Review Summary: “Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"
Instruments
Clive Nolan-Keyboard/Writer
Oliver Wakeman-Keyboard/Writer
Ian Salmon-Guitar/Bass
Peter Banks-Guitar
Jon Jeary- Acoustic Guitar
Tony Ferdnandez-Drums
Cast
Rick Wakeman-The Narrator
Bob Catley-The Boy
Tracy Hitchings-The Girl
James Plumbridge-The Jabberwock
Paul Allison-The Tree
Michelle Young, Michelle Gulrajani, Suzanne Chenery, Tracy Hitchings, Sian Roberts, John Jowitt, Dave Wagstaffe, Donald Morrison, Ian Gould, John Mitchell, Tina Riley, & Clive Nolan-The Choir
This album reminds of a simpler time, a time when men like Osama Ben Laden, Barrack Obama, George Bush, and Sarah Palin ceased to exist, and when everything was happy and good. I’m speak of course of childhood. This album is filled with toony tones, and childish lyrics that are both pleasing to the adults’ ears and the heart of children. In a similar style to that of the band “Yes”, Jabberwocky is magnificent Progressive Rock Opera about a boy’s quest to slay the dreaded Jabberwock creature.
1. Overture- This album starts with the Narrator (Rick Wakeman) reading of the first stanza of the poem, Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll. The keyboards them come in with majestic tone, followed by a more creepish tone, and the Boy (Bob Catley) sings of the Girl he is going to rescuer, and his doubts that he can’t kill the Jabberwock. In the middle the Choir sings a fragment of the famous story La Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy). The song then ends with the Narrator reading the poems second stanza. Overall, I think this is one of the best songs on the album. An excellent start to an amazing album.
5/5
2. Coming to Town- This song is jivey and upbeat. It starts with a short drum solo and a keyboard solo following. Then The Boy begins to sing, describing the Jabberwock. The Girl (Tracy Hitching), has her first lines in this song. The lyric are really cheesy and corny, but they don’t fail in putting a smile on my face as I listen to them. From this song you can get that the Jabberwock has Big teeth, Big eyes, an ego , Big claws, Big tail, a face you can’t trust, rust colored leathery wings, he loves to destroy, has a raging temper, and a bad attitude
4.5/5
3. Dangerous World- This song starts with a cheesy music box like tone, and the Jabberwock (James Plumbridge ) singing to the Boy to come and face him. Then the music box tone goes away and the Girl starts to sing, and I don’t like how she sings the first few lines. She sounds very whistley, she extends her “S”s, and sounds like she’s spits. It’s the worse when she sings “Just stars that long since burst into...” but she gets much better when near the end when she sings “It all began with this...” The song ends the way it began with The Jabberwock and the music box tone. Other then The Girl, this is a great song.
4/5
4. The Forest- This beginning with a hard bass line. The choir is the only vocal work in the song, sing more fragments from La Divina Commedia… Which I don’t get… What does La Divina Commedia have anything to do with the poem, Jabberwocky? Anyways… I don’t care much for this song.
3/5
5. Glimmer of Light- Its The Girl again. She isn’t that bad in this song. She’s still whistly. She sings solo in this song, about how she believes in the Boy. This is a short song, and kind of sweet.
3.5/5
6. Shadows- For a song called “Shadows” the is amazingly light and happy. I was expecting something a little more dark, but instrumental is great. It is filled with multiple kiddish tones that warm my heart a little.
4/5
7. Enlightenment- The only song The Tree (Paul Allison) sings. He sings about The Boy’s emotional problems, and gives him encouragement to fight the Jabberwock. Paul Allison is great, he should have had more parts. I enjoy this song very much.
4.5/5
8. Dancing Water- My favorite song on the album. It starts of slow, with the Boy, as he goes looking for the Dancing Water. The gets a creepy toony melody as the Jabberwock starts to singing. I personally think James Plumbridge is does the best job of all the other parts. He sounds like what I think the Jabberwock would sound like, too bad this is the last song he sings. After the Jabberwock comes The Girl sings. Then the Jabberwock again, and The Girl again. The Boy sings. And then it’s the best part. All three of them sing at the same time. They are first all singing difference parts, then they all come together and sing “Don’t fly towards the Sun. Never trust in anyone.” I can just listen to that one part repeatedly.
5/5
9. The Burgundy Rose- The song is soft and sweet. The Boy sings about how he has overcame his fear and will face the Jabberwock. Bob Catley sounds a bit different in this song, but I like the voice change.
4/5
10. The Mission- The Boy enters the Jabberwock’s lair, and he sings about the innocents that have died here, and how he is going to end it. This song is fast and upbeat. Adrenaline pumping as some might put it.
4/5
11. Call to Arms- Finally, the climax of the story. The Boy battle the Jabberwock. With sounds of people screaming in the background at the beginning and the choir sings, and the Jabberwock laughs and makes weird noises, this song comes off to a creepy start. Then the Jabberwock makes a weird dying noise, and the Narrator reads the fifth and sixth stanza and the poem. Then, the Girl and Boy sing the tone to the chorus of The Mission, and it the song ends.
4.5/5
12. Finale- The Narrator finishes the poem and the majestic tone at the beginning of the album plays, and with that the album ends.
