Review of Return To The Centre Of The Earth submitted on 2nd May 2000

I bought this album the day before new year's eve. I'd heard quite a lot of Wakeman albums, but seeing as they're all so different, I didn't really know what to expect. But HOT DAMN! As soon as I heard the overture, I knew I was in for a good time. It was such strong and well arranged music. So many emotions. By the end, I felt as if I'd visited a magical land. This is in my opinion a far better album than Yes "The Ladder". And the evening I first listened to R.T.T.C.O.T.E was much more memorable than the actual new year's eve 2000. How about that?

Review of Out There submitted on 30th September 2003

I just bought the album here in Sweden, which is sort of rare, because Wakeman albums are usually pretty hard to find. Being a long time fan, I didn´t hesitate. The style did surprise me a bit at first, it´s much more heavy metal than previous releases. And there´s even guitar solos! It´s quite shocking actually, since the keyboards are usually in the mainframe. Anyway, the sound is crisp and sounds pretty modern, which is what I guess Rick was going for. The only thing I miss are the sudden changes in the music. Its a little too easy for a prog-fan to follow the songs because they have such a steady beat, except for cathedral in the sky, which is by far the best track. When I heard what the album was about, I envisioned a continuation of "no earthly connection", so I was a bit disapointed For my taste, it was just too much rock and too little classical. But those who like the heavier stuff will probably dig this.