No Earthly Connection is a 1976 progressive rock

Progressive rock

Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...

 concept album

Concept album

In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...

 by Rick Wakeman

Rick Wakeman

Richard Christopher Wakeman is an English keyboard player, composer and songwriter best known for being the former keyboardist in the progressive rock band Yes...

. It was recorded in France for tax purposes.

The LP record's sleeve attributes the album to Rick Wakeman and the English Rock Ensemble. In addition to Wakeman with his wide variety of keyboard instruments, including harpsichords, Mellotrons, Moog synthesizers, organs, and pianos, musicians on the album are vocalist Ashley Holt, Roger Newell (bass guitar and vocals), John Dunsterville (guitars, mandolin, and vocals), Tony Fernandez (drums and percussion), Martyn Shields (trumpet, French horn, and vocals), and Reg Brooks (trombone and vocals).

The original LP release contained a small square sheet of reflective plastic that could be curved into a cylinder, which when placed on the front cover allowed the viewer to see the cover drawing undistorted and with a 3D-like effect. A barely noticeable thin colourful arc on the cover (see picture) appeared then as a rainbow keyboard about to be played by Wakeman's hands, in consonance with the album's theme of a creation myth based on music.

The album is currently out of print in Europe and the USA, but a remastered CD release is available in Japan. There are currently no plans for an official CD reissue in the rest of the world.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Rick Wakeman

1. "Music Reincarnate"* - 28:08
   1. "The Warning" - 8:19
   2. "The Maker" - 3:34
   3. "The Spaceman" - 4:03
   4. "The Realisation" - 4:17
   5. "The Reaper" - 7:55
2. "The Prisoner" - 7:02
3. "The Lost Cycle" - 7:03

*The "Music Reincarnate" suite is split between both sides on the original vinyl version. Side one contains the first four parts, and side two consists of the fifth (and final) part and the last two tracks.