Journey to the Centre of the Earth (album)

Journey to the Centre of the Earth is a live album and third overall by English keyboardist Rick Wakeman, released on 3 May 1974 by A&M Records. It was recorded in concert at the Royal Festival Hall in London, England on 18 January 1974, staged for the premiere of his symphonic rock adaptation of Jules Verne's 1864 science-fiction novel of the same name. It tells the story of Professor Lidinbrook, his nephew Axel, and their guide Hans, who follow a passage to the Earth's centre originally discovered by Arne Saknussemm, an Icelandic alchemist. He performs with the London Symphony Orchestra and English Chamber Choir conducted by David Measham, and a group of former pub bandmates and session musicians which became his own rock band, the English Rock Ensemble. Actor David Hemmings narrates the story.

Wakeman had wanted to make the album as early as 1971, but shelved it until he had completed his first album, The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1973), and had written some music for it. He was inspired by Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, which featured a narrator and the music depicting the action, and felt Verne's novel was ideal for a musical adaptation. After Measham and show producer Lou Reizner agreed to take part Wakeman finalised the music, lyrics, and narration intermittently in 1973, and enlisted Wil Malone and Danny Beckerman to produce the orchestra and choir arrangements. The high costs for a studio recording led to the decision to record the work live, and Wakeman mortgaged his home and sold possessions to help finance the production. The finished album was poorly received by A&M management in England who refused to sell it, but American co-owner Jerry Moss heard the record and ordered its release.

The album became a symbol of the excesses of progressive rock genre, but was praised for its strong melodies and orchestration. It was a commercial hit worldwide and established Wakeman as a prominent contemporary rock composer and virtuoso performer. It reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, the first A&M album to do so, and No. 3 on the Billboard 200 in the US, and was certified Gold in both countries and Australia, Canada, and Brazil. It was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award and a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. A world tour with an orchestra followed in 1974 and 1975, which proved costly and left Wakeman in considerable debt. In 1999, a sequel to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original was released entitled Return to the Centre of the Earth. After the original and uncut orchestral score was rediscovered, Wakeman re-recorded the album in 2012 with the 18 minutes of music that was cut due to time constraints.