the "Return Overture" to the final chords of "The End of the Return", there isn't a weak moment on this disc. Grand in scope, epic in storyline, impeccable in sound, this disc deserves a place in everyone's collection.

DJ Phil



Twenty-five years after the release of Rick Wakeman's groundbreaking Journey To The Centre Of The Earth album, a sequel entitled Return To The Centre Of The Earth was released, this time including a who's who of musicians and vocalists. Still employing the London Symphony Orchestra to accompany his plethora of keyboards, Wakeman uses Patrick Stewart of Star Trek: The Next Generation fame to narrate the story and former Yes guitarist Trevor Rabin for some spicy solos. But, even with famed vocalists like Justin Hayward, Bonnie Tyler and Ozzy Osbourne in the spotlight, the music gets lost in fields of pretentious instrumental clamoring and strays far from Wakeman's intentional storyline. Not enough time is given to enjoy Wakeman's artistry because of an overabundance of other instruments and unnecessary hubbub that disappointingly drowns out his synthesizers. When Wakeman is caught playing, he falls short of his polished self, sounding rushed and irregular. His first Journey album sounded clean and finessed, thanks to simple organization and the fact that the focal point was aimed at his masterful keyboard playing. On the Return album, the music is louder, messier, and somewhat musically obtuse since it contains too many fragments of instruments, almost sounding like heavy metal at times. Even Patrick Stewart seems to be a little too long-winded throughout most of the album's duration. If programmed properly, the disc can be heard in the narrative only, or just the instrumentals. Wakeman's idea for a sequel was a good one, but he should have kept to his crisp progressive formula. Instead, the album falls prey to an evident case of overproduction and a classic example of the "too many cooks" cliche.

Mike DeGagne, All-Music Guide, © 1992 - 2002 AEC One Stop Group, Inc.
 

 L y r i c s


FOREWORD

    It has been said many times that in life you should never go back , but, as with all "great sayings", there
will always be an exception to the rule, especially where a dream is concerned.
    For many years, my dreams has been to return to the centre of the earth.
    In January 1974, when the original "Journey To The Centre Of The Earth" was recorded live at the Royal
Festival Hall in London, technology - or rather the lack of it - dictated what could or (to be more precise)
what couldn't be achieved. Keyboards were in they infancy, digital recordings was unheard of, and frustration
ruled supreme.
    In the final analysis, the resilut was really quite remarkable and, even with the same tools at my disposal
today, I do not feel that I could improve upon what was achieved back then. However, technological
innovations  - troughout this decade especially - have removed all such frustrations of the past. These in
turn have continually fuelled my own personal dream of using these advancements (in a way that was
impossible twenty-five years ago) to fuse all the elements of musical form that I love so much - and produce
another epic.
    It was time to return to the centre of the earth.
    The original "Journey" took thirty-six minutes. The "Return"will take you more than twice that. I suppose
this because there is now so much more both to listen to and to visualise. Twenty-five years in music
technology is a long, long time.
    Almost three hundred people have been involved in helping me turn my dream into a reallity, and to each
and every one of them I will be eternally gratefull. This must sufely go to prove that it is always possible to
succeed in the process.
    Provided, of course, that you don't go alone!

© 1999 Rick Wakeman


1. Narration 1:A VISION

    On the 24th of May 1863, Professor Lindenbrook and his nephew Axel discovered an old parchment within
a 12th century volume entitled "Heims Kringa", itself a chronicle of the Norwegian Princes who had ruled over
Iceland.
    Written in runic manuscript by Arne Saknussemm (an alchemist of the 16th century) it translated:
..."Descent into the crater of Sneffels Yokul, over which the shadow of Scataris falls before the kalends of
July , bold traveller, and you will reach the center of the earth."
    Two centuries forward from this discovery, three geologian explorers traversed land and sea before they
reached the mass of volcanic tufa known as Iceland. Veiled in secrecy, their purpose: - to emulate the journey
that had been taken by their forefathers two hundred years previous.
    For fear of beeing followed, their identities were known to no-one, and for this reason, as they began their
ascent through vast fields of ice toward the magnificent snowy nightcap of the Sneffels volcano, their
expectations became inexplicably interwined with those of unease, as they prepared to challenge timeless
history.
    On reaching the tabletop summit, they slowly descended onto the crater of Sneffels Yokul ...

    ... And so began: -"The Return To The Centre Of The Earth".


2. THE RETURN OVERTURE

Return to the centre of the earth,
A world within a world,
An endless journey time.
[Chorus]

Return to origin of life,
Of secrets left untold,
A mountain left to climb,
A story to unfold.

Return to origin of life,
To the hidden cry of man,
To a sanctuary of life beneath the earth,
Return to the centre of the earth.

Return to the centre of the earth,
To the centre of the earth,
To the centre of the earth,
To the centre of the earth.


3. Narration 2: MOTHER EARTH

a. THE SHADOW OF JUNE
    The base of the cratercomprised three separate shafts which yawned beneath their feet.

    According to the original parchment of Arne Saknussemm, in the last days of the month of June, the
shadow of Scataris would fall upon the opening they were to enter. They knew, from the documentation of
Professor Lindebrook, that the central shaft was the one that he had taken, but to their astonishment, as
the shadow fell, it cast itself over the westerly entrance.
    Nature had declared for them a different route.
    Following a gallery of lava which had created a natural descending staircase, their anticipiation heightened
at the realisation that they had now embarked upon an entirely new journey.


b. THE GALLERY
    On reaching the end of the shaft, they enterd a narrow tunnel, its calcareous rock walls dating back to
the evolution of plant and animal life.
    Ever-descending, they continued through arch after arch, gallery after gallery, their lights constantly
reflecting off variegated white and red veined marble indelibly stamped with impressions of primitive life.
    As their descent continued, they discovered threads of copper and manganese, whilst displayed within
the rock walls, beautiful verdant tints coloured traces of platinum and gold.
    This, the burried treasure of Mother Earth.


c. THE AVENUE OF PRISMED LIGHT
    For what seemed an eternity, the labyrinth wove a sinuous and winding path, its spiral descent finally
reaching an end as the gallery opened up to become a vast mineral forest majestically illuminated by
phosphorescent light.
    Stalagmites and stalagcites served as prisms from which rainbow-coloured beams flew in every direction,
simultaneously lighting a pathway through this newly - discovered, subterranean, mineralogical kingdom.
    It led to an almost perfectly formed, descending terrestrial staircase.


d. THE EARTHQUAKE
   After successfully negotiating the avenue of prismed light, they reached the staircase.
   Carefully they began the slow descent into the ever-darkening chasm.
   As tiredness took hold, the weary travellers found shelter within a recess that nature had carved out of
the rock wall as if awaiting their arrival.
   As they lay exhausted, the ground beneath them began to tremble.
   Slight at first, the tremors soon increased to terrifying proportions. Hughe cracks appeared all around them,
and fear replaced bewilderment.
   The earth cried out in pain as if its subterranean world was about to split into a thousand fragments.
   The earthquake had begun.


4. BURIED ALIVE

Nowhere left for me to hide.
Waiting for my paranoia.

Way too late to change my mind.
No-one wants to beat me.

Locked away no place to go.
Everything is disappearing.

Angels rush to meet the foolish.
No-one comes to meet me.
[Verse 1]

I'm just buried alive.
Nowhere else left to hide
No-one knows me inside.
No-one gets out alive.
[Chorus]

(Alive) again don't breathe a word.
Listen hard and hear the silence.

Starve the poor and feed the rich.
There's no revolution

Build me up then knock me down.
Watch my life collapse around me.

Prison cells with no release date.
There is no resolution.
[Verse 2]

No-one gets out alive.
Nowhere else left to hide.
No-one knows me inside.
I'm just buried alive.
[Chorus]

Come and get me and take me away
I don't want you to go.
I'm locked in a nigthmare
Where you never stay
It can't be the end of the show
[Bridge]

Head for the wings and then run for your live
I hope you have somewhere to hide

The devil, no longer has all the best tunes
We've all been buried alive
[Tag 1]

No-one wants to be me
No-one cares if I'm free
Only God knows that we're all buried alive.
[Chorus]

No-one wants to come and save me.
No-one wants to save my face.
No-one wants to stand beside me.
No-one wants to take my place.
[Tag 2]

I'm just buried alive.
Nowhere else left to hide
No-one knows me inside.
No-one gets out alive.
[Chorus]

No-one wants to be me.
No-one cares if i'm free.
Only God knows that we're all buried alive
[Chorus]


5. Narration 3: THE ENIGMA

    Burried alive in their own private chamber beneath the fallen rocks, their source lights illuminated a fissure
in the recessed wall which had opened just wide enough for them to pass through.
    Immidiately they were faced with a network of caves, one of which appeared to excude minute traces of
natural light.
    Selecting this route, they found themselves stepping through a walled gallery of hyeroglyphic art, as
seemingly never-ending pastiche of ancient man and his constant struggle for survival.
    They knew, from Professor Lindenbrook's documentation, that on his journey two hundred years previously,
he himself had encountered a giant herdsman in earth's inner sanctum.
    As they strove to decipher the enigma that surrounded them, they realised that having already survuved
many thousands of years of almost static evolution within this magical kingdom beneath the Earth's crust, it
was not inconceivable that this species of man still existed, and it was to his world they had come, uninvited,
and almost certainly unwelcome.


6. IS ANYBODY THERE?

Chorus 1:
Does anyone know my name?
Is there anybody there?
You're as near me as you can ever be
Watching me
Watching me

Tag1:
Does anyone love me?
Does anyone need me?
Nobody knows my name
Takes my blame
Feels my pain

Chorus 2:
Does anyone care for me?
I just need a life to share
All my life I've searched
For someone just like you
Is there anybody there?
Is anyone there?
Anyone there?

Verse 1:
I don't know why you make me wanna stay
'Cos there's no-one left to love
I'm losing my life for a reason
I'm losing my life 'cos of you

Tag 2:
Is anybody really there?

Bridge:
No-one waits for no-one
No-one cares at all
Nowhere left to hang around
No-one left to call

Patience is my virtue
By virtue of my shame
Broken pieces everywhere
Everything's a game

Where have all the people gone
That once were in my life
Why has everybody gone away?

Chorus 3:
Does anyone know my name?
Or does anybody care?
There's a reason
Why I know I have to stay
So is anybody there?

I'm losing my life for a reason
I'm losing my life 'cos of you
I want to know you're out there just for me

Chorus 4:
I'm tired of waiting here for you
Now I've made up my mind
You're no good
I don't need you
I don't care anymore when you cry

I'm sending my love far away
With a piece of my heart
And a tear for each day
That I cried
So there must be a reason for living
There must be a reason for loving

It's all right
It's all right

Tag 4:
Will anyone really care
If I just walk away
With a tear in each eye
And a reason not to stay?

Does anyone really know me?
Does anyone really care?
Is there anybody there?


7. Narration 4: THE RAVINE

    The dim traces of natural light grew stronger as they continued their journey through the galleried cave.
    Suddenly, the eastern wall came to an abrupt end, opening out to display a huge ravine that streched as
far as the eye could see.
    Waterfalls poured from fissures in the rockface whilst moss-covered walls danced with pin-points of golden
light as thousands of tiny fireflies awoke to this unexpeccted intrusion.
    The impression was that of gazing down upon a city at night dancing beneath the starts.
    The Dance Of A Thousands Lights.


8. THE DANCE OF A THOUSAND LIGHTS

Instrumental


9. Narration 5: THE SHEPHERD

    With great care they negotiated the pathway that circumverted the ravine.
    Finally they descended onto a plateau rich in vegetation where the earth had been constantly fed by
abundant waterfalls.
    Huge palamcites, bound together by complicated masses of creeping vines, grew above carpets of
graminivorous plant life. Deprived of the vivifying warmth of the sun, they were colourless and without
perfume.
    Mesmerised by this wondrous sight, the somehow became oblivious to all sounds and movements emanating
from within the forest.
    Suddenly they were awakened from they inner dreams as the dense foliage wall spread open before them
and they found themselves confronted by a manifestation that surpassed all known human comprehension.
    In front of them stud prehistoric creatures of the Teritary and Duaternary periods. A herd of gigantic
mastodons. They in tur were marshalled by a human proteus who stood over twelve feet high.
    The giant shepherd turned and walked toward them in a slow and deliberate manner.
    Unarmed, and with no place to hide, they remained transfixed as he came within two metres of where they
stood.
    Without acknoledgement he passed them by, his eyes motionless and starting directly ahead at all times.
    The shepherd had envolved in darkness, and without natural sunlight had no need of sight. His world was
without vision.


10. MR. SLOW

[Verse 1:]
You know, I've waited all my life, my friend,
Even thought the story has no end,
All my friends call me Mr. Slow,
It's all right,
It's all right.

[Verse 2:]
If I could dream my life each day, I would,
Never tried to learn, just understood,
That your life goes faster if you're slow,
It's all right,
It's all right.

[Chorus 1:]
I'm watching my life fade away,
Each second lasts more than each day,
I have said all I know, all I want, to say.

[Verse 3:]
I only want to know what I can see,
In the other world inside of me.
There's a password just for Mr. Slow,
It's all right,
It's all right.

[Chorus 1:]
I'm watching my life fade away,
If only you'd come home to stay.
There is just nowhere for people to go,
Where is your friend  Mr. Slow?

I'm searching for time I once had,
Each second lasts more than a day,
I have said all I know, all I want, to say.


11. Narration 6: BRIDGE OF TIME

    Continuing their journey around the edges of the forest, they crossed a small, natural rock bridge that led
them behind a waterfall to the entrance of a small tunnel.
    At first, able only to proceed on their hands and knees in a lizzard-like fashion, progress was slow, but as
the downward slope became increasingly pronounced, more and more water poured from the fractures in the
tunnel walls making the cave floor damp and slippery.
    No longer able to affect their rate of descent, they found themselves rapidly gaining speed as they slid
downwards at an alarming rate. Constant buffeting awaited their every twist and trun as they continually
drifted in and out consciousness.
    Hurtling out of control through  a maze of underground water-chutes, only the inner earth could confess
to knowing their destinity.


12. NEVER IS A LONG, LONG TIME

[Verse 1:]
Nothig comes of nothig,
Never is a long, long time,
Waiting in a queue for a life to start,
It's a waste of your time and mine.

[verse 2:]
No time like the present,
Tomorrow never comes,
An underground journey through your mind,
Never mind, the fun's only just begun.

[Bridge]
Speeds kills, going nowhere,
Fast life, in a meltdown,
Spaceman in the last lane,
Never is the right time.
Head down, 'till we're certain, showdown,
Just a maze of secrets left unanswered,
Never is a long, long time.

[Chorus]
Find the answer, ask the question,
Pay the price, then count the cost,
Take the prize and never finish,
Life is won, life is lost.
Free yourself from independence,
Give Big Brother all control,
Look around, obey the sign,
Ever-falling to the place of retribution,
Never-ending journey, finding reasons to be free,
Free from questions, giving answers,
Count the costs then pay the price.
Never is long, long time,
Ever-moving downwards, sign of time decreasing,
Everlasting movement, to the centre of the earth.
Never is a long, long,
Never is a long, long...

[Verse 3:]
Welcome to the longest journey,
To a place you'll never, ever go.
Welcome to the theme that doesn't have a park,
Without a life, a place without a home.

[Verse 4:]
Hear the voice of freedom,
Singing the eternal line,
Looking for the sixth dimension,
Never is a long, long time.

[Chorus:]
Speeds kills, going nowhere,
Fast life, in a meltdown,
Spaceman in the last lane,
Never is the right time.
Head down, 'till we're certain, showdown,
Just a maze of secrets left unanswered,
Never is a long, long time.

[Chorus 2:]
Find the answer, ask the question,
Pay the price, then count the cost,
Take the prize and never finish,
Life is won, life is lost.
Free yourself from independence,
Give Big Brother all control,
Look around, obey the sign,
Ever-moving downward, sign of time decreasing,
Everlasting movement, to the centre of the earth.
Never is a long time,
Never is a long time,
Never is a long, long time.


13. Narration 7: TALES FROM THE LIDENBROOK SEA

a. RIVER OF HOPE
    Eventually they found themselves expelled with great force into a fast-flowing river. Exhausted they clung
to passing driftwood.
    As the waters slowly calmed, a stillness filled the air, and as they  viewed all around them, they realised
that they had been carried into a vast ocean stretching as far as the eye could see to an achromatic horizon.
    Behind them and on each side were enormous cliffs and hughs capes, the landscape lit with clear dry
whiteness in the nature of the aurora borealis, demonstrating the incredible phenomena of endless daylight.
    They had discovered The Lindenbrook Sea.

b. HUNTER AND HUNTED
    A natural tide, governed by the unseen moon, carried them to a shore within a small cove. Huge pieces of
driftwood lay scattered all around, whilst beneath their feet the bones of antediluvian sea-reptiles formed a
fossil beach.
    Gazing out to sea they witnessed translucent fish from a far-gone age leap high above above the waves
for but a brief second of time, before caressing the surface and disappearing beneath the gentle swell of the
ocean.
    Above this playful exhibition, to their stunned amazement, a hughe creature, a pterodactyl, flew in ever-
decreasing circles prepareing to home in on its prey.
    Behind them, from a crevice high in the cliff-face, the largest prehistoric winged lizard from the Jurrasic
period prepared for flight.
    The Quetzalcoatlus.
    With a hughe wingspan measuring twice that of its enormous angular body, it took off towards its
predetermined battle zone.
    Sensing danger, the pterodactyl truned in mid-air to flee, but the speed and ferocity of the attack had
caught the creature completely unawares.
    Its role as the hunter had now become that of the hunted.

c. FIGHT FOR LIFE
    As the qetzalcoatlus inflicted wound after wound upon its hapless victim, large droplets of blood rained
into the sea below, forming dark crimson circular pools before being hastily dispersed by the waves, eager
to destroy all evidence.
    As the pterodactyl lost its fight for life, it fell to the mercy of the ocean, where, just minutes earlier,
the fish it had hunted for food now rversed the roles in nature's play.
    As the qetzalcoatlus returned to its refuge in the cliff-face, the Lindenbrook Sea gave no clue as to the
drama they had just witnessed.


14. THE KILL

[Choir]
Final call,
No more time,
Heaven waits in your mind,
No place to go,
No time to run,
No pardon from the Holy one.
The final countdown had begun,
A time to live,
Another life to die for.

Time to kill,
Time to die,
Time to fill,
Time to cry.
Play for time,
Time for play,
Pay the fine,
Time to pay.

Time to fill,
There is no place for you to run,
Time to cry,
There is no place for you to hide.
Time to kill,
To reach the point of no return,
Time to die,
A never-ending race with time.
Play for time,
No-one around to hear your cry,
Time for play,
The only reason to be still,
Pay the fine,
There is no answer to your call.
Time to pay,
The only answer is the kill.

No place to run,
No place to run and hide,
The time has come to prepare the other side,
The way to Heaven's door is open wide.
A time to live,
Another life to die for,
Waiting to kill.


15. Narration 8: TIMELESS HISTORY

    In order to connect with the original documented route, the three travellers were aware that they had
to cross the Lindenbrook Sea.
    Having made a raft, as their predecessors had done before them, they set sail in a Southerly direction.
    As the air grew heavy, the surface of the water became a window of evolution through which angular
scaled fish covered with bright enamel could been seen dwelling amongst pterychtis and dipterides, the
latter begin a two-finned fish, until then presumed extinct.
    With the shore no longer in view, they lay motionless afloat the Lindenbrook Sea.
    With all around them seemingly locked in timeless history, they could only wonder as to what destinity
would befall them.
    As one, they closed their eyes and prayed.


16. STILL WATERS RUN DEEP

[Verse 1:]
Someone cries, but threr's no-one to hear,
No more time in an endless day,
No place to hide as the secrets unfold,
No more time to fade away.

[1st Bridge:]
My life,
Gone from view,
Without love,
Without you.

[Verse 2:]
Close your eyes, for there's nothing to see,
Only dreams hiding far away.
No tears to cry now I'm left all alone,
Only seems like another day.

[Chorus:]
No-one can hear me,
A cry everlasting,
Bridges of time hidden deep within earth.
Not in this life is complete understanding,
A feeling of hope and of peace within earth.

[2nd Bridge:]
Still waters run,
Still waters run,
Still waters run deep.

[Verse 3:]
Waiting alone there is no peace of mind,
Only fear of another day.
Lost in eternity, no end in sight,
Only dreams of another way.

[Chorus 2:]
No-one can hear me,
A cry everlasting,
A feeling of hope and of peace within earth.

[2nd Bridge:]
Still waters run,
Still waters run,
Still waters run deep.

[Chorus 3:]
A feeling of hope
And of peace on this earth.

[2nd Bridge:]
Still waters run,
Still waters run,
Still waters run deep.

Still waters run,
Still waters run,
Still waters run deep.


17. Narration 9:TIME WITHIN TIME

a. THE EBBING TIDE
    The ebbing tide eventually carried them onto a small island strewn with giant turtle shells, on the far
side of which a narrow strait of water flowed.
    This, the final gulf between them and the subterranean mainland.
    The island appeared alive, as geysers of hot steams forced their way through crevasses in the salacious
sandstone, creating hot springs wherever the ground had sunk to form natural basins.
    They watched in fascination as plumes of vapour rose majestically into their air, creating heavily-laden
clouds from which each returning droplet assumed the prismatic colours of the rainbow.
    As the warm humid air gently eased the paint of their aching limbs, the tree weary travellers fell exhausted
to the ground, where they slept.
    As they slept, dreamed of the world they were now part of.
    A world within a world.
    Time within time.
    A dream within dreams.

b. THE ELECTRIC STORM
    They were awakened by the noise of an electric storm.
    The waves had destroyed their raft and the sea was a raging torrent, racing at great speed along the
strait, which now took on the appearance of rapids.
    Each talking refuge inside one of the giant turtle shells, their chanses of survival lessened by each
passing second as hughe waves swept them along the narrow strait toward an enormous gaping black hole,
into which the anguished water poured at an alarming rate.
    All around them forked streaks of lighting plunged and attacked in every direction, some of which
metamorphosed into globes of fire, which, for inexplicable reasons beyond their understanding, began to
chase the turtle shells as they plunged violently, one by one, into the black hole.
    After falling for what seemed an eternity, they were suddenly shot sideways at terrific velocity into
a tunnel which had barely enough room to spare between the shell and the ceiling above their heads.
    Although they were many languages beneath the earth's crust, the tunnel behind them was bathed in
white blinding light, as, despite their being given both guidance and propulsion of great speed by the rapid
flow of water, the globes od fire had chosen the same route.
    The chase was on as they prepared for the ride of their lives.


18. RIDE OF YOUR LIFE

[Verse 1:]
Non-stop to freedom,
It's an absolute beginning,
A lottery to nowhere,
With an even chance to winning.
Listen for the countdown,
On our biggest fantasy ride.

[1st Bridge:]
Strap yourself in as tight as you can,
I've no reason to scare you,
I'm just part of your fantasy ride.
It's all right,
Hold on tight,
And prepare for the ride of your life!

[Middle 8:]
Let your body take the strain,
You know you're way out of control,
Your only chance is hanging on,
A chnace to play the starring role.
I am the answer to your prayers,
I am the nightmare in your soul.

[2nd Bridge:]
Tighten up, it's almost time to depart,
Let every muscle in your body take the strain.
You must be really very nervous at the front of the queue,
There's no need to explain,
But I'll say it again.

[Chorus:]
Climb aboard for the ride of your life,
Hold on tight for the time of your life,
Climb aboard for the ride of your life,
Starts now,
Starts now.

[Chorus:]
Climb aboard for the ride of your life,
There's no substitution for getting a life,
Hold on tight for the time of your life,
Starts now,
Starts now.

[1st Bridge:]
Strap yourself in as tight as you can,
I've no reason to scare you,
I'm just part of your fantasy ride.
It's all right,
Hold on tight,
And prepare for the ride of your life!

[Chorus:]
Climb aboard for the ride of your life,
Just lay back, enjoy the time of your life,
Hold on tight and have the ride of your life,
And I mean ride.

[Chorus:]
Climb aboard for the ride of your life,
A real-life fantasy for once in your life.
I said, hold on tight, ysou're just
beginning a life,
And I mean life,
You gotta life.

[Chorus:]
Climb aboard for the ride of your life,
Just lay back, enjoy the time of your life,
I said, hold on tight and have the ride of your life,
And I mean ride.

[Chorus:]
Climb aboard for the ride of your life,
I said just ...
Climb aboard for the ride of your life,
You've got to ...
Climb aboard for the ride of your life,
And I mean ride.


19. Narration 10:FLOATING

a. GLOBES OF FIRE
    As the tunnel finally reached its end, they found themselves, safe in the giant turtle shells, floating at
the bottom of an enormous shaft, but realisation told them that their frightening experience was not yet
over.
    Probing the air from out of the aperture that had so unceremoneously expelled them at the end of their
terrifying ride, a powerful beam of light searched the cavern around them.
    With trepidation, they awaited the arrival of the globes of fire.

b. CASCADES OF FEAR
    With a series of thunderous reports, the globes of fire flew into the cavenous shaft as if fired from a giant
cannon.
    Hovering above their intented vicitims, they executed rapid gyratory movements while shooting off narrow
laser-like beams in ever-changing dierctions.
    Finally, as the light grew to unbeliveable intensity, the globes of fire exploded, turning into cascades of
living flame and flooding the shaft with thousands of minuscule luminous particles before leaving their terrified
human prey in semi-darkness, lit only from a pinpoint of light which originated many leagues directly above
them.


20. FLOODFLAMES

Instrumental


21. Narration 11:THE VOLCANO

a. TOUNGES OF FIRE
    They were rising.
    Not at a great speed, but their upward motion was irrefutable.
    The hot bubbling water that surrounded them gradually began to inspissate, ultimately becoming a thick,
boiling lava paste. A heat haze, created from the hot vapours, hung menacingly above the angry, molten
surface.
    Unlike the dormant crater of Sneffels, where they had begun their journey, the volcanic shaft they were
now in was active.
    The intense heat, eased only by the now incredible rapidity of ascent, was almost unbearable. A sepulchral
light penetrated the vertical gallery as tounges of fire danced all about them.
    The absence of burning lava confirmed that they were not in the main shaft of the volcano, but in a
parallel, accessory conduit.
    The continual rate of ascent grew at an alarming pace as they fought their way throught burning clouds
of volcanic cinders toward the opening of light above, itself racing downward, at equal velocity, to meet them.

b. THE BLUE MOUNTAINS
    Upon reaching the yawing mouth of the auxiliary shaft, their speed decreased rapidly, and they found
themselves gently floating away from one of the myriad of earth's pores that littered the mountainside.
    Numerous additional streams of lava ran all around them like fiery serpents seeking out their prey. In
relative safety they watched the main eruption fire was vast amounts of molten lava high into the air.
    Three thousand miles from their original starting point, amidst the eastern archipelago of mythological
memory, they gazed in wonder, as had the journeyers of two hundred years before them, upon the Blue
Mountains of Calabria and the mountain that had expelled them, Mount Etna.
    So ended "The Return To The Centre Of The Earth".


22. THE END OF THE RETURN

[Choir:]
Return to the centre of the earth,
A world within a world,
An endless journey in time.
Return to an origin of life,
Of secrets left untold,
A mountain there to climb.

Return to the centre of the earth,
Heaven waiting for life to appear
In a perfect creation of time,
A message for no-one to hear.

Time,
Time within a world,
Centre,
Centre of the earth,
Searching for secrets of time,
A sign.

Return to the origin of time,
To the hidden cry of man,
To a sanctuary of life beneath the earth,
A meeting place,
A point of no return to the centre of the earth.

The return to the centre of the earth,
To a meeting place of time in a
hidden inner world.

Return to the centre of the earth,
To a wonderland of dreams,
Everlasting in the understanding of our belonging,
And to the race that can never be won.
Evermore the meaning of a future presence,
With the oracle leading to the centre of the earth,
The earth,
Return,
Return to the centre of the earth,
To a wonderland of dreams,
There's a world within a world,
Find the place of no return,
To the centre of the earth.

 M P 3   S a m p l e s


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