The Six Wives of Henry VIII received generally positive reviews from critics. It reached number seven on the United Kingdom of Great Britain too Northern Ireland of Britain too Northern Republic of Ireland Albums Chart too number xxx on the Billboard 200 inwards the United States. It was certified aureate yesteryear the Recording Industry Association of America inwards 1975 for over 500,000 copies sold inwards the United States. In 2009, Wakeman performed the album inwards its entirety for the initiative of all fourth dimension alive at Hampton Court Palace equally part of the 500th anniversary celebration of Henry's accession to the throne. The tracks were rearranged amongst sections, including a rails dedicated to Henry himself, that were left off the original album due to the express fourth dimension available on a unmarried record. The album was reissued inwards 2015 amongst a quadraphonic audio mix too bonus tracks.
In August 1971, Rick Wakeman joined the progressive stone band Yes equally a replacement to their original keyboardist Tony Kaye. Towards the halt of the year, he signed a five-album bargain equally a solo artist amongst A&M Records. While touring the USA amongst Yes on their Fragile Tour promote Fragile (1971), Wakeman was informed yesteryear his director Brian Lane that A&M co-founder too executive Jerry Moss wished to see him at A&M Studios inwards Los Angeles. Moss wished for Wakeman to tape a solo album too offered an advance of $12,500, or thence £4,000, to make it which Wakeman accepted. As part of his signing on fee, Wakeman received a 1957 Cadillac limousine from A&M which he claimed was 1 time owned yesteryear Clark Gable too had it shipped to England. Wakeman chose it subsequently the label asked him what he would desire equally a nowadays too remembered he had seen the machine inwards the building's parking lot.
During the Fragile Tour, Wakeman bought 4 books at an drome bookstall inwards Richmond, Virginia, including 1 most Henry VIII too his half-dozen wives titled The Private Life of Henry VIII (1964) yesteryear Scottish author Nancy Brysson Morrison. As he read most Anne Boleyn on the subsequent flying to Chicago, a subject he recorded inwards Nov 1971 ran through his hear which he wrote on some paw drawn ledger lines too played during the audio cheque too the subsequent concert. Said Wakeman, "I had been searching for a agency to write inwards too all of a abrupt I institute it inwards writing music most these half-dozen ladies...I would concentrate on 1 of the wives too and thence music simply came into my caput too I would write it down. Sometimes I was flying, other times I was on stage, or simply inwards front end of the pianoforte at dwelling ... The half-dozen wives subject gave me the thread, the link, I needed to give me a argue for putting these pieces of music together." He explains the album's concept farther inwards its liner notes: "The album is based or thence my interpretations of the musical characteristics of the wives of Henry VIII. Although the agency may non ever endure inwards keeping amongst their private history, it is my personal innovation of their characters inwards relation to keyboard instruments." Wakeman elaborated too wrote the music equally if he was doing a surreal painting, "sketches of how I felt most them at the time".
Not entirely did this album aid pave the agency for progressive rock, but it too introduced the unbridled unloose energy too overall effectiveness of the synthesizer equally a bona fide instrument. Six Wives gave Wakeman his jeopardy to interruption away from the other instrumental complexities that made upwards Yes too allowed him to bear witness what a driving forcefulness the keyboard could genuinely be, particularly inwards sum album form. More than simply synthesized wandering, Wakeman astoundingly conjures upwards a split musical persona yesteryear agency of an instrumental ode to each of Henry VIII's wives through his dazzling go of the Mellotron, Moog, too Hammond C-3 organ. For example, Wakeman's fiery runs too fortissimo thwarting of the synthesizer throughout "Anne Boleyn" is a tribute to her feisty temper too valiant courage that she maintained piece standing upwards to her husband. With "Jane Seymour," on the other hand, Wakeman's playing is somewhat subdued too gentle, which coincides amongst her legendary meekness too frailty, equally good equally her willingness to cater to Henry VIII. Wakeman's masterful go of his synthesizers is instrumentally stunning, equally is his talent of magically shaping the notes to stand upwards for behavioral idiosyncrasies of his characters. Yes bassist Chris Squire lends a paw on "Catherine of Aragon," piece guitarist Steve Howe too drummer Bill Bruford appear on a few tracks equally well, equally does onetime Strawbs fellow member Dave Cousins, playing the electrical banjo. The Six Wives of Henry VIII unleashes the unyielding ability of the keyboard equally a dominant instrument, but too displays Wakeman at the start of an extremely resplendent career equally a solo musician.
It says inwards the fine impress of Rick Wakeman's initiative of all solo album that the music is "based or thence [my] interpretations of the musical characteristics of the wives of Henry VIII." The thought for the album came from the mass of the same name, which Yes' Wakeman purchased at a London airport. He writes that the music for each of Henry's wives came flowing within his caput equally he read most them. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 chip apocryphal perhaps, but evidently Wakeman institute what he was looking for -- a subject through which he could disclose his keyboard virtuosity. He overdubbed 8 of them: Mini-Moog synthesizer, mellotron amongst brass too string effects, a Steinway Grand piano, some other mellotron amongst vocalism effects, C-3 Hammond organ, RMI electrical piano, Arp synthesizer too a Thomas Goff harpsichord.
Placing himself inwards the middle of these diverse keyboards, Wakeman created a synthesized orchestra. Along amongst a beat department ofttimes composed of Yes' Chris Squire on bass, Steve Howe on guitar too the group's of late acquired drummer Alan White, he used the electrical pianoforte to convey the house of strings, the electrical harpsichord to supersede the audio of reeds, too the Arp to supersede a contra bassoon.
With this album, Wakeman has made his bid for Keith Emerson's house equally the master copy of keyboard electronics. Though falling a piffling curt inwards technique, he has a brilliant experience for tasteful impressionistic composition. For example, "Catherine Of Aragon," at initiative of all sounds similar ELP's "Tarkus," but evolves into a to a greater extent than melodic cutting featuring some human choral piece of job yesteryear Liza Strike, Barry St. John too Judy Powell.
The brightest spot on the album is "Catherine Howard," which contains at to the lowest degree 4 fourth dimension changes too some amazing interplay betwixt mellotron, harpsichord, Moog too acoustic piano.
Henry VIII is an exceptionally interesting instrumental album. The production is superb, the mixing tasteful amongst hardly an uncomfortable studio effect. In fact, most of what nosotros would unremarkably mean value of equally effects are the production of Wakeman's ain playing which is simply fine.
Track Listing:
1. Catherine of Aragon (3:45)
2. Anne of Cleves (7:50)
3. Catherine Howard (6:36)
4. Jane Seymour (4:44)
5. Anne Boleyn (Incl. 'The Day Thou Gavest Lord Hath Ended') (6:31)
6. Catherine Parr (7:00)
Total Time: 36:36
Personnel:
- Rick Wakeman / Steinway grand piano, RMI electrical piano, Hammond C3 organ, acoustic & electrical harpsichord, Mini-Moog, ARP synthesizer, Mellotron 400D, Cripplegate St. Giles church building organ (4), arrangements & production
With:
- Mike Egan / guitar (1,2,5,6)
- Steve Howe / guitar (1)
- Dave Lambert / guitar (3)
- David Cousins / electrical banjo (3)
- Chris Squire / bass (1)
- Dave Winter / bass (2,6)
- Chas Cronk / bass (3)
- Les Hurdle / bass (1,5)
- Bill Bruford / drums (1,5)
- Alan White / drums (2,4,6)
- Barry de Souza / drums (3)
- Ray Cooper / percussion (1,5)
- Frank Ricotti / percussion (2,3,6)
- Judy Powell / chorus (1)
- Barry St.John / chorus (1)
- Liza Strike / chorus (1,5)
- Laura Lee / chorus (5)
- Sylvia McNeill / chorus (5)
EmoticonEmoticon