RICK WAKEMAN - JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH

{24K Gold Ultradisc II/Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab Serial# UDCD 633}

Journey To The Centre Of The Earth is Rick Wakeman's second solo album, released in
1974. It is loosely based on Jules Verne's novel Journey to the Centre of the
Earth. It was recorded live at the Royal Festival Hall in London, England on
January 18, 1974. A big success, this album topped the charts of various countries
and sold more than fourteen million copies.

It is said that Wakeman had to sell many of his belongings and mortgage his house
to record it. He couldn't cut it in the studio because of the restricted budget. It
was originally written to be longer, but certain parts had to be cut and overdubbed
since the orchestra was expensive and Wakeman couldn't afford to re-record those
parts. Therefore, certain lyric sections are out of order. After the recording, A&M
UK did not wish to produce the album, so Wakeman convinced A&M USA to do it. This
was the first A&M Quadraphonic (Surround Sound) album to use the CD-4 system.

This album is available in its original recording, a live DVD recording at the
Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne, Australia in 1975, and a later orchestra-
free/lyric free studio version is available on the 1994 "Greatest Hits" album.

Released May, 1974

Recorded January 18, 1974, Royal Festival Hall, London
Genre Rock, Progressive rock
Length 40:07
Label A&M (USA)
Producer Rick Wakeman
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab Release: 1995

Track Listing

1. The Journey/Recollection - 21:10

2. The Battle/The Forest - 18:57

______________________________________________

* Rick Wakeman - Synthesizers

* Gary Pickford-Hopkins, Ashley Holt - vocals
* David Hemmings - Narrations
* Mike Egan - Guitar
* Roger Newell - Bass
* Barney James - drums
* London Symphony Orchestra
* The English Chamber Choir
* David Measham - Conductor

Review by Mike DeGagne

Journey to the Centre of the Earth is one of progressive rock's crowning

achievements. With the help of the London Symphony Orchestra and the English
Chamber Choir, Rick Wakeman turns this classic Jules Verne tale into an exciting
and suspenseful instrumental narrative. The story is told by David Hemmings in
between the use of Wakeman's keyboards, especially the powerful Hammond organ and
the innovative Moog synthesizer, and when coupled with the prestigious sound of the
orchestra, creates the album's fairy tale-like climate. Recorded at London's Royal
Festival Hall, the tale of a group of explorers who wander into the fantastic
living world that exists in the Earth's core is told musically through Wakeman's
synthesized theatrics and enriched by the haunting vocals of a chamber choir.
Broken into four parts, the album's most riveting segment, entitled "The Battle,"
involves Wakeman's most furious synthesized attack, churning and swirling the
keyboards into a mass instrumental hysteria. With both "The Journey" and "The
Forest," it's the effective use of the strings and percussion section of the London
Symphony Orchestra that causes the elements of fantasy and myth to emerge from the
album's depths. The gorgeous voice of Ashley Holt is effectively prominent, and
some interesting guitar work via Mike Egan arises occasionally but meritoriously
amidst the keyboard fervor. The whole of Journey to the Centre of the Earth still
stands as one of the most interesting conglomerations of orchestral and synthesized
music, and it is truly one of Wakeman's most flamboyant projects.

LYRICS:

The Journey lyrics

By horse, by rail, by land, by sea, our journey starts

Two men incensed by one man's journey from the past
In Iceland, where the mountain stood with pride
They set off with their guide
To reach the mountain side
Roped as one for safety through the long descent
Into the crater of volcanic rock they went
Look up from our telescopic laair,
One star for us to share,
We continue on our prayer.
Crystals of opaque quartz, studded limpid tears,
Forming magic chandeliers, lighting blistered galleries.

Recollection

Memories of a life on earth go flashing past,

Of home, of Grauben, friends of whom he's seen his last
Contemplating what his life's been worth,
While trapped beneath the earth,
An embryo at birth
Pain and fear destroy the beauty I have seen,
Of caverns, where no other man has been
Silurian epoch hosts me as my grave,
My final blow I wave,
A life too late to save
Crystals of opaque quartz, studded limpid tears,
Forming magic chandeliers, lighting blistered galleries.

The Battle

Five days out on an infinite sea, they prayed for calm on an

ocean free,
But the surface of the water ws indicating some
disturbance.
The raft was hurled by an unseen source, two hundred feet,
with
frightening force
And a dark mass rising showed to be a giant porpoise
Rising out of the angry sea, towered the creatures' enemy,
And so the two sea monsters closed for battle
Crocodile teeth, lizard's head, bloodshot eye, stained ocean
red
Moving close to their raft's side, the two men prayed as one
and cried
'Save me, save me, save me, save me'
The serpents' fight went on for hours, two monsters soaring
up like towers
And driving downn to the depths in a single motion
Suddenly, the serpent's head, shot out of the water bathed
in red
And the serpentine form lay lifeless on the ocean
Crocodile teeth, lizard's head, bloodshot eye stained ocean
read
Battle won, a victor's pride, the three men thanked the Lord
and cried
'Praise God, praise God, praise God, praise God.'

The Forest

Journey on through ages gone, to the centre of the earth

Past rocks of quartz and granite, which gave mother nature
birth
Burial ground of ancient man, his life no more is seen,
A journey through his time unknown, I wonder where he's
been
Wonder where he's been, wonder where he's been, wonder where
he's been
The shore now gone behind the hills, a forest in our sight,
Rocks and distant mountains, bathed in waves of blinding
light
Forests from far gone time, no living man has seen,
A private prehistoric world, for you and I a dream
Brownish hue dicates my eye, no colour hides their fear,
Flowers faded, dull and cold, now bleached by atmosphere
Creatures twisting under trees, huge monsters soaked with
rage
Hidden deep below our earth, a frightening, bygone age
Their shepherd came, now long extinct, a huge primeval man
The three men filled with disbelief, just turned as one and
ran.