'Jabberwocky' Reviews
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"Musical Discoveries" Review
From the 'Musical Discoveries' web page. To view the original, click here.
Based on the Lewis Carroll (1832-1898) poem of the same name,
Clive Nolan has teamed up with Oliver Wakeman to create the all-new
progressive rock masterwork Jabberwocky (VGCD014). In development for three years prior to the Verglas Music (UK) release in January 1999, this stunning concept album features
Clive Nolan and Oliver Wakeman's tremendous keyboard work with
contributions by a vast array of artists including Peter Banks
(Genesis) on drums, Ian Salmon (Shadowland, Janison Edge) on guitar and Tracy Hitchings' (Quasar, Gandalf, Strangers On
A Train, Landmarq) vocals. Rick Wakeman narrates the piece and further vocals are
provided by Bob Catley (The Boy), James Plumridge (The Jabberwock)
and Paul Allison (The Tree). Images of the performers are provided at the conclusion of this review.
Oliver Wakeman, successful outside the business, returns to his
music roots in this first major project with Clive Nolan (Arena,
Pendragon, Strangers On A Train, Shadowland). Indeed, Jabberwocky combines Wakeman's foundation, steeped in father Rick's epics
(Journey To The Centre of the Earth, Six Wives Of Henry VIII, and The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable) with Nolan's dynamic soundtrack-oriented progressive rock style.
With Rick narrating the poem's verses across the album's tracks,
the individual songs interpret the story in a highly theatrical
style perfectly performed by the four vocalists. It is interesting
to note that the band Ambrosia used a narration of portions of
Carroll's "Jabberwocky" withinin the song "Mama Frog" found on
their self-titled album almost twenty-five years ago.
Nolan & Wakeman's Jabberwocky album is instrumentally very strong and quite symphonic throughout
with amazing keyboard riffs in several of the tracks with "Shadows"
being the most stunning instrumental example of their collaboration.
However, as a 'concept' album written to tell the story in a musical
style, it has very strong vocal performances by the three male
vocalists and Tracy Hitchings. An extensive choir, including Dave
Wagstaffe (Landmarq, Janison Edge) and Michelle Young, provides backing vocals and incidentals throughout the album.
The instrumental parts, lead vocals and choir are perfectly arranged
and orchestrated to develop the mood, setting the scene through
musical animation, for each chapter of the story.
James Plumridge's excellent interpretation of The Jabberwock is
similar to The Landlord in the musical Les Miserables at times, especially in the introduction to "Dangerous World,"
more closely aligning to The Phantom ("Dancing Water") at others.
Bob Catley's emotive performance of The Boy is somewhat reminiscent
of Meatloaf (The Intergalactic Touring Band) at times, moreso in the beginning of the album and the track
"The Mission," while Paul Allison's sensitive interpretation of
The Tree evokes memories of Moody Blues vocalist Justin Hayward.
The choir also achieves a Moody Blues-like sound in "The Forest."
Tracy Hitchings plays The Girl delivering unique emotionally-charged
theatrical vocal performances throughout her parts of the album.
The lyrics of the album interpret Carroll's poem (from the 1872
Through The Looking Glass and What Alice Found There). The story involves a fantasy or even a dream where the Boy
confronts the Jabberwock, an imaginary culmination of the Girl's
fears and nightmares ("Dangerous World"). The Girl's faith ("Glimmer
Of Light") and sage advice from the Tree ("Enlightenment") give
the Boy the strength and courage ("Dancing Water," "The Burgundy
Rose") to conquer the beast ("The Mission"). In the triumph of
their victory ("Call To Arms"), the Boy and Girl join together
as the album concludes ("Finale"). The music and the storyline
are discussed further below.
The instrumentals in the "Overture" begin after Rick Wakeman narrates
the first verse of the "Jabberwocky" poem. With bold percussion,
symphonic keyboard work and guitar, the album opens in full splendour
to support the initial vocal performance by Bob Catley expressing
his need to overcome his fears and be with his true love. The
stunning female choir comes in singing in Latin ("When will my love come home to me") to compliment the symphonic instrumentals during the bridge.
The final vocal verse is performed with synthesized woodwind voices
concluding the instrumental work. Rick narrates the second verse
of the poem as the track concludes.
With the scene now set, fierce keyboards introduce the rocking
"Coming To Town," also sung by Bob Catley supported by the choir,
before a short and sweet verse is sung by Tracy Hitchings. A keyboard
solo precedes the final verses of the song. The Jabberwock makes
his first appearance in "Dangerous World," seducing the Boy in
both opening and closing verses, sounding much like the cunning
Landlord from Les Miserables. In contrast to the sinister intentions of the Jabberwock, Tracy
Hitchings as the Girl, continues in the second passage, singing
a lovely ballad about her nightmares and her feelings for her
protector, the Boy. The narration of the poem's third verse leads
into "The Forest." The song is a majestic march-like instrumental
with Latin vocal harmonies to express the danger that lies ahead
("Make haste slowly, give up hope those who enter") provided by of the male choir.
"A Glimmer Of Light" is a short, yet stunning, emotionally-drenched
solo ballad sung by Tracy Hitchings. Musically mating perfectly
with "Dangerous World," the sensitive "Glimmer Of Light" is one
of the highlights of the album. The Boy is given inspiration through
the Girl's belief that they could conquer all. The narration of
the poem's fourth verse concludes the track. The keyboard riff-filled
instrumental track "Shadows" follows; it summarises the instrumental
and vocal themes thus far and is a perfect overature to what could
be called a second act with introductions to the music that follows.
It could equally be a scene where the boy and girl are haunted
by things that leap out from the dark or are chased through the
forest by the Jabberwock.
The Boy and Girl encounter The Tree; Paul Allison leads the song
with a tremendous, at times multi-tracked, solo in "Enlightenment"
supported by keyboard and guitar themes introduced earlier in
"Shadows." The Tree encourages the Boy to confront his fears without
hesitation and to have faith in himself to conquer the Jabberwock.
The Boy sings a short verse accepting the Tree's advice. A powerful
guitar-led instrumental bridges to the concluding verse of the
song as Rick summarises the danger ahead.
In the buildup to the confrontation, Bob Catley sings a heartfelt
solo, as the Boy gathers his strength in "Dancing Water." The
Jabberwock's lure builds in an almost "Phantom"-like vocal passage
in contrast to Tracy Hitchings' short verses where the Girl warns
of impending danger. The song concludes with all three singing
their differing views in opposition. The final bits of strength
and courage are gathered in the vocals of "The Burgundy Rose,"
where keyboard passages underscore the confident mood expressed
in this sensitive Bob Catley / Tracy Hitchings duet.
In "The Mission" the Boy sets out to destroy the Jabberwock. With
vocals led by Catley and supported by Hitchings, dynamic keyboard
work and soaring electric guitars build the excitement delivered
by the song. The highly instrumental "Call To Arms" reaches a
climax when the fight against the Jabberwock takes place. The
fifth verse of the poem is begun and as the tension builds with
the choir's vocal repetition of an Italian phrase (written on
the top of the gateway to hell within Danté's Inferno -- "Through me you enter the suffering city, through me you enter
the never ending pain") the Jabberwock is slain. As the poem's fifth verse is completed,
the Boy and Girl join together having overcome their ordeal. They
revel in their triumph over the beast in a last, albeit brief,
duet. Rick's narration of the poem's final verse leads to the
orchestrally lush instrumental "Finale."
While there have been many interpretations of Lewis Carroll's
Jabberwocky, this is the first musical work to do the story justice. Here
the artists have created an instrumentally rich, theatrically
symphonic work, with sensitive lyrics and outstanding vocal performances
to guide us through their interpretation, musically animating
the magical world within Carroll's poem. A stage performance with
this album as its soundtrack would make an outstanding modern
production. A true masterwork, Nolan & Wakeman's Jabberwocky is an outstanding album in all respects. Bravo!
© Russell W Elliot 1998
"New Horizons" Review
Used with the kind permission of New Horizons, from their extensive on-line music resource. To view the original,
click here.
"Released in January 1999 'Jabberwocky' is the first collaboration
between Clive Nolan and Oliver Wakeman. The album contains twelve
tracks which are woven together with narration by Oliver's dad,
Rick, who reads the Lewis Carroll poem. As a whole they tell a
story which, although loosely based on the poem, goes far beyond
the original work - the imagery, however, probably owes more to
the film of the same name than it does to Lewis Carroll!
"At its simplest level, this is a love story which follows the
character of the Boy (ex-Magnum vocalist Bob Catley) on his quest
for the grail ... sorry, Girl (Tracy Hitchings from Landmarq ).
His adversary is the Jabberwocky (James Plummridge) and the witness
to the story is the tree (Paul Allison). However, the story goes
far deeper than this and contains many analogies that go well
beyond the scope of this review but, be assured, it is worthwhile
reading the lyrics in full rather than just listening to the album
as a series of songs - you may be surprised at what you find.
As a starter for ten, there is a quote from Dante's Inferno ...
"The album opens with 'The Overture' - Rick Wakeman recites the
first verse of the poem to a backdrop that sounds like a swirling
wind - from this musical opening we are left in no doubt that
this is a very grandiose work with our two keyboard maestros,
Clive and Oliver, giving it their best from the word go. Keyboard
sounds build up, layer on layer, before Bob Catley starts singing,
his vocals are ideally suited to this work, and he really gets
into the part.
"Throughout, Tracy Hitching's voice is superb but the track 'Glimmer
of Light' stands out as one of the real gems on this album. A
great song that could easily be taken out of the context of the
album and still be appealing (if you like this, check out 'Strangers
on a Train').
"'Enlightenment', featuring Paul Allison, is another great song
- underpinned with a piano track, the song builds up and up with
Paul's vocals and some superb guitar work leading up to a spine-tingling
piece of singing, by Bob Catley, after which we get some really
amazing guitar work with harmonies, flying off in many different
directions, before the final chorus subsides to a tinkling finish
with similarities to Magnum's 'Storytellers Night'.
"The instrumental track, 'Shadows', is also worthy of mention
with its excellent piano work and swirling, over the top, keyboards.
The sleeve notes do not specify who plays which keyboard parts
- quite rightly so, but I have my suspicions!
"My personal favourite has to go to 'Dancing Water' which bring
together the characters of the Boy, the Girl and a really creepy
Jabberwocky. Each takes a turn singing their own part, culminating
in the three different themes being sung together - it is impossible
to convey, in words, the full effect - I can only say that it
is brilliantly put together.
"In addition to those mentioned above, the album also features
solid performances by Peter Banks (Yes); Tony Fernandez (long
time drummer with Rick Wakeman); Peter Gee (Pendragon); Ian Salmon
(Shadowland and Jannison Edge) and Jon Jeary. I am fully aware
that an all-star line-up does not guarantee quality and, also,
that concept albums are not everyone's cup of tea, but the format
works very well in this instance and the final result is well
crafted.
"As a work the album, admittedly, has its faults - there will
be some who find an uncanny resemblance to Rick Wakeman's own
work on some of this album (bear witness to track two), but this
is not surprising and should not deter from the fact that Clive
and Oliver have produced a classic work here that should be ranked,
up there, as one of the greats."
Simon, 23/5/99
"The Cry" Review
Taken from the the web site of "The Cry", home of the "Arena" mailing list. To view the original, click
here.
Clive Nolan & Oliver Wakeman
Both names should ring a bell for anyone who’s into symphonic
rock. Clive Nolan has proven himself to be one of the most important
characters in the progressive scene during the 1990’s, with successful
bands like Arena, Shadowland, Strangers On A Train, Pendragon
etcetera. Oliver Wakeman of course faces the challenge of proving
he’s more than ‘just’ the son of Rick Wakeman.
This project is based on the Lewis Carroll poem “Jabberwocky”,
(from the 1871 novel “Through The Looking-Glass And What Alice
Found There”) acknowledged as the world’s finest so called nonsense
poems. To spice up the story Nolan/Wakeman added a kind of love
story between ‘The Boy’ and ‘The Girl’.
The Boy, played by Bob Catley (highly praised as the singer of
Magnum, now going solo with the album “The Tower”) understands
that he’s the chosen one to save a town from the cruel beast known
as Jabberwocky. Catley has still got that powerful voice that
made Magnum special, and the role of the bravehearted boy suits
him perfectly.
The Girl, portrayed by Tracy Hitchings (Landmarq among others),
Nolan’s long time companion in Strangers On A Train, has a really
pure and innocent voice, which fits perfectly here. She shows
us that she’s got the ability to enchant us both with heartwarming
ballads and more powerful parts.
‘The Jabberwock’ himself gets his voice from a certain James Plumridge,
perhaps best known to fans of Arena as the band’s former tour
manager! But he belongs on the stage, not behind it. He has the
challenging role as the vicious beast, perhaps the most intriguing
character of the set, and he interprets his part in the most personal
way.
The last of the lead singers, and the one with the smallest part
– he appears only in one song – is Paul Allison (formerly in Sleepwalker)
who portrays ‘The Tree’. His strong, but yet clean voice is perfect
for this part, Nolan/Wakeman really succeeded in choosing the
cast.
The Narrator, guiding us through the whole story, is Rick Wakeman,
nonetheless. He reads the poem as the music goes, and gives the
piece a special edge.
The list of musicians appearing on the album is by no means less
impressive. Behind the drum kit we find the skilled Tony Fernandez,
who has been playing in Rick Wakeman’s band for many years. Needless
to say, he delivers the goods! A brilliant drummer, does lots
of cool stuff without necessary stealing attention from the songs
or the singers. The drum sound is also absolutely excellent.
Providing some of the guitar- and bass parts is Ian Salmon, known
from Shadowland and Janison Edge, and the fretless bass is handled
by Pete Gee from Pendragon. Peter Banks, the original guitarist
in Yes, also contributes to this wonderful piece of music and
Jon Jeary from Threshold gives us the acoustic guitar parts.
But the center of attention goes to Nolan and Wakeman . Both of
them being outstanding keyboard players you can expect a lot of
wonderful melodies, tasteful sounds and small details stuffed
into the twelve songs. What first and foremost strikes me about
“Jabberwocky” is the quality of the songs. Here you’ll find pure
symphonic rock parts mixed with classical music, basic rock and
what almost feels like a soundtrack. I’m sure that it’s safe to
say this is a very original album. I have at least never heard
anything like it.
The album starts with the “Overture”, which pretty much follows
the classical path the first minutes, it builds towards something
– we get the feeling something’s about to happen. Then Bob Catley
appears and spreads the goosebumps – that man has a got one magnificent
voice! It’s a beautiful song where he’s torn between his decisions
when he realises his fate. “Coming To Town” follows, and that’s
a more rock based song, the one closest to ‘ordinary’ music. There
we get to meet The Girl, Tracy Hitchings, otherwise it’s pretty
much dominated by Catley. In “Dangerous World” both The Girl and
The Jabberwock talks to The Boy. The Jabberwock with a sarcastic
and malicious tone and The Girl with love. The Jabberwock is brilliantly
accompanied by a heavy waltz which gives the whole picture a theatrical
touch.
“The Forest” is a grand choral piece with the choir chanting,
and the following number is a pure love song from The Girl to
The Boy. “Glimmer Of Light” starts out lightly, and towards the
end a soft keyboard melody nestles against us, very beautiful
indeed! And when we thought we were safe, the classical piece
“Shadows” appears! It’s instrumental, and I know for a fact that
this piece comes mostly from Nolan. This weird and wonderful song
is one of the highlights on “Jabberwocky”, and it’s very varied,
both in time and atmosphere. Nolan mixes waltz and fantastic piano
playing with furious orchestra parts in the most brilliant way
– this man knows classical music. A very tasteful orchestration
with some wonderful sounds. This is a soundtrack of a fairytale!
In “Enlightenment” The Tree speaks to The Boy. The Boy still has
doubts, afraid of what is coming. Paul Allison, in the shape of
The Tree encourages him to be brave, accompanied first only by
a piano melody and soft strings, and when the drums are added,
it turns out to be a really excellent song. The guitar solo is
marvelous, melodic and beautiful. The Boy leaves The Tree with
a lighter heart.
“Dancing Water” is one of the other highlights, where The Boy,
The Jabberwock and The Girl all share the song. It starts out
with only a soft keyboard layer, with Catley’s absolutely incredible
vocals leading us towards the ever so malicious Jabberwocky. This
song is the closest we get to a musical, mostly thanks to James
Plumridge who is very convincing as The Jabberwock. In the end,
all of the vocalists sing their parts together – a total climax!
In the soft and beautiful “The Burgundy Rose” The Boy starts to
realise what he’s got to do, and that he’s brave enough. With
strength in his voice he sings “No, I don’t feel small and insignificant”
and continues with “The Mission”. “The Mission” is a mid tempo
song with a great keyboard solo. This is it, The Boy must fight
The Jabberwock, because he’s “Too close! Too close to run away
now”.
The Choir chants yet again, and in the background of “Call To
Arms” we hear the fight. The Narrator tells us about what’s happening,
and as we all know: “He left it dead, and with his head he went
galumphing back”. Triumph! The Boy and The Girl sings together
for the first time, “You’re mine!”. The “Finale” is an even more
grandiose version of the “Overture” – there’s victory in the air!
I’m not exaggerating when I say that this will be one of the most
important releases in the symphonic area in the nineties. A “War
Of The Worlds”, a “Journey To The Centre Of The Earth”. Interestingly
enough, all three are inspired by books.
The cover alone is reason enough to buy the album. The famous
and very talented Rodney Matthews (did a lot of wonderful covers
for Magnum) has painted the picture of The Boy, The Tree and The
Jabberwock, and the whole picture can be seen inside of the booklet.
It needs to be released as a double LP, it’s only fair to get
a fold out cover of this one!
In my opinion, this is a necessary CD to own if you’re into any
kind of good quality music. Don’t label this as “progressive rock”,
or “symphonic rock”, because there’s much more to it. It’s not
meant to be labelled. It’s meant to be enjoyed!
Anastasia Swano
Visit Anastasia's site : http://welcome.to/the.cage
"The Cage" Review
Used with the kind permission of "The Cage", the "Arena" fan club. To view the original, click here.
BEWARE THE JABBERWOCKY!
The Jabberwocky is a project by Clive Nolan and Oliver Wakeman,
son of ex-Yes keyboardplayer Rick Wakeman, who's also featured
on the album. Rick Wakeman provides the narration before and between
the songs.
The Jabberwocky has been inspired by Lewis Carroll's novel Through
The Looking Glass. In this novel, Alice is looking for the meaning
of a certain poem, called Jabberwock. It's about a fierce creature
in the woods, that threatens every being that trespasses its territory.
Besides Nolan and the Wakemans many other well-known names feature
on the album. Peter Banks (also ex-Yes) is present on guitar,
as well as Ian Salmon (Shadowland), Tony Fernandes (Rick Wakeman-band)
plays drums and Peter Gee (Pendragon) and John Jeary (Threshold)
handle the basses. The Boy is played by Bob Catley (Magnum) and
The Girl is played by Tracy Hitchings (Landmarq). Former Arena
tourmanager and Shakespeare-actor James Plumridge plays The Jabberwock.
The beautiful cover has been designed by Rodney Matthews, who
also took care of many of the Magnum artwork. What can you expect
from this CD? Well, I won't spoil everything, but to me it's a
wonderful combination of the 'moody' atmosphere of the Strangers
On A Train-albums and the 'psychedelica' of the Wakeman-tradition.
Both Clive Nolan and Oliver Wakeman are great keyboard-players.
Add to that the brilliant vocals of both Bob Catley and Tracy
Hitchings and you have the recipe for one hour of adventurous
music. Jabberwocky combines the typical Wakeman-sound with the
fine melodies from the famous Nolan-brand! Wakeman meets Strangers
on a Train....
The wind blows through the trees when Rick Wakeman reads the first
syllable of the Jabberwocky poem. The bombastic overture with
layers of keyboards presents the main themes of the album in Overture.
Bob Catley's raw voice contrasts in a great way with the mystical
music. There's a clear resemblance in music to some of 'dad' Wakemans
stuff, like Journey or King Arthur. You immediately recognise
the typical way of playing keyboards. Towards the end of the Overture,
classical instruments (oboe) accompany the second syllable of
the poem. A very 'Wakemanian' solo follows, and the story starts...
The jazzy Coming to Town is probably the best song of the album.
Bob Catley (The Boy) sings the faster parts and Tracy Hitchings
(The Girl) is dreaming of him in the more romantic parts. The
Jabberwock enters the stage in Dangerous World. The harpsichord
sets the right medieval atmosphere for this dark creature. He
challenges the boy to fight with him. The girl at the same time
still sings of her love for him. Tracy really has a great voice
for this kind of songs. This one could easily have been on a Strangers
on a Train-album. At the end of the song, the Jabberwock returns
again, threatening to kill the boy, but he is aware of that.
He enters the woods in The Forest, a song with a marching rhythm.
Military drums and trumpets make clear that the battle is going
to start. The choir encourages the boy. Despite the threatening
sound of this track, the girl is still positive about the outcome.
Again, Glimmer of Light is one of those dreamy Strangers-like
tracks that suddenly changes into Shadows. A fast piano parts
tells us that the battle is fierce, the track develops into an
orchestral instrumental, with a very lively atmosphere. You can
easily imagine the Jabberwock walking throught the woods with
his heavy body, chasing the boy. The Tree (Paul Allison) is the
witness of this all. In Enlightenment he also encourages the boy.
The first part of track is very melodic in the vein of one of
the great A.L.Webber musicals. It changes at the point where the
boy realises that his life will never be the same after his encounter
with the Jabberwock. The second part of Enlightenment is much
faster and has a typical Nolan-like beat, comparable to some Shadowland-songs.
In Dancing Water all characters gather. The Jabberwock bullies
the boy, who still is hunting for him. The girl warns him not
to be reckless. The finale of the song brings us all singers singing
their own part, which gives a great climax. The boy settles down
in Burgundy Rose, a beautiful ballad with great backing vocals
and a lovely synth-solo. The Mission again has that typical Nolan-drive.
You can feel, by the guitar and keyboard-solos, that the story
is getting near the end. I get the feeling that the boy has become
a professional soldier now. Orchestral sounds, tubular bells and
the screaming people set the atmosphere for the Call To Arms.
While the choir sings about the possible losses of war, Clive
and Oliver 'fight' a great duel on keyboards. The boy and the
girl sing together about their future. After Rick Wakeman has
read the last syllable of the poem the record ends with the same
theme as it started. Orchestra and trumpets join forces for a
bombastic Finale. And that... is where the story ends. Jabberwocky
is a very theatrical and mystical album, with several great singers
and a large collection of skilled musicians. Symphonic music it
is indeed.
Jan-Jaap de Haan
Progress Magazine Review
(Many thanks to Progressive Spiral for this review...)
Ever since Alice’s adventures in Wonderland first appeared in
1866, generation after generation of readers and literary critics
have wondered how could it be that a brilliant academic and deeply
religious man like Lewis Carroll who lived a rather secluded life
within the walls of Christ Church college at Oxford, nevertheless
managed to invent incomparable adventures that touched millions
of human beings, decade after decade. To this day no consensus
has really emerged on what really made him tick and he largely
remains an enigma; on the outside an austere Victorian man, very
formal and precise in everything he did. And yet he possessed
a soaring imagination which reached the most impenetrable parts
of the human condition. Carroll knew how to touch people, how
to move them and how to make them laugh. Along with the Bible
and Shakespeare’s works, his books are the most widely quoted
in the Western world. They have been adapted for the stage, made
into films, and reproduced several times on television. The world
is full of poems, parodies, musical scores, ballets and even monuments
dedicated to Alice.
Thus the paradox remains for those who seek to find logical explanations,
but a door into a magical world is open to those who willingly
let the author lead them into it. Here, on this very door we meet
Clive Nolan and Oliver Wakeman and their album based on ‘Jabberwocky’,
one of Carroll’s earlier poems. The clearly nonsensical nature
of the original text allows our dynamic keyboard duo ample room
to expand it into a fully blown adventure which goes quite beyond
Carroll’s original intentions. In their capable hands it becomes
a hard and tortuous journey where man has to stand up and fight
against evil whilst learning how to cope with fear and indifference.
But this isn’t just another cloak and dagger story, richly coated
in fantasy where the hero wins the day and lives happily thereafter.
Here the issue of war is explored at length; the Boy, the central
character in the story convincingly played by Bob Catley of Magnum
fame, goes to battle longing for love and a better life elsewhere
and is moved by the inescapable horror and wanton destruction.
Although it’s described as a concept, the lyrics and the music
in "Jabberwocky", flow elegantly and overall make it into a very
cohesive production which could easily find its way on a theatre
stage as a musical. In terms of style, the duo amply acknowledge
Rick Wakeman’s earlier contribution to concept album making. So
there’s plenty of magical, swirling synth solos and much of the
romantic tradition that emerged from British musicians in the
last 30 years, particularly in the opening and closing sequence
of “Jabberwocky”. But if that tradition now lives within the musical
abilities of Oliver Wakeman, it doesn’t just get exposed as another
period piece. Thanks to the heart-swelling passion of Nolan’s
playing and the wicked jazziness of Peter Banks, fret-master extraordinaire,
tradition once again becomes pulsatingly alive. The vocal contributions
of the aforementioned Catley as The Boy, Tracy Hitchings as the
Girl, James Plumridge as The Jabberwock, and Paul Allison as The
Tree and a very warmhearted performance by the choir all together
constitute the vital ingredient of musical enjoyment. "Jabberwocky"
as such truly deserves to be performed on stage in it’s entirety.
Review by : Charles Imperatori
Classic Rock Magazine Review
From the Feb/March issue...
A prog rock interpretation of Lewis Carroll’s nonsensical poem?
What a gloriously pretentious idea! However, credit must go to
Arena man Nolan and Rick Wakeman’s son Oliver for penning a set
of fascinating, only occasionally indulgent set of songs. Hard
Rain’s Bob Catley and Tracy Hitchings of Landmarq are in stunning
voice, and the instrumental sections are lavish in the extreme
- original Yes guitarist Peter Banks must work hard to balance
out Nolan and Wakeman’s keyboard barrage.
7/10
Dave Ling
From the February 1999 issue of 'Wondrous Stories':
'Jabberwocky' was previewed by MH in WS 82 and I have to echo
much of what he said at the time. This is a progressive rock concept
of epic proportions that has been conceived by keyboard maestro's
CN and OW. It is based on the nonsense poem by LC and they have
turned this strange poem into an exciting and immensely rewarding
work of art.
They have gathered together a wealth of talent to aid them and
a listing of Bob Cately, Tracey Hitchings, James Plumridge, Paul
Allison, Pete Gee, Ian Salmon, ex-Yes man Peter Banks, Jon Jeary,
Tony Fernandez and a certain Rick wakeman (as the Narrator) sound's
like a who's who of prog.
Cately, Hitchings, Plumridge and Allison give sterling performances
on vocals with the contrasts between their vocal styles working
remarkably well and I would suggest that Tracy Hitchings has never
sounded better. Musically, the work is of the highest order with
some truly outstanding keyboard and guitar moments combining to
give a dramatic feel to this ambitious recording. This is an early
contender for album of the year and proves again, should proof
be needed, that Clive Nolan (not discounting OW's input) is surely
the king of prog. This will become a classic and you are highly
recommended to order your copy now.
Praise is also due for the artwork of Rodney Matthews, which is
very special indeed and should certainly draw the eye in the record
stores.
Terry Craven
Hard Rain Website Review
(Thanks to this Hard Rain website for this one...)
A Review of The Jabberwocky by Bob Dixon.
Jabberwocky by Clive Nolan & Oliver Wakeman
featuring Bob Catley as 'The Boy'.
Without Bob's involvement in this album I would probably need
have heard of this offering from Clive Nolan and Oliver Wakeman.
My collection of vinyl and CDs contains many by Oliver's Dad,
Rick whom I have seen many times since the release of 6 wives
in 1971. CDs by Pendragon also feature in the collection so this
alliance of Clive Nolan with Oliver Wakeman plus Bob's superb
vocals excited me even before hearing it.
I am NOT disappointed.
As both Oliver and Clive are credited with keyboards i do not
know who is responsible for what. However, the Wakeman 'twiddly
bits' are wonderful. The Overture, The Forest, Shadows and Call
To Arms all have clear influences of Journey to the Centre of
the Earth and King Arthur by Rick. Creditable performances are
put in by Tracy Hitchings as The Girl, James Plumridge as The
Jabberwock and Paul Allison as The Tree.
Clive and Oliver have also put together a very competant band.
It is good to hear The Wop is still in the Wakeman family. He
and Rick are like an old married couple. (Don't let Nina know!)
Bob's performance? What would you expect from an old pro? I wonder
what if Bob had sung instead of Ashley on Rick's 'Journey & Arthur'?
- Dream on...
'Return to the Centre of the Earth' is due out soon and it would
have been great to have heard Bob on that.
If 'The Tower was set for around 1986 (Storytellers) then this
album is straight from 1975. Some might say music should progress
but this visit to the past is valued here. I don't expect it to
break any sales records for Verglas but there is a market out
there. The artwork is by Rodney Matthews - no comment needed!!
Well done Clive and Oliver on an excellent release. On the strength
of this I shall be checking out the back catalogue on Verglas.
8/10
Bob Dixon
Amazon.com Customer Review, March 2, 2002
***** (5 Stars)
A modern day prog rock classic!
Imagine the grand ideas of '70's prog rock being brought to this
day in a concept album. Rick Wakeman on narration, Peter Banks
on guitar, excellent keyboards dominate the album - very entertaining.
Reviewer: A. Lesley
Many thanks to Amazon.com for this review. To view the original review, click here.
CLIVE NOLAN & OLIVER WAKEMAN - "JABBERWOCKY"
"Jabberwocky" is the first collaboration between keyboard greats
Clive Nolan (Pendragon, Shadowland, Strangers On A Train, Arena),
and Oliver Wakeman (solo artist, and son of Yes keyboardist Rick
Wakeman). It is a concept album, based on Lewis Carroll's humorous
poem of the same name. As you may have guessed, the album, for
the most part, falls mainly in the progressive rock vein, with
Nolan & Wakeman's keyboards being the main featured instruments.
These two sound as if they were having a great deal of fun trading
solos back and forth, and backing each other up when neccessary.
The album is most easily comparable to the concept albums of Oliver's
dad, Rick Wakeman. Like some of Rick's most well-respected albums,
"Journey To the Center of the Earth" and "Myths & Legends of King
Arthur" to name two, this album features a storyline with spoken
narration, choral backing vocals, and music heavy on classical
flourishes and orchestration (although, much to their credit,
Clive and Oliver create their full-orchestra sound with just their
keyboards and backing band!). There are also a few moments of
good straight-forward rock, and they help to add a sense of variety
to the album. The other musicians participating on "Jabberwocky"
are a virtual "who's who" of the current (and past) progressive
rock scene. Lead vocals are provided mainly by the dynamic Tracy
Hitchings (Landmarq, Strangers On A Train) and gravel-throated
Bob Catley (Magnum), who sounds strikingly similar to Rick Wakeman's
vocalist-pal Ashley Holt! The band includes guitarist Peter Banks
(ex-Yes), drummer Tony Fernandez (Rick Wakeman) and bassist Peter
Gee (Pendragon). Oliver's dad, Rick, even puts in an apperance
as the spoken-word narrattor! All in all, this is a fine album,
especially the tracks that heavily feature Ms. Hitchings, who
just lights up these songs with her excellent vocal touches. If
you are a fan of rock concept pieces, or any of the musicians
involved here, then this CD is well worth your money!
JEFF MATHEUS http://www.webspawner.com/users/jeffmatheus
Clive Nolan & Oliver Wakeman - Jabberwokky.
Verglas VGCD014, 1999.
Interestingly, this concept album based around the Lewis Carroll
novel was released around the same time as Rick Wakeman (Oliver
Wakeman's father) released Return to the Centre of the Earth.
One cannot help comparisons - both are full concept albums with
a narrated story. Although Rick's production has several big name
singers, on balance I think this is the better of the two by being
much more prog-rock and less classical in sound. Oliver has found
some excellent singers to support the project, all from the 1990s
prog-rock era - Bob Catley (Hard Rain/Magnum), Tracy Hitchings
(Strangers on a Train), Peter Gee (Pendragon), Ian Salmon (Janison
Edge, and now Arena), John Jeary (Threshold) and Peter Banks (Yes).
To prove it is all friendly, Dad is on the narration. An excellent
album, but unfortunately because Oliver's name isn't Rick, the
album wasn't even widely stocked by record shops.
Rating: ***
Best track for radio: The Burgundy Rose
Many thanks to the 'Rock The Boat' Web Site for this review. See
the original here.
JABBERWOCKY ****
Credited as CLIVE NOLAN AND OLIVER WAKEMAN. This features Rick
narrating, Tony Fernandez on drums, Bob Catley on vocals and Peter
Banks on guitars among a number of other guest artists from the
English progressive rock scene including the fantastic Tracy Hitchings.
The artwork is by Rodney Matthews who Rick has collaborated with
in the past and who did the cover art for 2000 A.D. Released in
January 1999. This album is incredibly good. Verglas VGCD014
Graham Johnson
CLIVE NOLAN & OLIVER WAKEMAN - "JABBERWOCKY"
Verglas Records / VGCD 014 - 1999. Produced by: Clive Nolan &
Karl Groom
Collaboration between the King of prog Clive Nolan and Oliver
Wakeman, the second eldest son of Rick Wakeman.Though both of
them are keyboardists it comes as no surprise that the album is
very keyboard dominated. The vocals that are handled by Bob Catley
(Magnum, Hard Rain), Tracy Hitchings (Landmarq, Strangers On A
Train), James Plumridge (musicals) and Paul Allison (ex. Sleepwalker)
have melodies and arrangements like a musical and the whole project
would easily suite any West End theatre in London. The (short)
narration is handled by Rick Wakeman. Other musicians featured
are guitarists Pete Banks (ex. Yes), Ian Salmon (Shadowland) and
Jon Jeary (Threshold). The rhythm section consists of Tony Fernandez
(Rick Wakeman) on drums and Peter Gee (Pendragon) on bass. The
album is not in typical Clive Nolan style, he and Oliver has created
a bombastic and beautiful album with excellent keyboards and great
vocal performances. The Jabberwocky is an album that paints pictures
in your head. Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the Rivendell ProgPage for this review. See the original here.
Very impressing album
Browsing through the contents of the prog/rock section from a
major record store I stumbled into Jabberwocky. First eyecatcher
was the beautiful sleeve, second the cast. I knew collaboration
from Nolan and Hitchings from Strangers on a Train and was very
impressed by those two albums.Pete Banks and Rick Wakeman needed
no further introduction, but how would his son Oliver profile
himself? Well,very good I may say. The record gave me the feeling
that his father had a great influence on the playing and writing
style of his son. Sometimes it reminded me at Rick's album Return
to the centre of the earth, but that didn't bother me at all.Narrating
must have been Rick's idea, but it's not that irritating present
on this album. Musically it's divers and keeps the mind focused.
I love to hear Tracy Hitchings sing,she has a very clear and sharp
voice. Definitely a good prog/rock album to buy. The next project
of Nolan and Wakeman will be the Hound of the Baskervilles and
will be available in the latter part of this year. I rate 4 stars
because it's their first album and i will give them room for improvement.
peter.kistemaker@planet.nl from Helmond, Netherlands, 14 March, 2000. Submitted to amazon.co.uk
AHHH!!
What a true delight! By far the best new CD I have heard in many
years! It has the nostalgia of the 70's progressive music, but
a freshness that says it is a new phenomenon. It seems as if I
can hear some references to Rick Wakeman's "No Earthly Connection",
and some Genesis, Queen... I love the team approach here, with
great guitars, drums, vocals, and of course fantastic keyboards!!
My favorite track for sure is "The Burgundy Rose"
I would love to see this staged as a live musical / theatrical
production!!
PLEASE???
Bruce - visit my Rick Wakeman pages http://home.maine.rr.com/abajoran/wakey.htm
This new concept album based on the original poem by Lewis Carroll
lives up to all the hype that its pre-release carried. Bob Catley
as the "boy" has never sounded better - not even in his Magnum
days - and he features on three or four tracks. Peter Banks' guitar
features prominently, Tracy Hitchings duets with Catley and the
rest as well as singing solo and backing. Her very distinctive
vocals are easily recognised from her work with prog band "Landmarq".
Rick Wakeman narrates throughout and last but not least (and for
all us synth fans) the two keyboard / synth players, Oliver Wakeman
and Clive Nolan(Pendragon and Arena) play excellently - providing
a strong framework which underpins the whole project admirably.
The comparisons with other concept albums of this nature are obvious,
"War of the Worlds" springs to mind, the subject matter is different
but the overall project draws inspiration from Pendragon, Genesis
and Marillion. The verdict? A classy product, both in sound and
presentation with beautiful artwork and glossy illustrated booklet
complete with lyrics. Well recommended! - Midas, March '99
"Concept, based upon the poem by Lewis Carrol; instrumental blue-print
of father Wakeman's early works "King Arthur, Journey to..., Six
Wives" with an ear-catching themesong; orchestration dominated
by keyboards with a grand voicing of The Boy by Catley. Overall
rating - 4.5 out of 5" - CDelight, March '99
"I got to hear your music for the first time on Jabberwocky, which
is a true masterpiece. You and Clive really did an amazing job.
Great to hear Bob's voice on that one..." - J.A. Sweden. September
20th , 1999.
A music fan from Chile , March 1, 1999
amazing
1.- Great epic epopey back to reality, clive & oliver in a superb
duet of keyboards "the wall" & "voyage to the center of the earth"
sound in memories of immemorials years
2.- oliver incredible in the synths & mellotrons something of
"Six wifes of Henry the Eight" in the air (likenesses than something
more than genes did inherit oliver)
3.- clive excels with the clavichord, I figure than oliver was
be at the sinthesizors 4 masterly Ian Salmon,Pete Gee & the guys
of chorus
5,6,7 - I'm very sure clive was be at the piano, who more could
to give him those airs pendragonistics (i'm not too sure, if was
oliver or rick the keyboard player in the synthetizars ;)
8.- Bob Catley could be the vocalist of other new group, his registration
of voice is the adequate, (only i hope than clive not it takes
so much at serious and form your new group (n+1) ;).
9.- not bad
10.- superb Ian Salmon's rifts
11.- back to the duet of keyboards, if only was singed Bob in
the chorus, but... only a question, at the end the Jabberwocky
was murder or not ?
12.- good |