The Seven Wonders of the World (album)
| The Seven Wonders of the World | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 1995[1] | |||
| Recorded | September 1994-May 1995 | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock, art rock, symphonic rock, new-age | |||
| Length | 57:03 | |||
| Label | Pure Sounds (United States), President (UK) | |||
| Producer | Stuart Sawney | |||
| Rick Wakeman chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [2] |
The Seven Wonders of the World is a studio album by progressive rock artist and keyboardist Rick Wakeman, released in 1995.[3][4] The album explores instrumentally the themes of each of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. Each track is introduced by Garfield Morgan, giving a short biography of each wonder before the instrumental track begins. The album is free of any bombastic attack, and each track has a refined tempo and instrumental progression that outlines each wonder's attributes.[5]
Idea[edit]
"The idea for an album with this title was first decided upon in the 1970s and indeed in my racehorse ownership days, there was indeed a race named after the title. The Seven Wonders of the World Handicap Hurdle, which sadly never happened on the day because of a frozen course!"
— Rick Wakeman[6]
Album artwork[edit]
The artwork is made to look like a vintage painting of one of the wonders, most likely the Statue of Zeus. "Rick Wakeman" and "The Seven Wonders of the World" are written in the font Papyrus.
Track listing[edit]
All music is composed by Rick Wakeman
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Pharos of Alexandria: narration" | 0:43 |
| 2. | "The Pharos of Alexandria" | 9:40 |
| 3. | "The Colossus of Rhodes: narration" | 0:43 |
| 4. | "The Colossus of Rhodes" | 7:04 |
| 5. | "The Pyramids of Egypt: narration" | 0:38 |
| 6. | "The Pyramids of Egypt" | 6:30 |
| 7. | "The Hanging Gardens of Babylon: narration" | 0:53 |
| 8. | "The Hanging Gardens of Babylon" | 5:10 |
| 9. | "The Temple of Artemis: narration" | 0:58 |
| 10. | "The Temple of Artemis" | 6:27 |
| 11. | "The Statue of Zeus: narration" | 0:47 |
| 12. | "The Statue of Zeus" | 5:36 |
| 13. | "The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus: narration" | 0:42 |
| 14. | "The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus" | 11:12 |
| Total length: | 57:03[7] | |
Personnel[edit]
- Rick Wakeman - Keyboards
- Garfield Morgan - Narration
- Stuart Sawney - Percussion Programming, Engineering[8]
References[edit]
- ^ Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. Canongate Press. p. 879. ISBN 9780862415419.
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ "Rick Wakeman's Website Discography". Archived from the original on 2 July 2008. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
- ^ Progarchives.com Reviews
- ^ Allmusic.com's Review Page
- ^ "Quote about the idea from Rick Wakeman's website". Archived from the original on 8 January 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
- ^ Allmusic.com Track listing
- ^ "Personnel list". Archived from the original on 8 January 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
