Rick Wakeman photo by Ros O'Gorman

Rick Wakeman photo by Ros O'Gorman

Rick Wakeman Covers Album Features William Shatner and Steve Howe

by Roger Wink, VVN Music on April 14, 2016

in New Music,News

This Friday (April 15), Purple Pyramid records will be releasing a new collection of performances by legendary Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman.

For more than four decades, Wakeman has established himself as a visionary showman without peer, the creator of some of the most extravagant performances, breathtaking soloing and imaginative passages ever preserved on record, or executed on stage.

Aptly titled Starship Trooper, this amazing collection contains 2 previously unreleased tracks including a powerful rendition of Tool’s Sober plus several more brilliant cover songs of The Who, Pink Floyd, and The Doors including 5 never before heard versions! The compilation also includes performances by Gong’s Steve Hillage, Yes’s Billy Sherwood, Steve Howe and Tony Kaye, William Shatner, Colin Moulding, Jerry Goodman, Nik Turner, Carmine Appice and more!

“Over the last few years I have performed on many tracks as a ‘guest’ but never before has anybody put some of the best of those I played on into a compilation. It’s always challenging to be involved in tracks of other people’s music and other people’s arrangements as it often makes you think and play differently and certainly on many of these tracks I play in quite an unexpected way, but there again, much of my life has been pretty unexpected anyway!”

The liner notes were written by modern rock scholar Dave Thompson, who says of Rick Wakeman, “This most personable of superstars has made inroads into the worlds of journalism, broadcasting and acting – professions which his eye for spectacle, story telling and stylishness might well have made inevitable all along. But he also happens to be among the most gifted, visionary and brilliant performers his chosen instruments have seen.”

Track List:
Sober
Are We To Believe
Random Acts (Revisited)
Dynamics Of Delirium
Love Reign O’er Me
Crime Of The Century
The Great Gig In The Sky
I’m Not in Love
Starship Trooper
Check Point Karma
Change
Nobody Home
Light My Fire

vvnmusic.com

Noise11.com

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Never miss a story! Get your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to the Noise11 Music Newsletter here

Listen to the Noise11 Music News channel now at iHeartRadio

Follow Noise11.com on Facebook and Twitter

NOISE11 UPDATES are now in Apple News

Related Posts

U2 Bono The Edge Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. announce Carnaval De Luz
U2 Announce 2027 World Tour And New Album Carnaval De Luz

U2 will return to stadiums in 2027 with a new album, *Carnaval De Luz*, their first collection of new songs since 2017's *Songs Of Experience*. The band have also marked their 50th anniversary with new music, surprise performances in Dublin and a return to the road.

22 hours ago
Russell Hitchcock Air Supply Melbourne Town Hall 13 September 2025
Air Supply Receives Hollywood Walk of Fame Star After 51 Years of Musical Harmony

Air Supply, the iconic duo that has serenaded audiences for over five decades, was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 8, 2026. The ceremony took place at 6126 Hollywood Boulevard, marking the 2,859th star awarded in the category of Recording. Emcee Lisa Foxx was joined by notable speakers including Pat Sajak and David Foster, who praised the duo's enduring impact on music.

6 days ago
Powderfinger member Bernard Fanning at Big Day Out 2005 by Ros O'Gorman
Powderfinger Break Their Silence With A Cryptic Video Pointing Back To 2010

Powderfinger have broken their silence on the reunion speculation, using a coded video, a refreshed website and one very specific date to turn the mystery campaign into their clearest signal yet.

October 8, 2026
Hugh Cornwell supplied Troubadour Presents
Hugh Cornwell Cancels Australian Tour After December Reschedule

Former The Stranglers frontman Hugh Cornwell has cancelled his Australian tour, just months after the postponed dates were moved to December 2026.

October 8, 2026
Jakob Dylan performing with The Wallflowers during the Bringing Down The Horse 30th Anniversary Tour
The Wallflowers Bring Jakob Dylan’s Tom Petty Connection To Australia

The Wallflowers' first Australian tour will pair the 30th anniversary of Bringing Down The Horse with a full performance of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' Long After Dark, an album with a deeply personal connection to Jakob Dylan.

October 8, 2026
Chris Isaak performing during the Baja Sessions era
Chris Isaak’s Baja Sessions Turns 30 With A Fresh Look At His Own Past

Chris Isaak's 1996 album was more than a collection of acoustic covers. For its 30th anniversary, the album stands out as a rare moment when Isaak deliberately stripped back songs from his own catalogue and heard them differently.

October 7, 2026
Kid Rock performs at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne on 7 December 2013. Photo by Ros O'Gorman
Kid Rock Faces Questions Over “The Gambler” Similarities On New Christian Song

Kid Rock's "James 1:17 (Jesus Is King)" has drawn attention for its striking musical resemblance to Kenny Rogers' "The Gambler", raising questions about whether Don Schlitz's composition has been used without credit.

October 5, 2026