Jabberwocky

The story of the `Jabberwocky' has been set to music by two of Britain's finest rock musicians. Clive Nolan, the leader of both Arena and Pendragon, who, although well respected in the realms of rock, has never quite reached the international acclaim he should of done, and Oliver Wakeman, who has obviously inherited all father Rick's skills, and then some. To bring this project to reality, they have surrounded themselves with some of the finest musicians of their ilk including Bob Catley, ex of Magnum, who plays the part of the Jabberwocky's adversary, `The Boy'. Tracy Hitchings of Langmarq, whose distinctively clear vocal style suits the role of story telling, plays the love interest that the lovers fight over. James Plumridge relishes the part of the `Jabberwock', putting real venom and malice into his voice. Paul Allison plays the part of the `Magic Tree' with Gandalf style wisdom, and Rick Wakeman has been pulled into to the Richard Burton role of narrator, which he pulls off with great aplomb. The four singers work together best in the more frantic sections of the saga, when they are all wrestling vocally to get their part of the story over. Now, where could you find four more talented vocalists to play these whimsical parts?

However, no matter how good the vocals are, it is the musicians that shine through, telling their own story. Having both Nolan and Wakeman as leaders of the project, obviously leads the music to be very keyboard orientated, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it doesn't leave room for the other musicians to sparkle - far from it.
Tony Fernandez' drum and percussion work is superb, especially on `The Forrest', where the relentless tribal drum beats are used to positive effect over a repetitive choral chant that quite chills the blood (it would make the perfect back drop to any horror movie).

Pete Gee, Nolan's band mate in Pendragon, handles all the bass parts in the story, often playing as a lead instrument along with the keyboards or underpinning the vocal sections and allowing them to tell the story while keeping the music flowing. But perhaps the real stroke of genius was to bring in the original progressive rock guitarist Peter Banks, the man who set the benchmark for all others to be judged by. Ex `Yes', `Flash', `Blodwyn Pig', `Empire', and a startling solo career, he laid down a couple of his distinctive electric guitar solos on the two longest tracks on the album `Dangerous World' and the climax of `Call to Arms', which add great variation to the proceedings, not to mention spine tingling excitement.

The music starts out perfectly with a spoken introduction before we are acquainted with all the recurring themes of the concept during the `Overture', before the story telling starts in earnest. Each song opens up like the next chapter in a book, leading you through all the ups and downs of our heroes and villains, and a bit like a violent re-counting of Beauty and the Beast, before taking us to its dramatic conclusion and finale.

Clive Nolan and Oliver Wakeman are to be applauded for this marvelous work, especially for their own astounding keyboards, which throughout this hour's worth of music twists from the pomp and glory of the Hammond organ to the wailing of the Moog Synthesizer, the subtlety of the Harpsichord and Piano, not to mention the words and music they penned.

The sixteen-page booklet you get with this collection is worth the price alone. It includes complete lyrics, pictures of all the participants, and wondrous artwork by Rodney Matthews. If you want to know what a Jabberwock sounds like, you will just have to buy the album.

I will leave you with the final verse of Jabberwocky
"Twas brillig and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All minsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths out grabe".

Now perhaps you can see why I am so impressed. They managed to make head or tail of this, let alone put together a whole concept album.

I wonder if Jabberwocks like Dogs!
Mott the Dog.