music.wikisort.org - Composition

Rock n' Roll Prophet is a 1982 album by English musician Rick Wakeman. The album was recorded at Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland,[2] and was released by Moon Records.

Rock n' Roll Prophet
Studio album by Rick Wakeman
Released	1982
Recorded	1979
Studio	Mountain, Montreux, Switzerland
Genre	Progressive pop, synth-pop, novelty
Label	Moon
Producer	Rick Wakeman
Rick Wakeman chronology
1984 (1981) Rock n' Roll Prophet (1982) Cost of Living (1983)
Singles from Rock n' Roll Prophet
"I'm So Straight I'm A Weirdo" Released: March 14, 1980[1]

Production

As well as playing keyboards, Wakeman provided lead vocals for three tracks ("I'm So Straight I'm a Weirdo", "Maybe '80" and "Do You Believe in Fairies")[3] – the only album on which his singing appears besides Rhapsodies, which features his singing on the opening song "Pedra De Gavea".[4] Due to his association with progressive rock (being the antithesis of then-popular punk rock), Wakeman wanted the album to be released under a pseudonym – his suggestion being "KUDOS". It was, however, released under his own name, which he called "a big mistake".[2]

The album was re-released in 1991 by President Records as Rock 'n' Roll Prophet Plus, containing four bonus tracks. These tracks were recorded at Wakeman's own[5] Bajanor Studios on the Isle of Man, and were mixed by Stuart Sawney. The re-release was mastered at Abbey Road Studios.[6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[7]
Discogs	[8]

Rock 'n' Roll Prophet has gained largely negative reviews, with comments describing the album as "goofy",[3] "novelty" and "crap".[9] McGlinchey does, however, recognise that the album was largely produced as a tongue-in-cheek project and that "the humour on [the] release is intentional".[9]

AllMusic described the album as sounding similar to The Buggles,[3] with Wakeman corroborating their influence by stating that the album was an attempted spoof.[2] Wakeman's vocals are also described as "serviceable but not strong" – with the instrumentals "not up to [his] highest standards".[3] Ground and Sky likened the album to "someone gleefully pressing the self-destruct button on whatever credibility they previously had managed to accrue as a music artist."[9]

Wakeman, however, has commented that he likes the analogue sounds and production on the album,[2] and that the album was "little ahead of its time [and] a little off the wall".[6]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Rick Wakeman

Original LP

1. "I'm So Straight I'm a Weirdo" – 3:54 - released as a UK single (1980)
2. "The Dragon" – 3:34
3. "Dark" – 5:07
4. "Maybe '80" – 5:27
5. "Early Warning" – 3:34
6. "Spy of 55" – 5:07
7. "Do You Believe in Fairies?" – 4:29
8. "Rock 'n' Roll Prophet" – 4:40

1991 re-release

1. "Return of the Prophet" – 6:03
2. "I'm So Straight I'm a Weirdo" – 3:54
3. "The Dragon" – 3:34
4. "Dark" – 5:07
5. "Alpha Sleep" – 6:00
6. "Maybe '80" – 5:27
7. "March of the Child Soldiers" – 6:05
8. "Early Warning" – 3:34
9. "Spy of 55" – 5:07
10. "Stalemate" – 5:55
11. "Do You Believe in Fairies?" – 4:29
12. "Rock 'n' Roll Prophet" – 4:40

Personnel

• Rick Wakeman – keyboards, vocals, production
• Lilianne Lauber – backing vocals
• Gaston Balmer – percussion

Technical

• Dave Richards – engineering
• Martin Pursey – executive producer
• Stuart Sawney – engineering (CD bonus tracks)
• Nina Carter - cover photography

References

---