OUT There is the "first true studio progressive rock band album from Rick Wakeman since 1976" trumpets his record company.

And a long time coming it's been too, although I suppose it had a long way to travel. All the traits of progressive rock are here, with pretentious sleeve notes dedicating the album to the tragic crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia, lengthy tracks with titles such as Cathedral Of The Sky and Universe Of Sound showcasing Wakeman's keyboard talents, soaring vocals punctuating dense, complex rhythms and even a full-scale choir thrown in on three tracks. This is a souped-up, slicker version of Wakeman's earlier efforts and reflects his fascination with the universe and the origins of music in "unseen dimensional astral plains in a living void somewhere 'Out There' ". Phew! But, whisper it to the heavens, I like that sort of thing. Book me a seat on that astral plain!

Updated: 09:29 Thursday, May 01, 2003