Rick Wakeman's Criminal Record

Rick Wakeman was always something of a maverick within the proggy confines of Yes, so it s no surprise that for his seventh solo release recorded right after he rejoined Yes in 1977 for the Going for the One album he turned to the transgressive subjects of crime, punishment and villainy. And he got his just desserts Criminal Record hit the charts in both the U.S. and U.K., where it went Top 30, and remains a favorite among his fanbase. Both Alan White and Chris Squire play on the record, which features (on Judas Iscariot) the same church organ from St. Martin s church in Vevey, Switzerland used on Going for the One to great effect. Oddly, this standout record from Wakeman's catalog has only been available domestically on a limited-edition, long out-of-print CD; our Real Gone release adds notes by Bill Kopp and includes the text from the inner sleeve, which sets the stage for each song with scholarly notes on such charming subjects as the guillotine.