Rick Wakeman - Merlin The Magician (Live, 2018) | Live Portraits 

If he wasn't such a great pianist I could listen to Rick Wakeman talk all day!

I was staying in a small hotel with my parents in Torquay in 1975? when King Arthur on ice was shown on TV one evening. I absolutely LOVED it and have been a big fan of Rick's ever since. I even got other guests watching it, including my late dad. As soon as we could get to the shops, he bought the vinyl for me (I still have it) but I had to wait the rest of the week to get home and play it. Merlin is still one of my favourite tracks. Dad also loved his music and I chose Rick's version of Morning has Broken for when dad's coffin entered the chapel as Portraits was the last cd he and I listened to almost 5 years ago now. So many memories... Thank you Mr Wakeman! 💕

I was fortunate enough to have been in the audience for this recording in the 2nd row. It was a wonderful experience, as is every one of his many concerts I've attended, but it was oh so cold in there which is why many people are wearing coats and scarves!

Rick Wakeman THE FINGERS. THE MASTER. FOREVER YES!!!🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹

My favourite album of yours, its very special with the choir parts, the shifts, instrumentation and the piano theme on this song is the best ever made. This album made me start listen to music in a different way, it tells a story musically that catched me at least. I had it on cassette and remember a friend borrowed it and had it for two years...and I had to argue with him to get it back. I'm from Finnmark in Norway, as far north you can get in Europa and to buy another cassette of this was not possible. But luckily I got it back, I bought another cassette to my friend...I dont remember which but he was happy and I was happy. Well, this album means a lot to me and I still remember hearing it the first time on a small shitty cassette player but still it really made a huge impact. I was 11-12 years old.

I bought the album on cassette tape when it first came out, not having heard a sample or preview of any kind. I listened to it, for the first time, wearing headphones. So I got the full affect of the mastering of the album on this cut. The side to side and the panoramic sweep of the synthesizer blew my mind (and I wasn't stoned! 😉). Beginning with "Six Wives," on through "Criminal Record," my mind was opened to classical/orchestral music, discovering it was not all "slow, dull, and useful only to make one sleep." And all of the other work is there to explore, as I'm able I've watched the progress of a young protégé named "Elisey" recently, and now that his stature has gotten to the point of no longer needing pedal extensions, I find myself imagining him playing some of Rick's more complicated works. "Dance Of A Thousand Lights," specifically, I think he could do it ... but I can also see him amusing himself (and shocking others) with "Cans and Brahms."

An awesome performance Mr Wakeman,been a fan for nearly 50 years.

Absolutely magnificent!!!!! Bravo!! Bravo!!🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

Mr. Wakeman is the GOAT! Dig him for almost 50 years. So unique!

Your music and art guided me all my life, thank you rick😊😊😊😊😊

One of my favorites. Discovered Rick when I was a kid in the 70's and have been a fan ever since!

Brings back a lot of great memories from my youth. Thanks Rick.

I remember buying the album in 1975 and I still have it. I listened to it many times.

Those Gorgeous chord changes!! Mr Wakeman, King of the keys♡♡

❤️ Greetings from America, loved this album.

Absolutely beautiful! Thanks for taking me back on memory lane early this morning. You are a world treasure my friend. 🤠🐂🏞️

Beautiful track

Magnificent.

Gracias Rick Wakeman, Un Grán Saludo desde La Alpujarra de Granada España .-

Just saw you yestarday in Porto Alegre. Thanks for all the music and respect. For loving your fans to the point of being in the extreme south of Brazil so many times, as much as other artists never did, but you. Love the music but in fact, the art. The love for heavy metal and classical at the same time and the fact that you've ben a part of so many other huge artists life with great compositions. Cheers from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. See ya. ❤

This story about the album's title is so "wakemanish", if you can say that :D

Fantastic!

This man is a UNIVERSAL treasure.

Rick Wakeman. The greatest.

Excellent!

If this is from the recording at Lincoln, we were there and had a wonderful evening. Thank you for posting Rick. Special times.

Still amazing nearly 50 years old

One of my very favourite pieces Rick. 👍🏻🇨🇦

I was 14 years old. My older Brother was yes fan and had the six wifes of Henry VIII. I spend all my money for at arthur. Now i am 60 and the two minimoog solos on merlin are right now the best of all times.

A pleasure to listen to. Thank you very much.

I could listen to your stories and music all day

Amazing just amazing. Love the story behind the title.

Merlin's the Jam but Jane Seymour is what inspired me to pursue my keyboard playing. After a terrible teacher I turned to Bach for counting and timing, then I heard Jane Seymour and I wanted to Create not just play. Thanks for that inspiration and All of Your Music.

Rick Wakeman 🎹🎹🎹 🎹🙌🎹 🎹🎹🎹

Fantástico!

An absolute genius of our times with a sense of humour to boot…..

I cannot say enough about this man Simply glorious

Pure musical genius! I always learn so much from my musical guru!

Absolutely beautiful and such a fun tune as well 💯

Yes, fragile was my introduction to Rick Wakeman outstanding writer and performer! Solo and all the bands he played with.

❤❤❤❤

Glory to Rick Wakeman! a funny person. Live long Rick!

Wonderful Rick, thank you. I have seen you so many times over the years and never tire of seeing your mastery of the ivories. Long may it continue

Come sempre…STREPITOSO!!!!

Bravo, Rick. Hugs from Brazil!!!

Wonderful. Simply wonderful.

Man he's just wonderful.

One of my all time favorite albums. I wore out several before cds were invented.

A masterpiece indeed!

Lindo ...assisti seu shows Rei Arthur e Viagem ao Centro da Terra no RJ .

Mr. Wakamen Never stop plays for us, please!

Excelente álbum.

So beautiful! Love it!

Lindo Rick!👏👏👏

I saw you perform this live in the mid 70’s in Cols., OH when I was in college at THE Ohio State University! You were magnificent then as now!

Tickled!

I remember a concert Rick gave for the BBC Sight & Sound radio series back in 1976. Rick, being a such a good sit down comedian as well a brilliant composer and musician, gave this story of Merlin to the audience. Merlin, apparently, was a naughty old bugger who fancied Guinevere. In the 1st section he chases Guinevere around Camelot, but when he catches her has a problem with his marshmallow and the letterbox. Anyway, the end section depicts Merlin chase again, but unfortunately when he catches Guinevere he drops down dead. Only then does rigor mortis set in. Every time I've heard this track I have a mental image of an accompanying video that could have gone with it. Now you have!

No conozco musica más sofisticada que esta pieza es summa cum laude en el rock progresivo

Awesome as always, and so nice of you to play at the old folks home's church.

MERLYN,îs WiTh,YOU!!!!!for,EVERand,EVER!!!!!!!👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏💘🥇🦅🎹👍👼👼🦅⏱️🔥💫🎄🎯🛡️⚔️♟️🎆🎆⚔️🎺🎆🎼🇬🇧🆙🇬🇧🆙🇬🇧🎼🆙🇬🇧🌅🌅⭐💣🎇💣💣🏹💣🎅🎄🎅🐬💫👼👼👼👼👍👍👍👍💎💘🦅👍🥇🎹🎀🎺🎺👏♥️💯💯💯💯♥️🇬🇧⚔️🇬🇧🌟🇬🇧🌟🇬🇧🌟🇬🇧🌟🇬🇧🇬🇧🆙🇬🇧🎅🏹

Bravo Maestro!!!

one of my fav recordings

This song is simply sensational

Rick this song is magic transcends our imagination, I missed the light vibe of Roger Newell's Fender.

This one piece of music inspired me to read every book about Merlin that I could find. (:

⭐♥️⭐♥️⭐♥️⭐♥️🛡️♥️⭐♥️🛡️⭐♥️⭐♥️🏹🎯🏹🐬🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🥇🎹🥇🎹🔥🎀🔥🎀🔥🎩🎄🎩👍🎩👍💫🎄🎻🎄💫🎄💫🎄💫💯👏💯👏💯👏💯🎺🎇🎺🎇🎺🎇💯🎺🎇🎺🎺🎇⚔️⚔️💣💣⏱️⏱️⏱️⏱️💎⭐💎⭐💎💎⭐♥️🎯🏹🌟👼🎅👼🌟👼🎅👼🎅🆙🎼🆙🎼🆙🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧BRAVOOO,MAESTRO!!!!!YOU,ARE,A,LIVING,LEGEND!!!!!!My,FRIEND,MERLYN,îs,,WiTh,for,EVER and EVER!!!!!!🎼🎼🇬🇧🎼🆙🆙🇬🇧🆙🇬🇧🆙🇬🇧🆙🇬🇧🆙🇬🇧⭐⭐⭐⭐⏱️💎⏱️💎⏱️🎄🎻🎄💫🎄🎄♥️♥️♥️♥️👏💯🎯⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️👼🌟👼🌟👼🌟👼👏💯👏💯🥇🎹🎹🎀🔥🔥🎩👍🔥🎩🛡️🐬♟️🐬♟️🐬♟️🛡️♟️🛡️🎁🎆🎁🎆🎁💘🦅🥇🎹💯🎹💯🎹💯🎹💯💯🎹💯🎹🎀🎺🎺🎺🎺🎺🎺🎺🎺💯🎺💯🎺💯🎺👏♥️💯

Wonderful, as always . . .

Very adequate, thank you. NEXT!

I first heard this when i was 4 years old ,one of my first musical memories ,it was on a compilation album with jethro tull and the rolling stones .

He is a great artist. ✌️

And he used to have 7 or 8 keyboards on the go all at once. Masterful

I've been a total fan of yours Rick since a friend introduced me to the Journey To The Center Of The Earth album when it was released in the US (I'm still trying to find that "bum" note you talked about on the jacket -- pretty sure it's not there!) ..... Myths and Legends is still my all-time favorite of your work though. :)

Flawless 🎶👌

RICK WAKEMAN ES UN EXCELENTE MUSICO Y COMPOSITOR SIN DUDA ALGUNA ES NÚMERO#1...Y PUNTO.

Excalibur 🗡️.

I thought you were going to say "The Myths and Leg" :-)

Keyboard King 🎹🎹

Been a fan of Mr. Wakeman since the early 70’s. Such an incredibly beautiful piece of art displayed in a non-verbal form of musical genius that only the master Rick Wakeman could give to us. I would give anything to have this performance be available on piano sheet music. Can anyone help me out on this one?

Prog keyboard goat

I have that's casettes and that's good

Grandioso, me facina Rick

That's great

When i listen to this, i think of Schmendrick instead of Merlin 😅 Thus is a compliment, since i love The last unicorn

OK, that is odd, even though I know this very well, there were one or two places that I -really- heard the melody and harmonies for the first time - I guess sometimes barebone piano let's you hear the notes instead of the color a big orchestra brings. Anyway, fabulous job on the parts I know by heart and the bits that I heard with fresh ears - such a fantastic player!

Rick Bacon 😊💚🤘 rock Against veggies

And THAT'S how to play the piano.

I hope UK.will save from disaster

So has Rick gotten rid of the electronic gear? I have not seen him playing a synth in a long time.This would sound so much better with a Moog.