01	Arthur						07:29
	02	Lady of the Lake						00:45
	03	Guinevere						06:48
	04	Sir Lancelot and the Black Knight						05:22
	05	Merlin the Magician						08:54
	06	Sir Galahad						05:51
	07	The Last Battle						09:41

The Myths & Legends of King Arthur & The Knights of the Round Table ( 1975)


Catalogue
Type Cat No. Label Country
CD 394 515-2 A&M UK
Vinyl LP AMLH 64515 A&M UK
Cassette CAM64515 A&M UK
CD 3230 A&M USA
Vinyl LP SP4515 A&M USA
Cassette CS-3230 A&M USA

Track List
Title Length
1 Arthur 7' 26"
2 Lady of the Lake 0' 45"
3 Guinevere 6' 45"
4 Sir Lancelot and the Black Knight 5' 20"
5 Merlin The Magician 8' 51"
6 Sir Galahad 5' 51"
7 The Last Battle 9' 41"

Artist List
Name Instrument
Rick Wakeman Keyboards
Ashley Holt Vocals
Barney James Drums
David Katz Orch Coordination
David Measham Conductor
Gary Pickford Hopkins Vocals
Geoff Crampton Guitars
John Hodgson Percussion
Roger Newell Bass
Terry Taplin Narration
Wil Malone Orch Arrangement


Additional Information
Studios:
 Morgan Studios, London during Oct 1974/Jan 1975

Engineering:
 Paul Tregurtha
 Jeremy Stenham (asst)



Reviews
Tim Boudewijn van der Wart on 30/03/2002 [Other reviews by Tim Boudewijn van der Wart ]

The MaLoKAatKotRT is a very emotional and personal masterpiece. It is my number one Wakeman record. If anyone of you owns the family album and wonders why Rick himself isn't on it; that's because he already described himself musically here...I think Rick is Merlin; both very wise and genius as he is humorous and affectionate. The album is full of the prettiest music with an historical feeling to it, instrumentally and verbally a perfect achievement. And a definite must to all the genuine fans, if you don't like it, I can't understand what attracts you in Rick's music at all. You just got to have this, it are Rick's heart and soul that speak on this one.

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Ivбn Melgar Morey on 09/03/2002 [Other reviews by Ivбn Melgar Morey ]

25 years, two vinyls, three cassetes and one CD have passed since I bought my first Myths & Legends, and certainly I've never heard a better album. This masterpiece has everything, narration, great chorus, atmosphere and of course the great talent of Rick. The songs have a perfect balance, they go from the epic Arthur to the nostalgic Last Battle. Every progressive fan must have a copy.

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Tina Hansen on 27/03/2001 [Other reviews by Tina Hansen ]

This album is definitely "fit for a king." It shows the power of a good story with music that anyone can appreciate.

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Samantha Dawn on 05/02/2001 [Other reviews by Samantha Dawn ]

As a child I listened to this album. My imagination was brought to life and I was captured by its magic. I am now 33 & 10 months old, and still every time I listen to the tracks it is as if I was listening to it all for the first time. I encourage anyone to listen to the album in its entirety. Everytime you hear it, something new will delight! After playing 2 cassettes to their death and being told I could not get a replacement...I am overjoyed to be able to yet again listen to it again, on CD! Your purchase will be its weight in gold. You will not be disappointed.

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Alexander Lopez on 05/10/2000 [Other reviews by Alexander Lopez ]

This is an album I'd choose to make a "Les Miserables" style theatre show, complete with dialogues and dances. Although Metallica and Scorpions have done this "rock band meets the symphonic orchestra" gig recently, if you purchase "The Myths and Legends..." first, you'll agree with me that those Men In Black rockers needed more training before attempting this kind of work.

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Remy Struli on 05/07/2000 [Other reviews by Remy Struli ]

This album is very English and pompous, that's why I like it a lot. It has also good humour on it, at some places it reminds me always of Monty Python's Holy Grail Movie and it's also very emotional: In "The Last Battle", where the narration begins, I always nearly have to cry...Here lies King Arthur...blimey, my heart stops...Thanks, Rick.

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Boran Kartal on 30/06/2000 [Other reviews by Boran Kartal ]

This album is a great collage of orchestral music and progressive rock. It is one of the greatest LPs that I've ever listened to. Solo partitions by Wakeman are amazing; they take you to another world.

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Dylan Groot on 05/06/2000 [Other reviews by Dylan Groot ]

With this album, Rick Wakeman truly gives a new dimension to the King Arthur legend. The music is so bravely formed, that it's hard not to get dragged into the realm only Wakeman is able to create. The combination of rock and classical music is just perfect. From the romantic sound of "Guinevere" to the agressive and powerful "Sir Lancelot And The Black Knight". There are not many artists who can give sounds to legends, Wakeman makes the exception and proves he's the true Keymaster. If Merlin had transformed himself into a song, this is what he would sound like...

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Carol Vance on 27/04/2000 [Other reviews by Carol Vance ]

This particular album is one of Rick Wakeman's finest works. Although it was regarded in the mid '70's as a colorful spoof with mediocre quality, I must thoroughly disagree. In studying the themes and contrapuntal texture, not to mention the addition of a stylized classical rock mixture, this album should be re-released and marketed for a new generation of music connoisseurs that appreciate true musical talent and not merely a beat with clever words thrown in. Guinevere is my favorite track as well.

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Reniet Ramirez on 12/04/2000 [Other reviews by Reniet Ramirez ]

It's a strange album if you were expecting to hear Rick the way he plays on YES. But take the time, it's worth it. It's a very nice way to learn the history of King Arthur.... It's definitely a classic!

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Max Hult on 06/03/2000 [Other reviews by Max Hult ]

This is the greatest symphonic rock album I've heard from Rick, although I'm longing to hear No Earthly Connection... a perfect record for introducing listeners to Wakeman's music... this is one of the only musts in Rick's collection of records, as it contains the most important pieces like Arthur, Merlin and The Last Battle... Lancelot is great too, although I prefer the version on King Biscuit, which contains additional trumpet melodies and so on... don't miss this one!

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Phill Emmerson on 21/02/2000 [Other reviews by Phill Emmerson ]

Who so pulleth out this album from the record shelves shall be the true born listener of a classic album, this is an album everyone should have, reviews do not do Arthur justice, just buy it and listen. 9/10

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Stephen McKinley on 25/01/2000 [Other reviews by Stephen McKinley ]

Although this album is now a quarter of a century old, it still sounds as good now as the day I first heard it all those years ago. Wakeman gave imagery to the Arthur mystic that no film or miniseries has ever been able to create. Every track is still a winner, but Merlin is, and probably always will be, one of the best instrumentals of last century. A must have album for all!

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Sanjeev Raman on 25/11/1999 [Other reviews by Sanjeev Raman ]

Picked up this album today along with "Journey....Earth" and "The Six wives ........". It is truly mindblowing. Calling it brilliant may be considered an understatement. Though I don't really like the vocals on it. They sound tired. But on the whole, a masterpiece. "Merlin the Magician" gets top ranking among the tracks.

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Ben Jordan on 29/01/1999 [Other reviews by Ben Jordan ]

The King Arthur album is another triumph for the greatest ivory-tickler in the world. Another concept album, with a stirring opener which attempts quite well to provide a medieval-meets-modern musical blend. However for me it is 'Merlin' which truly defines the album, with its melodic precision and stylisic fusion - with a madcap honkytonk interlude. I saw Rick play this track on a video of a 1975 Australian concert and you can't help but marvel at the man's gift, which for me 'Merlin' perfectly demonstrates. The other tracks are good too, but not in the same league as 'Merlin' and 'Arthur'. And the vocals are again too weak for my liking (as with Journey), but don't let that put you off - a worthwhile addition to your collection.

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Murat Selcuk on 16/09/1998 [Other reviews by Murat Selcuk ]

After many years, I can still feel myself excited. So what more can I say!

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Bjorn Olaf Syvertsen on 04/12/1997 [Other reviews by Bjorn Olaf Syvertsen ]

This used to be my favourite Rick Wakeman album, but now "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" has passed it. The good thing about this album, is that some tracks are really great ("Arthur", "Sir Galahad" and "The Last Battle"), while others are not that good. The style is however very fascinating, and being a medievalist myself, I clearly delight in the lyrics, the cover and the "text book". "Arthur" is the perfect opener and my favourite Rick Wakeman track, next to "Judas Iscariot" from "Criminal Record".

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Tom Brenny on 24/09/1997 [Other reviews by Tom Brenny ]

The perfect marriage of rock with orchestra to create the definitive portrait of Arthur. Monumental music worthy of this great king. The moog sounds dated, but the music and orchestrations are timeless. The closest to a perfect album I've seen!

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John Kennedy Mixon on 16/05/1997 [Other reviews by John Kennedy Mixon ]

This album is a triumphant artwork! One can close their eyes and picture the unfolding of personalities and perspectives of King Arthur, his Knights and, of course, Merlin. Rick has managed to intertwine the sounds of the medieval times with a touch of classical and careful use of modern instruments. This is a masterpiece in every sense of the word!

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Eduardo Valle on 29/03/1997 [Other reviews by Eduardo Valle ]

This is Wakeman's masterpiece. The consolidation of Symphonic Rock. The atmosphere created with orchestra and choir is wonderful. The music turns around a theme, being variations of this theme. Wakeman shares his space with other musicians and orchestra allowing the music to flow without excess of virtuosity.


c Rick Wakeman/RWCC/Wayne Smith 1995-2003






A&M 394 515-2 (P) 1975

Rick Wakeman, keyboards;
Ashley Holt, vocal;
Gary Pickford Hopkins, vocal;
Jeffrey Crampton, guitars;
Roger Newell, bass;
Barney James, drums;
John Hodson, percussion;

with the English Chamber Choir, vocals; Terry Taplin, voice

Bob Eichler:
This album suffers from the same things that mar many of Wakeman's other solo albums - terrible lyrics, bad vocals, overblown production and a general sense of cheesiness. Rick was going for something big here, but I'm left with the impression that the album would have been much better off without the orchestration, choir and dramatic narrator.
Speaking of production - maybe I just got a bad CD, but on my copy it sounds like "Sir Lancelot and the Black Knight" was mastered off a cassette that someone had left melting in a car glove compartment for several years. It's all slurred and muffled, at least for the first couple minutes of the track.
There is one bright spot on the album though, the mostly instrumental "Merlin the Magician". Wakeman quoted this piece during his solos on the ABWH and Union tours, and for good reason - it's one of his better songs. As Joe mentions, the track does shift abruptly between musical styles, but I always thought that was intentional; meant to display the various sides of Merlin's personality, somber and mysterious vs. upbeat and mischievous.
Overall I wouldn't recommend this disc unless you're a big Wakeman fan or a Yes completist (which I sadly was for a while, a condition finally cured by buying Open Your Eyes). Arthur might also appeal to those who are really into concept albums and don't mind a large dose of cheese served with the concept.

Joe McGlinchey:
This was Rick Wakeman's third, high-profile effort as a solo artist. It is probably best remembered today for its accompanying live performances, which boldly went were no man had gone before (nor since, thankfully): Prog Rock meets the Ice Follies. To be fair (and perhaps to help us all feel a bit safer sleeping tonight), the King Arthur Capades didn't happen because Rick originally conceived it that way, but out of a scheduling necessity to accommodate with the incipient venue, which was having an ice show right before the planned concerts.
As for the album itself, this territory lies somewhere in the middle of Wakeman's output. Well, the output that 'counts,' if you know what I mean. It's not as reasonable as Six Wives of Henry VIII, nor quite as obnoxious as Journey to the Center of the Earth, though it falls closer to the latter than the former. The album's main faults: awful singing, with the same two schlubs from Journey to the Center of the Earth; lyrics that are pretty cheezy, even by Broadway standards; and Wakeman's routine lapses in judgment. Never does this last quality stand out more than on the head-spinning "Sir Lancelot and the Black Knight," which features such unintentional hilarities as a choir shouting "Fight!...Fight!!" in irregular time and a samba in the middle with dueling moog solos. Even the middle section of "Merlin the Magician," surely otherwise one of Wakeman's most recognized solo passages, is needlessly jarring from the rest of the piece, evoking more the slapstick of Charlie Chaplin than the wonder and gallantry of a previous England.
There are some enjoyable aspects, like the stirring opening of the album, and I do think the main melody of "Guinevere" is quite beautiful (but those lyrics! Ack!). Ultimately, though, the main praise for this album seems to lie in the fact that it doesn't suck as bad as most of the other albums in Wakeman's discography. If that's enough for you, be my guest.




Tentative Review #101
Rick Wakeman
Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table
(released 1975)

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Track: Rating:
1. Arthur
2. Lady Of The Lake
3. Guinevere
4. Sir Lancelot And The Black Knight
5. Merlin The Magician
6. Sir Galahad
7. The Last Battle

Personnel:
Rick Wakeman: keyboards
Jeff Crampton: guitars
English Chamber Choir: choir vocals
John Hodgson: percussion
Ashley Holt: vocals
Barney James [should this be James Barney?]: drums
David Katz: orchestration
Will Malone: arranger
David Measham: conductor, choir master
Roger Newell: bass
Gary Pickford-Hopkins: vocals
Guy Protheroe: choir master
Terry Taplin: narrator
Credits:
All tracks written by Rick Wakeman.

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Comments:
"While the Rick Wakemans of this world fannied about in capes singing about King Arthur, thereby forever crediting the genre, a handful of English (wait for it) "progressive rock acts" actually did something more useful than just provide good jokey copy for pop writers throughout the next 20 years."

(Stuart Maconie, review, "King Crimson: Frame by Frame: The Essential Crimson", NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS, 7 December 1991, reprinted in the liner notes to King Crimson's The Great Deceiver, pp. 28-29.)


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It does not speak well of an artist's legacy when music critics use said artist's work to define all that is wrong with a genre (particularly when the genre is not, in itself, being condemned outright). But these comments by Stuart Maconie are fairly typical of the response of music critics (even those who are also progressive fans, in many cases) to the works of Rick Wakeman.

Rick Wakeman's King Arthur has been singled out for considerable punishment over the years. Taken on its own, the album doesn't deserve this treatment. For that matter, it doesn't deserve much attention at all -- it simply isn't terribly good or bad of a work, and certainly isn't as wretched as some critics might suggest. But, then, it often seems that RW viewed the music on KA as being secondary to the show. How can he fault the critics for viewing it the same way?

To put this in a bit of context for newcomers, King Arthur was Rick Wakeman's third solo album, and his first after having left Yes in 1974 [obviously, I'm not counting Piano Vibrations, which was not intended as a commercial release]. It followed Journey To The Centre Of The Earth, a wildly successful release in the UK album charts (and a moderate success in America if memory serves). King Arthur, too, was a "hit" for RW, and was the 15th most successful album in Great Britain for the year 1975.

The album also led to a full-fledged touring fiasco, with RW throwing away a tonne of pounds on a music-and-ice-show spectacular. In retrospect, the greatest financial mistake of the venture might have been RW's decision to bring an orchestra on tour with him. The antics of the skaters reportedly elicited much applause from the audience, and the strength of Wakeman's showmanship during this time has never been in doubt ... but it's probably safe to say that the music was secondary to the spectacle. And it's certainly safe to say that the damage caused by this preposterous scheme is still hurting the image of progressive music to this day (even if Wakeman himself deserved most of the bad press which he received).

Perhaps if Wakeman had followed up this release with another "hit", he could have established himself as being in some respects "above the critics" (think Rod Stewart), and could have salvaged his reputation accordingly. As it happened, though, King Arthur was the last of his albums to reach an absurd level of popularity -- No Earthly Connection (1976) was a relative stiff, and his subsequent releases did equally poorly. In retrospect, his decision to rejoin Yes in 1977 seems the logical outcome of his declining solo fortunes.

Moving on to the actual release ... the premise of the album itself doesn't really require much analysis: Wakeman writes a number of songs based on stories and characters from Arthurian legend, and sets them to music. As others have noted, said music is almost completely unrelated to earlier forms of composition (the choral chants don't really count), and the lyrics don't really shed any new light on the figures involved. As a historical/musical drama, the album is a clear failure. And, even as a work of music, its reach clearly exceeds its grasp. Many of the tracks received "good" ratings almost by default, with the curious arranging and decent instrumental solos allowing them to reach above their fundamentally prosaic nature.

The basic idea of the album is spelled out in its first few seconds. Terry Taplin's introduction to the "sword in the stone" legend has all the signs of feigned melodrama -- of trying to sound impressive while saying rather little. This is following by a semi-classical/semi-Hollywood overture, with some reasonably good synth leads overtop of it (the similarities to Journey To The Centre Of The Earth are fairly clear from rather early on, by the way). Ashley Holt's inimitable vocals make their appearance before too long, sadly, and the quality takes a slight dip as such -- the bad lyrics don't help (sword in the stone, knights try to pull it out, etc), nor does the Disney-esque nature of the music. An obviously "heroic" instrumental theme follows, followed by some actual clever developments in the "churchland and the wood" section. The subsequent instrumental bits are decent enough, if a bit under-composed. Wakeman has his moments, as does bass player Roger Newell (easily the most "standout" member of the backing band). The end result is entertaining enough, but a bit less than satisfying. (For those concerned with the plot, Arthur eventually pulls out the sword.)

The 45-second "Lady Of The Lake" is divided into two sections -- a choral description of this aspect of Arthurian legend (but why at the beginning?), and a brief classical motif on piano. Both aspects of the track are decent enough, but not particularly notable.

"Guinevere" may be the most poorly mixed track of 1975, and that isn't even the full extent of its problems. The primary synth motif of this track is decent enough, and the instrumental middle section has a few points in its favour ... but neither of these can make up for the stultifyingly dull pop-balladery that occupies the other 70% of the song. Ashley Holt's crooning about the fair queen is less than enjoyable, with the chorus especially notable for its artistic failure. This is the sort of track that one could envision Bryan Adams singing for some godawful Hollywood feature, and it doesn't do the album's quality any favours (though the bass player gets a few decent licks in here and there).

From the semi-fake classical lead-in and the chants of "Fight! Fight! Fight!", it becomes evident fairly quickly that "Sir Lancelot And The Black Knight" isn't going to be an in-depth character study. The music is ridiculous, for the most part, and the rhyming couplet lyrics are nothing short of terrible. This track would rate even lower were it not for the fact that the high-impact instrumental solo is actually pretty good (and almost akin to 1973/6 Genesis, actually). Then the actual "song" reprises and the quality nosedives again. (For those concerned with plot: Lancelot ends up knocking The Black Knight off his horse, and proceeds to kill him. Gripping stuff, isn't it.)

The second half of this work begins with another absurd choral intro, leading to "Merlin The Magician", the extended instrumental track of the album. The first musical section is a baroque theme, with some fair degree of harpsichord presence. This suddenly stops and, after about 10 seconds, the "piece proper" begins. Essentially, there are three musical motifs here: a rather boring keyboard-based instrumental (which seems to be using its ambience in a failed effort to hide its essential meaninglessness -- almost like a half-baked Pink Floyd imitation), a rock band section (which is actually pretty good), and a jokey ragtime theme (which suddenly appears out of nowhere halfway through the song -- I suppose that this actually has some connection to Merlin's eccentricity, and deserves some credit as such). This is probably the second best number here, and it still isn't that great.

"Sir Galahad" is a decent enough number, but has something of a "not really there" quality about it (ie. the music seems barely to register in the mind of this listener at times). The music goes through a number of diverse themes, none lasting long enough to really make an impact (though the circus-Hawaiian theme has a certain "curiousity factor" to its advantage). Plotwise ... well ... Lancelot meets his bastard son, Arthur gives him a sword, not much really happens. Perhaps Wakeman had a few difficulties writing about a morally virtuous knight in 1975. [And, by the way, doesn't Gary Pickford-Hopkin's voice sound profoundly mediocre on most of the album.]

With an opening line like "Gone are the days of the knights/Of Round Tables and fights", it's probably a good thing that "The Last Battle" is mostly an instrumental. The music here is somewhat better than the rest of the album, with an Oldfield-esque feel that actually develops with some fair degree of substance (and even that semi-cheesy orchestral ending can't really ruin things that much.) What lyrics there are tell of civil war, Arthur's defeat of Mordred, the fall of the Knights, the Saxon invasion, and the eventual discovery of Arthur's bones at around 1200 AD (somehow, questions of historical authenticity seem a waste of time with material like this ...). Not perfect, but the good parts of this are at least good enough to enjoy without lapsing into a "guilty pleasure" mindset.

For all of its notoriety, this is an album that's fairly easy for prog fans to ignore. I can't really recommend it too strongly except to diehard fans of Wakeman's early years.

[Incidentally, though, the main theme to "Arthur" does sound like it would make decent election coverage music.]

The Christopher Currie
(review originally posted to alt.music.yes on 13 May 1998)