by Mike DeGagnePrecisely describing the grandiosity and natural beauty of earth's most alluring mysteries through his use of the keyboard, Rick Wakeman creates a slightly rock-induced formula of instrumental meanderings on The Seven Wonders of the World. Each track is introduced by Garfield Morgan, briefly recounting the history and origin of each wonder, followed by Wakeman's orchestral dedication that is fashioned accordingly to each phenomenon. Free of any synthesized harshness or bombastic attack, each of the tracks here harbors a refined tempo and transition that instrumentally details a particular wonder's defining attributes. The massiveness and ancient appeal of "The Pyramids of Egypt" are magnificently brought to life through his profound keyboard fluency, and the serenity of "The Hanging Gardens of Babylon" is expressed through Wakeman's genteel playing style. Although somewhat new age in nature, elevating tides of ardent tempos and rhythm changes keep his pieces from becoming murky keyboard overlays. While one or two of these musical portraits run a little too long, the album efficiently completes the task of depicting the grandeur of each marvel. This album is a fine example of Wakeman's more structured instrumental methods.