Rick Wakeman

Thanks to the timely release of the massive Lord of the Rings movie cycle and perhaps seeing a potentially new and untapped fan market, BMG appropriated material from Rick Wakeman's Heritage Suite and Seven Wonders of the World recordings, retitled the songs based on various names and places in Tolkien's novels, and repackaged this CD to appear as if Wakeman spent time toiling away in his studio to work on a tribute album. This illusion is passed off successfully for casual listeners, but die-hard fans may already own most of this material. Nevertheless, the production here is exactly what you would expect from a Wakeman record: crisp, clean production with technical wizardry and musical acrobatics abound. While Tolkien fans may find this a curious release to pick up, loyalists might want to consider sitting this one out. ~ Rob Theakston, All Music Guide