Rick Wakeman - The Journey The Essential Rick Wakeman

This is an odd collection. While it contains a good handful of Wakeman classics (3 of the 6 Wives, 2 excerpts from Journey, 3 cuts from King Arthur), those tracks are far better experienced on the original albums in their proper context. My source (Spotify) indicates that the 6 Wives tracks are the quadraphonic versions, which may explain some of the vague feeling that "something's not right here".Then there are the odds and sods - a couple of Earthly Connections (including the tiresome The Prisoner), a few Rhapsodies (but not Summertime), and some Criminal Records.Where things get stranger is on the last disc, which contains complete recordings of Lisztomania and White Rock. I'm guessing the reason is that these recordings are hard to find (I've been trying to find Lisztomania for decades). While it's nice to finally get to hear it, the reality is that it's not a great album. Some good tracks (no surprise), but plenty of "soundtrack" cuts that would only be satisfying as a part of the film. White Rock is a better album, but still only a couple of tracks should appear on an "Essential" album.If this were truly an "Essential" Wakeman collection, it would contain all of 6 Wives, all of Journey, all of King Arthur, a disc of the best of the late 70's and 80's, a disc of the best of his New Age recordings, and a disc of his highlights with Yes. If there is any room left over, add a selection of his grand piano solos. Now THAT'S Essential.