Lane, Lana - Storybook - Tales From Europe And Japan

Year of Release: 2004
Label: Think Tank
Catalog Number: TTMV-1002
Format: DVD
Total Time: 180:00:00

Although both Lana Lane and husband Erik Norlander, as well as their musicians, are top of the range in what they do; Lana Lane on tour is not as obvious as putting together the next Madonna world tour. Of course Lana and friends would love to tour the world on and off, but sadly too few people know about their existence. However, Lana Lane's music most certainly contains enough material with radio potential, whether it concerns covers or original compositions. So being at the low budget end of the musical spectrum, it becomes obvious that few people have so far been able to catch this prog diva live. I saw a tiny bit of their appearance in Holland during their short set in Bussum on 28th April 2001, as part of the 8th Alpha Centauri festival. The place they performed in was way too small to fit all of us in, so I only managed to see a very tiny bit indeed. I think Norlander's humongous synth needed half of the room by itself!

If I understand it all correctly, we have to send a huge "thank you" to the Japanese people from the Avalon label who, like mad Japanese people tend to do, filmed every nanosecond from the humble beginnings of Lana Lane on Japanese soil to this very same moment. These huge stacks of film were then delivered to Erik Norlander who then had the enormous task of filtering this material and put it together with his audio recordings onto what is called in the trade as being a (bloody good) DVD. In the meantime, this live footage also marks the tenth anniversary since the release of Lane Lane's first album which, as the DVD will prove, also tends to put it's mark on the way Erik looks (as time evolves: long hair, short hair, long hair again, beard. What's next I dare to ask? Complete baldness?).

As the artistic approach has always been an important issue, both in the case of Lana Lane, Rocket Scientists or Erik Norlander, also here a lot of time and effort has gone into creating a visual extravagance. Alternating between black and white, between close up and wide range, between professional footage and amateuristic film, Storybook takes you on the road with Lana Lane, warts'n all. Also a lot of visual effects have been added to the film so as to make it look more professional, more entertaining if you like. Although the quality of some of the footage isn't always top notch, it most surely proves what a great bunch of musicians Lana takes on the road with her. Just have a look at the incredible Neil Citron during "Rainbow's End," which proves what I'm saying here.

If I understand the liner notes correctly, then all of the footage that included Arjen Lucassen as a guest guitarist during the band's 2002 Japanese tour has been removed and replaced by new recordings of Peer Verschuren. No one will probably know what has happened between husband and wife Norlander and Lane on one side, and Arjen "Ayreon" Lucassen on the other, but it surely is a nasty thing to read. Luckily for the viewer, the replacing of the guitar parts is done in a very professional way, as we can witness during "Queen Of The Ocean," to name but one song. The hard rock shuffle "Frankenstein Unbound" would be great if, for instance, Ian Anderson would jump on stage to deliver a rousing flute solo, as I can clearly hear this instrument settle within the song. The range of "Before You Go" would be perfect for a singer like Céline Dion, if only the lyrics and arrangement wouldn't be so over the top progressive. Re-arranged with a certain dash of commerciality in the back of their minds and in edited form, this could well be a great single. The nice thing about this DVD is the fact that it goes back such a long way and thus covers such a large part of the Lana Lane legacy. It contains songs ranging from 1997 to 2003, thus also featuring different line-ups. During the 2003 tour, the band was augmented with vocalist Kelly Keeling. Having worked with the likes of Michael Schenker, John Norum, Carmen Appice, Blue Murder, Dokken and even co-writing for Alice Cooper, Kelly Keeling for sure is a valuable asset into the music of Lana Lane. Hear him shine during "Through The Rain"!

From captivating ballads to authentic rock 'n' roll, from the humble beginnings to the clearly polished present sound, from uncertainty to a well established name in rock, Lana Lane's Storybook DVD is a wonderful souvenir, displaying no fewer than 25 songs recorded live over a span of eight years. The nice thing that has been done with this DVD is that you can either play the complete feature, which includes the various live recordings augmented with interviews that explain the idea and story behind each song, or you can just go for the live shows, or you can just watch the interviews one after the other. I suggest you begin by watching the complete feature, as this will give you a perfect idea of Lana Lane both on the road and in the studio. Afterwards you can just go for the live recordings. On top of that, there's also a candid montage of life on the road shot by handheld cameras during rehearsals in LA, concerts in Tokyo and Osaka, a live acoustic set in the Tokyo branch of the Hard Rock Café between Lana and Marc McCrite, and we even see the band in front of the famous Spirit of 66 Club in Verviers. Make sure you have plenty of popcorn by your side, as this DVD lasts for more than three hours! However it's a great album for everyone involved with Lana Lane, the band, and the fans who so far have never seen the band live and are anxious to see what they can expect next time they're in the neighbourhood (or for those who live in far away places that will never see Lana Lane set foot on their soil!). Pity about the Lucassen incident though, as life's way too short to keep going on about this!

Tracklisting:
Introductory Medley : Dark Water Part III - Fanfare For The Dragon Isle - Garden Of The Moon - In The Hall Of The Ocean Queen / Escher's Staircase / Rainbow's End / Project Shangri-La / Queen Of The Ocean / Destination Roswell / Frankenstein Unbound / Before You Go / Under The Olive Tree / The Beast Within You / Night Falls / Through The Rain / Seasons / Love Is An Illusion / Avalon / Evolution Revolution / Symphony Of Angels / Astrology Prelude / Redemption Part II / Secrets Of Astrology

Bonus material:

In studio interviews with the musicians, Candid montage 1998-2003, Multiple playlists, 5.1 surround mixes

Musicians:
Lana Lane - vocals
Erik Norlander - keyboards
Neil Citron - guitar, vocals
Mark McCrite - guitar, vocals
Don Schiff - NS/stick
Peer Verschuren - guitar
Kelly Keeling - vocals
Tommy Amato - drums
Vinnie Appice - drums
Ernst Van Ee - drums

Discography:
Love Is An Illusion (1995)
Curious Goods (1996/2002)
Garden Of The Moon (1998/2002)
Echoes From The Garden (1998)
Live In Japan (1998)
Love Is An Illusion 1998 Version (1998)
Ballad Collection (1998)
Acoustic Live in Tokyo (1999) (promotional release only)
Queen Of The Ocean (1999/2005)
Echoes From The Ocean (1999)
Secrets Of Astrology (2000/2005)
Ballad Collection (2000)
Project Shangra-La (2002)
Covers Collection (2002/2003)
Lana Lane and Erik Norlander - European Tour 2003 Souvenir CD (2003)
Winter Sessions (2003)
Return To Japan (2004)
Lady Macbeth (2005)
Gemini (2006)
Red Planet Boulevard (2007)
The Best Of Lana Lane 2000-2008 (2008)

Storybook - Tales From Europe And Japan (2004) (DVD)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin US

Added: August 22nd 2004
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Artist website: www.lanalane.com
Hits: 2189
Language: english