The Six Wives Of Henry VIII

Rick Wakeman drew a solo contract with A&M Records while he was a member of the Strawbs; and while things were taking off with Yes, he found both time and inspiration for his debut solo record in a paperback book, The Private Life of Henry VIII. It's with no surprise then to find that every track on The Six Wives Of Henry VIII is dedicated to each of the infamous king's wives. Musically speaking, Wakeman's solo career had little to do with Yes music, as he composed very little for that band. The album does, however, build on what Wakeman first presented on his solo track, "Cans and Brahms," from Yes' Fragile album. That, of course, is Wakeman the performer. In fact, the album's lead track, "Catherine of Aragon," is said to have been originally slotted for Fragile, under the aegis of "Handle with Care." In early 1972, Wakeman reworked the track, which features Chris Squire, Bill Bruford and Steve Howe. It's perhaps the most memorable piece on the album; yet after the choral break, it quickly becomes ineffectual as progressive rock. And therein lies the album's weakness: Wakeman's technique is nothing short of fantastic; but as is often the case, technique can only take a recording so far. The instrumental dexterity on "Anne of Cleves" and ornate arrangements of "Catherine Parr" approach Yes-glory, but "Catherine Howard" suffers from too many ideas and too little substance holding them together. All told, Wakeman's live solo segment with Yes, "Excerpts from the Six Wives of Henry VIII," (first appearing on the triple-album Yessongs) accomplishes the same effect as the entire album, but in less than seven minutes! That said, the album was a huge success, earning him gold records on both sides of the Atlantic. In the UK it would reach No. 7; while in the US, it would settle at No. 30.