woKos uMwrc I Pat Kramer { Rick Wakeman he's really an astonishing player. sort ofjoined larcr in in the pro- at a grand piano and I'm quite Yes? He looks so young. He's terrified. cess, happy to play there too. would Wakeman: Well, the guys who EI: How you describe his ET: Who else is in the band R*r#rffpxt other El You did rhe last Yes tourrwo- had it in talents, compared to whar you$ Caiifornia, TrevorRabin, than you and Adam? yea$ ago. How His classically based music were did that fe€l? Tony Kaye, Alan White andChris at that age? Wakeman: My bass player is Wakemon: prompted a whole Dew trend in Wakeman: It was great fun. I Squire, still have the name and He's further ahead Alan Thompson. He's worked really progressive rock in the t970's. enjoyed iL I sel out ro have they are, atthe moment, recording than I was, technically. But in my with Andy Summers John Now on rour and a nice time. I sat down with my an album with with his l9-year-old defense, there's a lot more musi- Martin. Anderson doing My drummer is Tony wife the night before I left and she vocals. keyboard playing son. Adam. cal equipment and possibilities That's. basically. where it at Fernandez. He's been with me said, "Do you Wakeman has jusr finished re- think there will be stands, his disposal that weren't around since 1975. .. cording Classical Connection lI, lots ofarguments and lots ofouts?' 8t So the lawsuit got dropped (a follow-up to Classical Con- and $at's all done? nection ) an album not yet arail- lVakeman: Yes, that was all ;ble in rhe Unireri Srrtes. Still. dropped. I mean, I just threw my \\'al,cmrn hands up in the i\ c\riteJ abour BeninS air when things out and playing selections fiom like lawsuits started fl ying around. his solo works in this all-instru- Yes had the possibility, ifnot the nrenral lour. Although he enjoyed probability, ofbeing rhe besr band his reunion tours with Yes nrcm- of it's kind, ever. in producing bers Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford music. The problems, which have and Strve Hone two years agor always been caused by manage- Wakernan will not be pan of the ment, I personally feel, have next Yes album. nor of any yes wrecked it. I think there's been a yes lofrs in the near future. ln this lot of damage done lo by interview. Rick Wakentan re- people on the periphery. counts tinre spent u'ith Yes. what El: So, are you thinking of puF it's Iike touring with his reenage ting togelher anorher Yes album son. and describes his latest record after.your tour? Classical Conneclions IL Wakeman: The guys will be do- L-I: How are you enjoying your ing another Yes album but unfor- tour so lar'.} tunalely, there's a big political lVakenran: lt's greal. it's been l argument going on right now be- lot of fun. We originally set out to tween Yes' management and my do l0 shou r in the U. K. iind ended management, so it looks highly uP unlikely rhat I'll be playing on ir. tloing '1-5. We then got booked Ior:hou's in Europr-.Jnpan, South El So you don't think rhere will .\nrcrica and Sourh Aliica. The be a future with you and Yes right album's duing real *ell in all of now- those couritlic.s. The only piace Wakeman: I take it as it comes. I don't il \ nol ()u1 i\ lhc LISA. But u e hatl look over my shoulder any- .r nrcali't,-' ,rnrl,lt'.rLlcti Io plir\ in more, I look to see what's in front thc U.S. anr u r-v. to lcep the brn<J of me. ll the management sLlrts trqht. \\'e're tlre onir band on lhe out their difficulties and there's a t,'irJ lr(riltr)lillL un .rlbuitr Ihat, place for me to plal,l'll be quirc not cu1. \\ c sort ol do ererything happ-v. lf there isn'r. then I'll be brcku ards. quite happy ro do * hat I'm doing_ E?': \\'ell \oorler or later vou'll E7: Do members of the audience har c the album our eyer ask for Yes material? lVakeman; Wakeman: No, I've never had Ya. in thc;-ear 2000 rt "I think there's been a lot of damage to yes by peopre o" tn, rvill probabl_v appear. wiWffi*iioa anvone shout out lor a Yes song i n !-ir: Since I ean't hcar it cln you 23 years. It'll probably happen rell nre about it? now. you realize. To me. there is when I was his age. Technically, EI: What songs do you lVakcman: do in the And I said, "Probably, but I'm no wav you can do any Yes stuff Il's an instn:mental he's stunning. He has this great show? classical going to keep clear of ir all be- unless you have Jon singing ir. rock album which f'ea- advantage over me in that he has a Wakeman: It's entirely instru- cause I want to have a really tures my son and rnyself. It's nice dI: Well, even without a record hard great voice. mental. Apan from the new stuff describe time." If I can have a really nice out, you seem to be still in de- lo actually. ET: Do you each play solos, or do (Classical Connection & Classi- time, and help the band have a nrrnd. 6I: ls your son a keyboard player wirh five :hou s booked in you play togerher in this show? cal Connection II), we do older as well? nice time, that's got to get over lo Southern California next week. Wakeman: We have two key- songs from King Arthur Wakeman: and the the audience. Wakeman: I know. it's been re- Yes, he was in the board rigs set up on stage and we Knights of the Round Table, El: You've always gotten along ally good, acually. surprises studio recording his own album: play togelher, all rhe rime. It Journey to the Centre of the with the rest of the band. haven't he has a 2-yeardeal. and there was me at times but it's like, I'm eirher fI: When you wrote the music Earth and The Six Wives of you? a gap in time betrveen becoming pan of rhe dreaded es- when he did you write him into ir'l Henry VIII. lVakeman: finished recording I've never had any tabiishment or people are coming it and was set Wakeman: Some of it was al- EI: Are you comfortable as a solo problems actually. The major to see if I'm still alive. lo promotc. So I srid ro him ready recorded because I was in artist now? problem there sort ofcame ;okingly, "Do you fancv coming in the Rick Wakeman is very much the middle of rhe album * hen we lVakeman: This sounds a like early and mid'80s. I was in. son aiive and uill shou uh1 is oul on lour with mel" And he decided that was he Adam to political answer but I'm comfon- of. a lucky position: said. "Sure. why not." -eoing there was no known to have the fastest tingers con']e out on tour. Then the record able with wherever I am at the animosity €I: Well. how is it going? between myselfand any in the business in upcoming shows company said, "if Adam is going time. If I'm working wirhin aband, of the band members at all. on this solo tour. at the Ventura lYakernan: lt's great. It's really to cOnre out on tour, we want him then I'm quite happy there. I do E1n: Where does it stand funnv lookin-u over at him. now in Theater, June 26, and The Coach I mean. on the aibum as well," so Adam classical concerts where I sit down terms of the usage of the name House. June 25 and 27. f PAGE26 €NTERIAINMENTTOOAY JUNE 25. r 993 - .