Oliver Wakeman’s reading matter of choice has always been myth and legend, and allied to this, for pretty self-explanatory reasons, his extraordinary musical ability has been expressed through rock, classical and Celtic music. After releasing his Heaven’s Isle in 1997 he literally bumped into his dad’s bandmate Steve Howe on the street (Oliver would join Yes himself 10 years later). Together they began working on the ideas for what would become The 3 Ages Of Magick.
Released in 2001, this doesn’t sound dated at all; this is timeless, quality music drawn from the ages. Wakeman’s lineage is there from the off. Tunes such as Ages Of Magick, Mind Over Matter are evidence of a consummate musical mind.
Pipes and violin adorn the tunes where needed, and Howe, that most cultivated of guitar players, offers old-school skill throughout, be it through his inimitable electric playing (The Storyteller) or way with a classical guitar (Hy Breasail).
Bonus tracks Hit ‘n Myth, The Faerie King and Dream Weaver don’t sound like outtakes at all, and Ravens & Lullabies, the keysman’s subsequent hook-up with Gordon Giltrap, would show that this gift for collaboration was no fluke.
