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Clive Nolan and Oliver Wakeman - Jabberwocky

Artist:	Clive Nolan and Oliver Wakeman
Title:	Jabberwocky
Label:	Verglas VGCD014
Length(s):	53 minutes
Year(s) of release:	1999
Month of review:	02/1999

Line up

Clive Nolan - keyboards
Oliver Wakeman - keyboards
Bob Catley - vocals
Tracy Hitchings - vocals
James Plumridge - vocals
Paul Allison - vocals
Pete Gee - bass
Ian Salmon - guitar, bass
Peter Banks - guitar
Jon Jeary - acoustic guitar
Tony Fernandez - drums
Rick Wakeman - narration

Tracks

1)	Overture	5.57
2)	Coming To Town	2.55
3)	Dangerous World	6.54
4)	The Forest	4.22
5)	A Glimmer Of Light	2.42
6)	Shadows	4.19
7)	Enlightenment	5.23
8)	Dancing Water	4.12
9)	The Burgundy Rose	3.55
10)	The Mission	4.32
11)	Call To Arms	6.37
12)	Finale	1.50

Summary

An "all-star" line-up and with all those vocalists one can't but help it: the name Ayreon comes to mind.

The music

This concept album opens with the narration of the Lewis poem by Rick Wakeman. The vocals of the Boy are sung by Bob Catley of Magnum. The music is quite catchy and the central theme is quite good. The music is somewhat orchestral as you might expect from an Overture. Coming To Town has two faces: the rock face when Catley is singing and the soft wooden face when Tracy Hitchings does her piece. I'm not too fond of this track, a bit too frivolous. The classical leanings of Nolan rear their head in Dangerous World. A softly bouncing track with fake clavecimbel and a singing Jabberwock, who reminds me of the uncle in the Lion King. Tracy sings a rather big part in this song and her part is more flowing and melodic. At the end the Jabberwock returns (and the bouncy music) and we end with a dark instrumental part in which father Wakeman recites the next verse of the poem. The Forest is an almost instrumental, just some Latin being sung repetitively and some choral sounds in the back. Here the theme returns in a different way. This is a track of expectation and I'm sometimes reminded of the first two albums of the Alan Parsons Project, but with more keyboards. Starting from the Glimmer Of Light I start to wonder about the role of the girl. Is she there for romance? I don't really know. Waht does surprise me is that her singing role is quite big. On the other hand her parts are certainly not bad, although generally somewhat slick. Shadows is an instrumental that reminds me of the first part of Strangers On A Train (Silent Companion and that kind of thing). After one and half minute or so we get a break into something more bouncy, like the Jabberwock is stalking through the woods. Then classical style some of the themes return. Enlightenment opens with quick piano and this continues while Paul Allison, the Tree, sings his very expressive part. I do not like the harmony parts though. The part of the boy is a bit too dramatic and melodic. Dancing Water is more ballad like and I like the way Catley sings it. Later on the Jabberwock and the girl come into the picture as well and the music becomes quite chaotic with all of their singing intertwined. The Burgundy Rose opens like a ballad as well, but this time it is the boy alone. A melancholy track with the clavecimbel returning. The Mission returns us to the up-tempo music of the beginning and it might even remind some of Magnum. A Call To Arms brings to us the sounds of war, people fighting and screaming. If you hear Janus' 19 minute version of Agnus Dei you should know what I mean. (If you haven't heard this track, then find it.) Lots of effects in this again slightly classical sounding track. As "it should be" the theme returns in the comparatively short finale.

Conclusion

Always when I hear something by Clive Nolan and "somebody else" I hear what seems to be mostly Clive Nolan and little of that other person. Also here this seems the case (although I can hardly tel what Oliver should have done, since I'm not familiar with his style). Fact is that the music of Jabberwocky is very Nolanish (a la Strangers On A Train) with lots of classical stylings, lots of melody and plenty of variation. Comparing it with albums that seem to be somewhat alike in approach (like Ayreon Into The Electric Castle or even Peter And The Wolf to which I also see a family ressemblance) I feel Jabberwocky to be both more melodic and less interesting. It seems that Jabberwocky misses an edge, a tension, though tension sometimes enters the music. Although one cannot ignore the craftiness of the compositions, the music is a bit too accessible, too slick, too melodic for my tastes and that is why although this album contains its share of strong moments and compelling melodies I prefer Into The Electric Castle.