Search - Raphael Rudd :: Awakening

A Gorgeous, Uplifting Album

Alan Caylow | USA | 02/20/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Raphael Rudd was a very talented singer/songwriter and musician who, in 1978, when he was just 19, was the protege of legendary Who guitarist Pete Townshend, who bonded with Rudd after discovering that they both had a deep devotion to the teachings of the late spiritual leader, Meher Baba. With Townshend in the producer's chair, and featuring guest musicians including drummer Phil Collins of Genesis and singer Annie Haslam of Renaissance, Raphael Rudd recorded this, his first solo album, "The Awakening," as a tribute to Meher Baba. Amazingly, though the album was completed in 1980, it would remain unreleased for many years, as Rudd soon became the new keyboard player for Renaissance (having been invited to join the group by Annie Haslam herself), and, in the process, "The Awakening" was simply left in the can until 1997, when it finally became available as an import CD. Now re-released on the Purple Pyramid label in 2003, "The Awakening" reveals itself to be a truly beautiful, powerful, spiritual album that deserves to be heard by the masses. Pete Townshend knew what a great musician Raphael Rudd was when he heard him---now it's your turn to hear him, too."The Awakening" is an album that anyone can like. It's filled with beautifully melodic, piano-based pop/rock, ballads, and instrumentals. Rudd is a brilliant composer, pianist and harp player, and his singing on the tracks "Kids Like Me" and "Captivity" is quite good, too. Annie Haslam lends her lovely, distinctive voice to "Seasons," "Willow Song," and she also sings a fine duet with Pete Townshend on the title track. And the one-and-only Phil Collins delivers a terrific performance on the drumkit on the tracks "Homage," "Seasons," "Travels," and "Captivity." Featuring outstanding music and performances guaranteed to uplift your spirits, Raphael Rudd's "The Awakening" is simply magnificent. Very sadly, Raphael Rudd passed away in April 2002, but we can all be grateful that he left us this marvelous musical gift."