Classical Composer Reacts to Judas Iscariot (Rick Wakeman) | The Daily Doug (Episode 562) 

After so many YES song reviews, finally one for Rick Wakeman. By the way Journey To The Centre of the Earth and "King Arthur" albums also deserve a chance. 🎼🎵🎶🎼🎵🎹🎹

This a great song by Rick. And remember he recorded it 15 years before Phantom of the Oprea.

The choir is singing the hymn: "There is a Green hill far away. without a city wall. Where the Good Lord was crucified, who died to save us all".

Criminal Record is criminally underrated! So glad you listened to this amazing song.

Wakeman, of course, noticed something very similar in Phantom of the Opera. He said something to the effect of, "Either Webber stole it from me, or I stole it from him ten years before he wrote it!" Classy man, that he is, let it go from there. No lawsuit or fuss.

Guilt, Sorrow, Sadness, Malice, Evil, Regret, Forgiveness, and many other feelings that this one song provides. Rick is amazing, a genius of Keyboards and music♥️

Criminal Record is my favourite Rick Wakeman album. My daughter chose The Birdman Of Alcatraz as the tune for our father-of-the-bride dance at her wedding 🙂 Yes, I cried🙂

The sound of Rick’s Moog can cut through concrete. Legendary musician and raconteur who’s back catalogue is often criminally underrated.

It's the same church organ and choir that appeared on Going For the One. Criminal Record was recorded at the same studio, Mountain Studios, in Montreux, as that album straight after.

My absolute favourite piece by Rick Wakeman and one of the first pieces by him I heard, introduced to me by my French school exchange partner in the mid 1980s. Yes, it is the Anglican Easter hymn "There is a green hill far away". The words we sang from the standard Church of England hymn book, Hymns Ancient and Modern, were: "There is a green hill far away, Without a city wall, Where the dear Lord was crucified Who died to save us all." A lot of personal memories wrapped up in this piece too. My late father, who passed away in 1994, was a Church of England vicar. He very much liked his sacred music and especially the hymnal. He had started life as a piano tuner and ultimately ended up maintaining and building organ pipes for the church organ in the village church where he was vicar. So when I used to play this in the car, he was quite appreciative of it, enjoyed the pipe organ, and sang along in the "Green Hill" section. Being a vicar's son, I of course was compelled to attend church on a Sunday morning. I no longer have the faith I once had, but the good memories of community spirit linger, along with some of those beautiful hymns. And hearing this always takes me back to listening to it with my dad, so as well as just being my favourite Wakeman piece for all its power and dynamics, it also holds special memories for me. I've had the pleasure of visiting Vevey on more than one occasion and made a special pilgrimage to St Martin's church to see where this and the pipe organ part from Yes' Awaken were recorded. (around the same time). Thanks for sharing your thoughts and analysis of the piece, Doug. 👍

For those who love the progressive sounds of 70's bands the great Rick Wakeman is one of the greatest keyboardists of all time. He still haunts those who listen to his fabulous records, recorded at different times. Great English genius. 🇬🇧 ♥️ 🇧🇷

The same pipe organ is on Awaken and Parallels on "Going for the One."

King Arthur and the knights of the round table is my favourite Rick wakeman album,I hope you do a video on that masterpiece Doug,it's truly amazing.

One of the greatest keyboard album in entire Prog Rock History !!!

Anne of Cleves on Six Wives of Henry VIII is a BANGER. The drums and bass...and keys. Good lord.

Rick Wakeman, Rick Wright and John Lord. The keyboard masters in my opinion.

Rick Wakeman is a master of his craft…i was 14 when i first saw him perform live at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1976 with the English Rock Ensemble having been blown away 3 years earlier when i heard Six Wives for the first time. I have seen him and met him on a few occasions…he is special and just 6 weeks ago i saw him again at the London Palladium…he is still rocking and creating…the guy is a legend ❤️❤️

My guess is that Rick wrote out the choir parts using his Mellotron choir voices, which are all Ooooos and Aaaaaas, and then decided to use a real choir for the recording. Rick played organ in his church as a teenager for years, so he is no stranger to pipe organs or choirs.

Every Good Friday I used to listen to this together with Simple Mind's East At Easter. I now add Tull's Passion Play to this list. Bought Criminal Record aged 17. Awesome after all these years.

For a full album please do Rick Wakeman's Journey to the Center of the Earth. It is just what it sounds like, a musical retelling of the story. One of my favorite albums ever.

Thank You Doug For doing this, it’s been a long time favorite album From Rick Wakeman! Since its original release 👌

It’s amazing : we started to listen Progressive Rock … and then : pipe organ and classic music ! Thanks to Rick Wakeman ! Hugs from Brazil 🎉

Sir Richard Wakeman I am glad you have seen him live on solo tour and with Yes. Genius.

One of the greatest albums of all time!!!! A masterpiece!!! Thank you Doug!!!!!!

Rick Wakeman's pipe organ on 'Awaken' is also awesome.

Six wives for me is the zenith of Ricks solo work. The musicianship throughout is excellent not like the Red planet where it sounds like they are using a drum machine and there are so many missed oportunities for soloists to excel. I think when all the members of YES clicked they were outstanding. This piece for me was a foray into what could be done.

I cannot help but be transported to 1977 hearing this. Altered state, putting this on the turntable and slipping on my high end Pioneer cans. Being lifted and carried away by this music feeling physically exhausted, emotionally drained yet exalted by the listening. What major label would even consider this today? Listening today, the effect of the piece remains the same. Stunning.

Rick is indeed a musical genius.

I'd recommend Alan Parson's Tales Of Mystery And Imagination - The whole album is a wonderful experience! ✨

Your chain is clearly the only one where we can listening to this sort of music, thanks !

What a great reaction to a truly gifted musician. I started off with Yes, then quickly realised each member were able to do their own projects as well. I have enjoyed all his solo offering, of which there are quite a few. How people like Rick keep on producing such quality music is just baffling to me. It's good to see someone who knows the mechanic of music so well, to appreciate it for what it is. I hope you do at some point do some more of his work.

As well as a gifted player and composer, he's also a brilliant arranger.

Isn’t it something that you have these phenomenal English composers in this century (Wakeman, Emerson, Wright, & Jones)? That just dawned on me this morning.

Loved watching your response to this. Great music! Thank you.

Correct, the hymn is 'There Is A Green Hill Far Away and the first verse is 'There is a green hill far away, without a city wall, where the dear Lord was crucified, who died to save us all' and I used to sing it every Easter at school in the UK

Great to see you review his work. Rick is a lovely guy. My fav concert was Henry at Hampton Court with Brian Blessed doing narration!

Que maestria musical! Hoy ya nada de esto existe.. No hay publico contemporaneo que lo valore. Saludos!

Many thanks Doug for listen to our suggestions and include this masterpiece in your channel.

you made me smile ! at 5 :42 you turned your head and delivered your verdict I heartily agree there's no faking that look without looking like you faked it lol ...that was for true rick has so much work under his belt and is an inspiration to many , not just for his sterling musical work

I was introduced to this album in 1984, it’s been my favorite from Rick ever since. So damn good.

Lots of great stuff on this album.

Awesome Doug and thanks for listening to the request!!

Hymn sounded like refrain from Jerusalem to me. Rick's organ work with the moog always jaw dropping to me.

Echos (1971) - Judas Iscariot (1977) - Phantom of the Opera (1986)

One of my favorite reactions from you!!! I think I've even sent you a message about this piece in the past. This is my all-time favorite thing Rick Wakeman has ever done. I love how you heard the Phantom similarity (and Floyd). Personally, I always thought ALW stole the concept from Wakeman. So glad you loved this!!

Oh what a great music. Had not listened to Rick on a while

This is amazing

Rick explains in his Grumpy old picture show ( dvd) that he went to a performance of Phantom, and heard a bit of his Judas Iscariot. He said did I nick that from Phantom? No, I wrote my Judas Iscariot 9 years earlier. Here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eCXIzrqG5j8.html and Yes Doug, they actually sing there is a green hill far away in this version. Thank you Doug for posting this!

Rick Wakeman's Criminal Record is a Huge Favourite of Mine👍

Watching Doug listening to music reminds me of my experience listening to Clannad’s Gaelic lyrics. I hear the sounds of the language but don’t understand it. There’s a deeper experience for Gaelic speakers. Doug understands the language of music and has a deeper experience whereas I just enjoy the sounds.

In 1993, before e-commerce was a thing and Rick Wakeman's solo albums (beyond Six Wives and Journey to the Centre) were impossible to get in the USA, I bought a CD of Criminal Record on my first trip to the UK. One of my favorite albums (certainly my favorite of Rick's) and this is my favorite track from it. I was delighted to see this pop up in my RU-vid feed yesterday!

Now I have to go buy it.. I've had the Six Wives of Henry the Eighth in my playlist for years and sadly never branched out to his other works. Thank you for this upload.

Finally my Master shines here! Please more and more Wakeman.

Church organs are fabulous in their sound... the echo provided by the walls of a cathedral is fabulous and unique from monument to monument.

Awesome! When I met Rick I asked him about the making of this album, and he said that Chris and Alan from Yes did their parts after his were already recorded.

Always a favorite of mine, Judas Iscariot! What an amazing, overwhelming, terrifying, inspiring piece of music! Rick Wakeman is great, especially his solo work! (The choir was used as another instrument.)

Doug you should give Vangelis a listen. Soil Festivities, Voices, Mythodea, Heaven and Hell and others really good albums Love Rick Wakeman, my favourite keyboard player and a really funny guy!

Can’t believe I missed the live😊

I don't miss words at all. Neither here nor in most instrumentals (even those with choir).

My favourite all time Rick Wakeman track.

When Rick is playing a pipe organ, it is always sublime. Throw in his utter mastery of the MiniMoog and there you have it.....

The Six Wives of Henry the Eighth.

Doug, you are providing the text he's providing the music! Wakeman is doing his part and you are doing yours! Both of you are great contributors!

There is a Green Hill far away, without a city wall, where our Dear Lord was crucified, He died to save us all.

Bought it when it was released, still listening to it. Best album together with ytcoe

Another great tune by Wakeman. A genius!!!!!

I agree with you 100%! I am a fan of music and I love the organ and in particular: J. Lord, K.Emerson, R.Wright, T.Banks, (C.Carpenter) and Rick WAKEMAN.... The latter has a subtlety and an extraordinary degree of finesse! After each entry into symbiosis during these communions, I come out different, transfigured, it's very special! Thank you for bringing these monuments back to life for us! A seventythree-year-old Belgian music madman ​

This is so emotional piece what Rick written ;-)

A good one for Easter is Vangelis' track Heaven And Hell part 1. He also uses a choir sans lyrics.

This is great

I hadn't heard this for decades. I used to have the vinyl but never re-purchased it in digital format. I found this piece to be the only one up to Rick's previous standards. I didn't remember it having so much classic synth involved. This is so much like his work with Yes and his very early solo work. Maybe I need to acquire the album again -- though I'm not sure I need to listen to the Breathalyzer thing ever again.

Judas Iscariote is Amazing! Please 🙏. Put de studio release.

There Is A Green Hill Far Away - what I sang at my first public performance as a soloist aged 5 at The Harvest Festival at St. Peels Methodist, Thornaby in 1960

If you listen the song "Awaken" from Yes' album "Going For The One" , the pipe organ is the same instrument, from Vevey, together with the trademark Moog synth like here as well.

I just LOVE Rick Wakeman. He was in my state a few weeks ago, with his final solo tour! He respected so much our country (Brasil) as no other international artist would come here in the beginin of the 70's, and his presence in a lot of towns, including Porto Alegre, the capital of my state, was something that change the live music in Brazil forever. And he was the keyboardist for Yes, Black Sabbath (few times), Ozzy (co-op and his son in tours), DAVID BOWIE (life on mars and space oddity) and the amazing solo career.

Never heard anything of Rick Wakeman I didn't like. So talented.

One of Rick's finest solo efforts (IMHO).

wonderful ! i hope you make a video for the "Statue of justice" a masterpiece!

Rick played the Church Organ at St. Martin Church in Vevey Switzerland. I believe this was recorded after the Yes "Going for the One " sessions in 1976. Thank you for sharing this treasure piece of music. 👍

Dear Doug, thank you for your video on this magnificent piece. There's not much I can't tell you about "Judas". I became obsessed with it when I first heard it (when I was much younger!). I'd only been learning the organ for a few years back then, and hearing Rick use the instrument so well here, along with one of my favourite synths, and percussion instruments was electrifying. If I'd known that you were going to do this, I would have sent you my transcription of the score 😁. Anyway, if you're interested in hearing it again, here's my performance of it ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VzkEVdopihw.html It'll never be as good as Rick of course, but it was a labour of love. Footnote: a few years after I made this, I was able to visit Switzerland where I spent a few days in Vevey, and spent an afternoon playing that same organ in St. Martin's ... that's one bucket list item ticked!

I've always wondered if the score for ALW's Phantom did not borrow this. I'm glad you heard it as well.

Wakeman is genius bought this album 1975 I think this album is fantastic all the tracks Seen rick over 20 times in concert Check out bird man of alktraz 5 layer piano You are correct is green hill far away hymn The pipe orgen I believe was recorded in Switzerland There is no one better than Rick wakeman He brings me to tears when listening to him play

I really think you should do Journey to the Centre of the Earth,. Been waiting for more than 2 years.

When making the album, Rick recorded all of his bits up front and then asked Chris and Alan to add bass and drums after he had left the studio. Allegedly, after listening to the tapes, Alan referred to Rick as a Charlie, Uniform, November, Tango, as there were no click tracks on the tapes because Rick did not like working with them.

Rick wakeman é gênio. Que discografia. Que sensibilidade. Alguém que compõe viagem ao centro da terra e rei arthur...só isso bastaria. Mas, tem muito, muito mais. Tanto no Yes, como nos albuns solo. God save the Rick.

MORE Rick Wakeman Please

From Wikipedia: When Wakeman turned seven, his father paid for weekly piano lessons with Dorothy Symes which lasted for eleven years. She recalled that Wakeman "passed everything with a distinction" and was an "enjoyable pupil to teach, full of fun and with a good sense of humour", but noted his lack of self-discipline when it came to practising. In 1960, Symes entered Wakeman in his first music competition and he went on to win many awards, certificates, and cups in contests held around London. Wakeman then took up the clarinet at age twelve and in his teenage years, attended church and learned the church organ, became a Sunday school teacher, and chose to be baptised at eighteen.

Thank you!

Wow! I have Criminal Record on vinyl, but it's been ages since I've heard it as I had no way to play it for many years. I need to revisit it. Notice the album title is "Rick Wakeman's Criminal Record". That's a bit of Rick's humor for you. I only just discovered yesterday that Rick has a new album out (since February 2023) called A Gallery of the Imagination. The way Rick talks about it, the album should be fantastic. I'll definitely buy it soon. I bought The Red Planet back 2021 and was not disappointed. It's the same musicians on the new album with the addition of with the addition of Hayley Sanderson singing on some of the tracks. I think she's one of the best singers that he's worked with over the years from the excerpts that I heard. Though I like his vocals on some songs here and there, I'm not a huge fan of Ashley Holt. Rick Wakeman's solo career far outweighs anything he's done with other bands in sheer quantity. I'm pretty sure that he has more than 80 solo works to date. I have many, but probably only about 25% of his total works. I'll close with saying that I am very thankful that I got a chance to meet and talk to Rick during his 1993 acoustic tour. He's a wonderful guy. He was working off of about 4 hours of sleep and it was about 11pm and he still had an interview to do. Nevertheless, he spoke with fans for about 30 minutes after his performance. That was very gracious of him as I am sure that he was exhausted.

My favourite Rick Wakeman album.

Coinciding it with Holy Friday!!

Walked into a bookstore selling dodgy second hand records back in early eighties. Got this because I loved six wives. Knocked out. Did some flaky ones back then too but still listen to this

Some people are enlightened and pass into our lives offering the best side of them. Wakeman was one of them.

Rick did the music to an 80s horror movie called "The Burning". Might want to check that out sometime when you get a chance. I believe the soundtrack may be hard to find as I only have a copy of it on vinyl. I haven't looked for it on RU-vid but someone probably has it posted somewhere

Wakeman is not only a good player, but a poet using keyboard sounds...

St. Martin’s Church in Vevey is also where he recorded Awaken, using Swiss phone lines to connect to the studio in Montreux. Yeah, he phoned it in.

The two churches you mentioned are in Montreux (rec. the choir) and in Vevey (rec. the church organ). They are both small cities at the Lake of Geneva in Switzerland. Among different reasons Rick Wakeman was there because Yes was there too. And Montreux is famous for its musicfestival. The story of the whole album is pretty interesting, it's easy to fnd in the net. Criminal Record to me is beside "The six wives..." the best album of Rick. Thank you for your choice!

Nice this is rad! You should totally check out more of Wakeman's solo stuff! A reaction of his entire "King Arthur" album would be amazing.

I've played this on every Good Friday fòr years. Alongside Simple Mind's East at Easter. And recently, Tull's Passion Play.

Doug on Ricks solo albums he uses very little if any vocals at all He lets his fantastic keyboard playing do all the talking...singing .etc. Exception Journey to the Centre of the Earth ..which in my opinion is a masterpiece.😊