Quotes from Rick Wakeman

Liszt was a bit of a rock and roller at heart, but he was a bit of a puritan on his sounds.

My mother had never had a day's illness in her life and never thought to have checks. Then, at 78, she discovered she had breast cancer and passed away the next year. But if she'd had a check two years before, they could have done something about it, they could have saved her.

I read numerous books - loads in fact - and, as I always do when recording a historical project, immersed myself into the subject matter. I spent many hours at Henry's old homes, such as Hampton Court, and visiting the Tower of London. I read no other books during that period.

I cut out bread, I don't eat after 6 P.M., and I go on walks, and it's had a great effect.

I'm a Freemason, and we love to celebrate Burns' night: piping in the haggis, the whole lot.

I joined Yes in July 1971. I had heard Yes live, as Strawbs had supported them at a gig in Hull. I thought they were amazing - incredibly different.

My life revolves around music and always will. I need to be a part of music and not an observer.

Country and western is the music of the devil. Thats the real truth of the matter. My late Mother, bless her, loved country and western. God, I couldnt handle it.

When the first list was being drawn up in the rock and roll book of Genesis, it would have been: In the beginning, God created Pink Floyd.

Apparently I'm well-known for my stories, my raconteur tales, that sort of thing.

People like Frank Zappa were amazing for us Brits.

My faith is very private to me. It plays an important part in my life, but I do not try and throw my beliefs at others. I have tremendous respect for all faiths and beliefs, but have a deep concern that religion and faith are currently a long way apart from each other.

I avoid preset sounds wherever possible, and all the sounds I use I have edited.

Success is buried in the garden of failure.

People like Frank Zappa were amazing for us Brits.

I'm always writing or playing because that is my life.

'Tales From Topographic Oceans' is like a woman's padded bra. The cover looks good, but when you peel off the padding, there's not a lot there.

My dad died in 1980, and I found out afterwards from mum that my piano lessons, which cost £2 a week, took up nearly a third of his income.

There's a fine line between angry and grumpy. Angry isn't nice, but grumpy is funny.

I am a very extreme sort of character, as I don't do things by halves.

But I listen to live recordings of things that I did back in the '70s and then how I've done things since. And there's no doubt about it: if I compare the two, it's like chalk and cheese.

But I'd play on everything from pop records to a lot of the glam stuff to rock stuff to classical stuff. I used to get called to do all those things, it was great.

I was 65 in May, and when I have just shaved, I see my father. I realise that I now have the same facial idiosyncrasies he had: little twitches here and there, mouth and nose movements, even the way he would tilt his head.

I was born in 1949 - which seems like a long time ago... Actually, it is a long time ago, when I think about it.