| Rock n' Roll Prophet | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 1982 [1] | |||
| Recorded | 1979 | |||
| Studio | Mountain, Montreux, Switzerland | |||
| Genre | Progressive pop, synth-pop, novelty | |||
| Label | Moon | |||
| Producer | Rick Wakeman | |||
| Rick Wakeman chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Rock n' Roll Prophet | ||||
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Rock n' Roll Prophet is a 1982 album by English musician Rick Wakeman. The album was recorded at Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland, [3] and was released by Moon Records.
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") [4] – the only album on which his singing appears besides Rhapsodies, which features his singing on the opening song "Pedra De Gavea". [5] 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". [3]
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 [6] Bajanor Studios on the Isle of Man, and were mixed by Stuart Sawney. The re-release was mastered at Abbey Road Studios. [7]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
Rock 'n' Roll Prophet has gained largely negative reviews, with comments describing the album as "goofy", [4] "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, [4] with Wakeman corroborating their influence by stating that the album was an attempted spoof. [3] Wakeman's vocals are also described as "serviceable but not strong" – with the instrumentals "not up to [his] highest standards". [4] 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, [3] and that the album was "little ahead of its time [and] a little off the wall". [7]
All tracks composed by Rick Wakeman
