Cost of Living (Rick Wakeman album)

Cost of Living is a progressive rock album released in 1983 by British keyboard player Rick Wakeman. Actor Robert Powell provided narration on the last track of the album.

Cost of Living
Studio album by Rick Wakeman
Released	23 September 1983
Recorded	1982–83
Genre	Hard rock, progressive rock
Length	36:09
Label	Charisma Voiceprint (reissue)
Producer	Rick Wakeman
Rick Wakeman chronology
Rock 'n' Roll Prophet (1982) Cost of Living (1983) G'olé! (1983)
Alternative cover
1991 reissue.

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic

The track on the album called "Gone But Not Forgotten" was played at a memorial service for Countdown host Richard Whiteley shortly after his death. The voice at the very start of "Bedtime Stories" is that of Rick Wakeman's son (Benjamin). He was just three years old at the time of the recording.

Track listing

All music by Rick Wakeman; all lyrics by Tim Rice

1. "Twij" – 1:20
2. "Pandamonia" – 3:58
3. "Gone But Not Forgotten" – 3:43
4. "One For The Road" – 4:44
5. "Bedtime Stories" – 4:23
6. "Happening Man" – 3:35
7. "Shakespeare Run" – 3:27
8. "Monkey Nuts" – 3:26
9. "Elegy - Written in a Country Churchyard" – 8:24

Rick's Perspective Notes "Another nearly album. It has too much variation within the music for me to be really happy about it and again I ended up in a studio that I really didn't like that was picked by the record company at the time and so I couldn't change. There's a mixture of great playing and some very poor playing as well. Most disappointing is the piano sound as the piano in the studio was cheap and nasty. There are a couple of classic tracks on the album though such as Happening Man which I would love to re-record one day."

Personnel

• Rick Wakeman – keyboards
• Hereward Kaye – vocals
• Jackie McAuley – guitar
• John Gustafson – bass
• Robert Powell – narration
• Tony Fernandez – drums, percussion

Technical

• Ken Thomas, Mike Stent – engineer