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Meeting with Rick Stella Bianca: Best Album of 1999 Italian Media reviews "Stella Bianco" Rick News Update Rick's in Italy again!!!! Rick on The Generation Game |
Dear Friends,
Rick has been to Italy on September 30th for many interviews about "STELLA BIANCA": it has been a delightful success: more than 15 newspapers and magazines were there to interview Rick about the album.....and even two nationwide broadcasting
radios!!!!
Not bad, isn't it?
And it seems that the whole musical world in Italy is appreciating a lot "Stella Bianca".
We've been talking about music and all his future projects, like new albums and live dates.
Well, I must say that it has been great to meet Rick for the first time.....he couldn't have been nicer.......He has been joking a lot and all the things he said have been very proper and right. I found it hard to realize that such an artist could be so "reachable": I mean...it has been so easy to get along with him very well and to find him in full availability.....
Great....wonderful...no more words!!!!
Thanks and bye,
Vannuccio Zanella
www.mprecords.it
--- MP Records ---
Tombolo - PD (Italy)
Jeff Marx [karnevilj@home.com] asked:
"Can anybody give some quick impressions on [Stella Bianca]...does it compare favorably with other Wakeman albums? Which ones? What kind of instrumentation does he use? That kind of thing...thanks in advance!!"
I finally received my copy of STELLA BIANCA last week (the day before I got my copy of Yes' THE LADDER), and I am still playing it almost non-stop. Up until now, I was certain that I was going to rank Oliver Wakeman's JABBERWOCKY as the best album of 1999 (just edging out his father's RETURN), but now...
It looks like Rick claims his rightful place in the top spot! What a great album! Parts of it remind me of 1984 (particularly the song, "A quatte mane," which reminds me very much of one of the songs Chaka Khan sang [the one with "someone out there doesn't like me..."], only this time the vocals are ... tasteful). At other times, I was reminded of TIME MACHINE, a
similarity which was only cemented when the last track started playing; it's a remake of "Ocean City!"
Rick uses his "modern" instrumentation here, but it works very well with the material. I guess the best comparison I can give is that this album, sound-wise, reminds me most of the LIGHT UP THE SKY four-track CD. This makes me wonder: although I love it when CDs give us bonus tracks to fill up the disc, maybe it is true that albums are meant to be shorter. Granted, it's always great to have *more* material, but I suppose that runs the risk
of weakening the album as a whole. Why have 8 good tracks and 4 mediocre ones, when the album would be so much better with just the 8 good ones? LIGHT UP THE SKY is one of my favorite Wakeman releases; could it be that its strength lies in its lack of "padding?" Likewise, STELLA BIANCA is a very short album, barely 33 and a half minutes. Perhaps I would have liked it less if they had filled the disc with some less than "stellar"
left-overs?
At any rate, what we do have on the album is wonderful. I cannot recommend it highly enough to Wakeman fans. This is one of his very best recordings in years. (Vannuccio: is there any chance that MP Records will re-release the original BLACK KNIGHTS album??)
By the way, THE LADDER is good, but it hardly stands up next to the collection of Wakeman gems we've seen this year in JABBERWOCKY, RETURN, and STELLA BIANCA. Someone told me that if I liked ABWH (which is my favorite Yes album), then I would adore THE LADDER. Not so. I can understand the comparison, but THE LADDER sounds to me like a watered-down version of ABWH.
Nothing quite as adventurous on it as "Fist of Fire" or "Birthright." It's good, but not a classic.
If you want "a true return to form" (as THE LADDER advertisements proclaim), you'd be better served by STELLA BIANCA. You owe it to yourself to find this album.
Dear friends,
This is a review about "Stella Bianca" taken from RARO!, september 1999 issue.
RARO! is the most important Italian magazine for collectors (a sort of "Record Collector").
Rick Wakeman and Mario Fasciano
Stella Bianca alla corte di Re Ferdinando
CD - M.P. Records MPRCD 027
Two cultures apparently so distant as the english and neapolitan one meet and Stella Bianca alla corte di Re Ferdinando takes shape. They are Rick Wakeman, historical keyboard player of the Strawbs and Yes, author of the masterpiece that has a place in ther history of music The Six Wives of Henry VIII (ten millions of copies sold), and also arranger of David Bowie and Elton John; and collaborator of Lou Reed, Black Sabbath and many others, and the neapolitan percussionist and singer Mario Fasciano, former Rogers. The results are amazing: a work that unites the decadent romanticism of past Neaples with the cosmopolitan sound of present London. An ambitious project that could become "the record of the year" and that comprehend the collaboration of Rodolfo Maltese, guitar; Adam Wakeman, keyboards and arrangements; Aza that has sung in Carcere 'e San Francesco; Francesco Di Giacomo, historical voice of the Banco, has written the texts of Sologoccia and Aria di te; while Mario Castelnuovo has written Stella Bianca. The album, registered in the Isle of Man, is enriched by a book with the texts and wonderful drawings by Amedeo D'Amicis. This is a sure purchase.
F.F.
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This is a second review taken from "MUSICA!", which is a magazine that comes out on Thursdays with the nationalwide newspaper "LA REPUBBLICA".
RICK WAKEMAN/MARIO FASCIANO
Stella Bianca
M.P. Records
A group of ballads suspended between rock and folk, magically united by the fresh and gorgeous suites of Rick Wakeman, that has undertaken a quite peculiar work: to meet the Neapolitan and Italian tradition trying to detach it from the stereotypes and the melodic redundancies. The inspiration is the one of the classics and of the author songs. The texts are signed by the Neapolitan playwriter Enzo Moscato, Ariel, and by Francesco di Giacomo Sologoccia and Aria di te (with a wonderful arpeggio by Rodolfo Maltese); and also by Mario Castelnuovo, author of the most beautiful song, the one that gives the title to an unusual
album that lulls the listener in a sweet and past atmospere. It was a long time since Mario Fasciano conceived the idea of this album. He is a veteran of the Italian rock (Balletto di Bronzo and Rogers) and during those years he has been engaged in various projects. He is the one who has sung the eight songs (the arrangements are made by Adam Wakeman, Rick's son) that are accompanied by a keyboard that one would always listen, reaching musical hights typical of the harp and polimoog effects.
Nino Marchesano
Just read this on Wakeman's site:
I have just finished two piano albums, recorded on a beautiful Steinway at CTS for President Records. I am really thrilled with them both. Best piano stuff ever I reckon , although I thought Return was my best orchestral rock album !...........so we'll just have to wait and see. Titles are ~Preludes to a Millenium~ and ~Chronicles of Man~. Both are over one hour long.
Rick is in Italy again!!!!
Yestarday he made a great performance with Mario Fasciano on the national radio: RAI RADIO 2.....performing live an exceptional version of "Catherine of Aragon".....the full program will be
mailed after I played the tape with the interview!!!!!
The full audience was screaming, Rick said to me on the phone today, and he was definitely very happy!!!!
On the first channel of the national TV, RAI 1, Mario and Rick performed "A quatte mani"....and there is a joke I like to pass on you all.....
If you had the chance to see a pic of Mario Fasciano, one can tell he is not very tall (at all)....so, when the interviewer
asked Rick about his friendship with Mario, Rick said "I'm used to choose friends who are half than me".
Well, we taped that too!!!!! Amazing.....in that case it was obviously a playback performance, but it was nice to see them playing together!!!!!
I'll mail some more news very soon!!!!
Bye,
Vannuccio Zanella
---MP Records---
Tombolo - PD (Italy)
www.mprecords.it
Rick made another guest showing this evening on The Generation Game - wearing a striking 'Dalmation skin' coat he walked on with a violin to surprise a music teacher contestant. He was introduced as a 'great composer' and the writer of 'one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year - Return to the Centre of the Earth' (where was all the acclaim ? - most UK newspapers etc refused to even acknowledge it's existence !!)
He then put on his glasses, sat at a grand piano and accompanied the said contestant in an ad hoc performance of Bach's Air from Suite no. 3 (i.e the one 'on a G string' or the Hamlet cigar advert for the progressively less muso amongst you :o). very nice and a backdrop for more Jim Davidson humour as he feigned choking on cigar smoke etc etc.
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From: Graham Johnson [ggj@dircon.co.uk] - Oct. 31
It was slightly painful to listen to I thought but I suppose you can't expect too much.
Rick was also the subject of the "Fame and Fortune" article in the financial pages of The Mail On Sunday. This is a question and answer article about financial related matters. I should also mention that the intro to the newspaper article says RttCotE
has been supported by a worldwide tour ;-)