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(More customer reviews)Rick Wakeman is a true virtuoso on the keyboards, something that's a double-edged sword. When he's on target, his adeptness at piano, organ and various types of electronic keyboards is staggering, but there are also far too many Rick Wakeman albums that are either all flash and no substance or are bloated conceits that stumble around before sinking without a trace. That's why this album is a gem. Here with just a grand piano, Wakeman manages to roll thirty-plus years of music into an entertaining and quite rewarding trip down memory lane in front of a live audience. He gives forth with arrangements of his work from every point in his career, from his time with the Strawbs ("A Glimpse Of Heaven"), his days as a marathon session musician (David Bowie's "Space Oddity," Cat Stevens' "Morning Has Broken"), his various stints with Yes and ABWH (a lovely version of "Wonderous Stories" and a medley of "The Meeting" and "And You And I") and high points from his solo career in the bargain. Wakeman intersperses these performances with stories of how the songs and pieces were written, and he is a natural racounter and howlingly funny at times. If the music thing doesn't work out, he'd make a killing doing stand-up comedy in the Catskills! All told, SIMPLY ACOUSTIC is a concert recording that makes you wish you'd actually been there--what better praise is there?
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'Simply Acoustic' was a benefit concert for AssistMinistries recorded at Calvary Chapel in California duringRick's Simply Acoustic tour. Rick played the grand piano &expected an audience of 3,500 but 8,000 turned up! Theresult was that the concert had to be filmed so that itcould be relayed to a neighboring building where theoverflow of fans were accommodated. The CD contains stories that Rick tells between pieces that are nothing short ofhilarious. The pieces from his musical history include'Morning Has Broken', 'Space Oddity'/Life On Mars' as wellas some truly virtuoso playing on some classical piecestaken from his highly acclaimed 'Heritage Suite'. 2001release.
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