No Expense Spared

by Mike DeGagneNo Expense Spared is another one of Rick Wakeman's pop/rock albums, leaning a little lighter on the keyboard work and relying on son Adam Wakeman and vocalist Chrissie Hammond to carry the weight. Only five of the 12 songs are instrumentals, and are slightly below par compared to Wakeman's norm. Songs like "Dylic" and "Number 10" commission the synthesizer as the main ingredient, but are mild expressions of keyboard runs that are helped along by the guitar playing of Alan Thompson. The most interesting of the lyrical tracks is "It's Your Move," as Rick Wakeman pays homage to his former band Yes in each of the lines, such as "roundabout is no disgrace" and "going for the one we are the sun," with some attractive percussion from Tony Fernandez ebbing in the background. Only "Find the Time" and the title track are among the other memorable pieces from this album, and even with five different types of keyboards being utilized, it seems their employment is rather minimal.