Born #OTD 1949: Rick Wakeman

Rick Wakeman CBE. Photo: Steve Parsons/PA/Getty Images

Wishing the esteemed keyboardist, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, and Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Rick Wakeman CBE, a joyous 75th.

Copyright 2024, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 and @FloydEtcetera on X, and at the same handles on FACEBOOK. MASTODON - @ArthurNewhook@mastodon.world, BLUESKY - @arthurnewhook.bsky.social, and @arthurnewhook on POST. DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED at https://tinyurl.com/ArthurNewhook.

‘Days of Future Passed' stands as the pioneering masterpiece of English Progressive rock, with much credit owed to this gentleman. #RIP Mike Pinder: the Moody Blues' last surviving founding member, who passed away at 82

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A trailblazer of the Mellotron and the visionary who guided the Moody Blues from their R&B roots, or more specifically, their 'British beat' origins, into something truly revolutionary. I firmly believe that 'Days of Future Passed' (1967) stands as the inaugural fully-fledged Progressive rock album and shall forever remain my favourite work by the Moodies. With all due respect to 'Sgt. Pepper's' and 'In the Court of the Crimson King', it is worth noting that Procol Harum's first full-length album did not emerge until after 'Days of Future Passed'. However, it is undeniable that Procol Harum did release one of the very first legitimate Progressive rock singles (the earliest being ‘Eleanor Rigby’) with 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' in early 1967, positioning themselves alongside the Moodies and a select few others in shaping this bold new era of music.

Mike Pinder remained with the Moody Blues until their break-up in 1972. He briefly rejoined the group when they reformed in 1978, only to step aside for former YES keyboardist Patrick Moraz. Whilst Mr. Moraz did perform valiantly during his time with YES - filling in for Rick Wakeman on 1974's masterwork 'Relayer' - it is questionable whether he left a comparable mark in replacing Mike Pinder in the Moody Blues. Despite the band's considerable chart success into the late 1980s and their respectable output during this period, nothing they produced after Pinder's departure matched the sonic and thematic depth of their golden era from 1967 to 1972. Not even close. Some sources do suggest that Mr. Moraz may have felt relegated to the role of a mere session player during his 13-year tenure with the Moodies, which is to say, beyond manning the keys, he did not fulfill quite the same roles with the ensemble as Mr. Pinder.

For the Moody Blues, Mike Pinder was irreplaceable. Whilst I cannot profess to have known much about him personally, this obituary does provide insight into an eccentric yet kind individual who remained devoted to music and spirituality until his final days. It is saddening that so many English Progressive rock pioneers have departed in recent years. Let us pay homage to those who have left us and honour those who remain, not named Roger Waters. Thank you, Mike Pinder, for your contributions and legacy.

Copyright 2024, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 and @FloydEtcetera on X, and at the same handles on FACEBOOK. MASTODON - @ArthurNewhook@mastodon.world, BLUESKY - @arthurnewhook.bsky.social, and @arthurnewhook on POST. DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED at https://tinyurl.com/ArthurNewhook.

On This Date, 1977: YES releases 'Going for the One'

YES onstage in 1977. From Left to Right: Alan White, Steve Howe, Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman, and Chris Squire. Getty Images/BBC

YES: Going for the One - Released on this day in 1977. A timeless, flawless album that nonetheless sounded out of place for its time and in its environment. The United Kingdom was in a very dark mood in 1977, exemplified musically by the burgeoning Punk Rock movement, and also brilliantly reflected by Pink Floyd on their masterpiece of that year, ‘Animals.’ YES is still operating very much in the spirit of the Summer of Love here, so in the context of 1977 ‘Going for the One’ was viewed as an anachronism and out-of-touch. In spite of that, the album managed to sell fairly well (and in spite of a truly awful choice for cover art, featuring a naked man’s buttocks, that undoubtedly turned off Middle American male teenagers who otherwise were lapping this stuff up in the ‘70s. Remember, we’re talking about 1977, and even now we are not as enlightened in matters of sexuality as we pretend to believe. However, let’s also be clear that one does not have to be a raging homophobe to not want to look at another person’s bare ass, but I digress.) YES even managed to notch their highest-charting single ever in the UK, ‘Wonderous Stories’ (peaked at No. 7. By contrast, their biggest American single - the No. 1 ‘Owner of a Lonely Heart’ from 1983, only peaked at No. 28 in the UK.) Rick Wakeman’s return to the band after being away for close to three years no doubt helped sales, even in the midst of a pretty vicious backlash against Progressive Rock in the UK. The unfortunate choice of cover art, however, was made worse by the fact that the imagery had absolutely nothing to do with the contents of the album. With its depiction of a naked man standing in front of the Century Towers in Los Angeles, the cover suggests something futuristic, but pretty much all of ‘Going for the One’ is nostalgic and/or pastoral in nature. The Chris Squire standout ‘Parallels’ - arguably the most modern-sounding track - opens with a glorious Rick Wakeman organ line straight out of the Baroque Era. The emotional and sweeping Steve Howe showcase ‘Turn of the Century’ is not looking forward to the coming Millennium, but is rather wistful for the Victorian Age. The two tracks that make up side two - the UK radio hit ‘Wonderous Stories’ and the supremely majestic epic ‘Awaken’ - speak to matters that transcend time and space. Even the raucous opening title track - one of the hardest-rocking songs in the entire YES catalog - looks back a couple decades with its Rockabilly flourishes via Steve Howe’s steel guitar. ‘Going for the One’ is an album that is accessible enough for more mainstream and casual listeners, and still pleasing to the devoted fans who demand complexity and unconventionality. By my count, YES has exactly eight albums that are basically perfect from beginning-to-end - all of them recorded between 1971 and 1983, with only one record in that entire period not being up to par, 1978’s ‘Tormato.’ ‘Going for the One’ is a vibrant, life-affirming record, and the sound of the most masterful musicians of their age at the height of their magical powers. With the recent passing of drummer Alan White and the passing of Chris Squire in 2015, this record has only taken on more poignancy for me. As essential a record as there is.

GRADE: A+

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