Journey to the Centre of the Earth is one of progressive rock's crowning achievements. With the help of
the London Symphony Orchestra and
the English Chamber Choir,
Rick Wakeman turns this classic
Jules Verne tale into an exciting and suspenseful instrumental narrative. The story is told by
David Hemmings in between the use of
Wakeman's keyboards, especially the powerful Hammond organ and the innovative Moog synthesizer, and when coupled with the prestigious sound of the orchestra, creates the album's fairy tale-like climate. Recorded at London's Royal Festival Hall, the tale of a group of explorers who wander into the fantastic living world that exists in the Earth's core is told musically through
Wakeman's synthesized theatrics and enriched by the haunting vocals of a chamber choir. Broken into four parts, the album's most riveting segment, entitled "The Battle," involves
Wakeman's most furious synthesized attack, churning and swirling the keyboards into a mass instrumental hysteria. With both "The Journey" and "The Forest," it's the effective use of the strings and percussion section of
the London Symphony Orchestra that causes the elements of fantasy and myth to emerge from the album's depths. The gorgeous voice of Ashley Holt is effectively prominent, and some interesting guitar work via
Mike Egan arises occasionally but meritoriously amidst the keyboard fervor. The whole of
Journey to the Centre of the Earth still stands as one of the most interesting conglomerations of orchestral and synthesized music, and it is truly one of
Wakeman's most flamboyant projects. ~ Mike DeGagne