#105
1985 Housekeeping
Rick Wakeman
Silent Nights
Genre: Prog Rock
3.25 out of 5
Highlights:
The Opening Line
The Ghost of a Rock ’n’ Roll Star
Elgin Mansions
Not to be left out of the Planet P fun, Rick Wakeman steps up the weird quotient, enlists Gordon Neville to be the anti-Jon Anderson, a saxman named……yes, Bimbo Acock and some other guys and comes up with the proggiest of porgy jams of 1985.
Rick is not a good lyricist, or constructor of songs. He’s a terrific musician and probably would have some serious organ-offs with Jon Lord of Deep Purple.
So, this is sort of poppier Yes. I think. It’s more focused. That doesn’t mean it’s better, not by a long shot but, after 90125, it sounds more like Yes than Yes does.
Even when it seems like it might be ponderous, Rick pivots back to the 40s and gives us a nice boogie for our patience (“The Opera”).
I kind of wish Wakeman went full Hollywood after Crimes of Passion instead of trying to still be a Rockomposer. He’s better when he’s part of a whole. (How often have we said that??)
The best track here is the autobiographical “The Ghost of a Rock ’n’ Roll Star”. At least Rick is in on the joke.
And “Elgin Mansions” is lovely.
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