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| Rick Wakeman And The English Rock Ensemble - Live From Buenos Aires (DVD) / Official Bootleg 1977 (CD) |
 Released: 2002 Label: Classic Pictures Cat. No.: DVD1095X Total Time: DVD: 110:00 / CD: 56:00 | |
Reviewed by: John BoBo Bollenberg, May 2003 No doubt epic works such as Journey To The Centre Of The Earth and Myths And Legends Of King Arthur have been enormously loved by South American people due to their large theatrical contents. This "larger-than-life" attitude surely is something these warm-hearted people treasure, which is why the arrival of their longtime hero Rick Wakeman was such an important issue to them. What better way to thank these people than starting with "Sir Lancelot And The Black Knight." Sadly Damian’s vocals are a little silent in the beginning but this is largely compensated for by the true rock’n roll attitude of guitarist Ant Glynne. One song and the audience is already going bonkers which gives Rick plenty of time to already introduce the various members of his band (unless of course the order of material on this DVD isn't the same as the playlist on that particular evening). Time for Damian to get a rest, as it’s back to Rick’s very first solo album with a medley of "Catherine Howard" and "Catherine Of Aragon," including some funny bits that would be ideal for a silent movie. The fact this DVD has been shot with several cameras from all possible angles results in very nice professional footage, as if you were there yourself. The lasers really give it a superb finishing touch which matches the music perfectly. A sad point I find is the fact that there’s no real piano in Rick’s set-up. When I see the size of the venue here in Buenos Aires, for sure a genuine Steinway grand piano could’ve been hired, yet instead Rick uses the piano sound from his Korg instruments, which is still a bit different than the way "Catherine Of Aragon" sounds on the original album. With "The Visit," from his underrated Phantom Power album, the band injects a fair amount of rock into the concert with Adam Wakeman illustrating how close his own style gets to the unique sound of his father’s. The fact that a lot of varnish is missing from Ant Glynne’s guitar certainly does not influence the sound; on the contrary. This Gary Moore lookalike certainly knows how to steer the band towards an overwhelming finale! The response to this song is not phenomenal but then again a lot of people here in Argentina probably never heard of the album let alone bought a copy! With new synthesizers being able to reproduce every possible instrument, the band’s new adaptation of the classic "Journey To The Centre Of The Earth” certainly is something to look forward to, especially as the entire piece has been reworked into a shorter whole. The fact that it’s more compact also makes it more powerful, whilst it still creates room for a different approach, as Ant’s slide guitar illustrates. Then it’s time for one of my all-time favourites when the band plays “Catherine Parr." Especially the superfast organ solo has me playing "air keyboard" (a variation on the famous air guitar). Once again Ant Glynne is given the opportunity to leave behind his calling card as well. During "Merlin The Magician" it’s time for Adam Wakeman to show his skills playing the keytar. Then it’s time for some highlights courtesy of bass player Lee Pomeroy. But then it’s probably the highlight of the show as son and dad, Adam and Rick, kind of attack each other, each armed with a keytar. Whilst alternating solos they tell each other jokes, which is quite amusing to see with what ease they deliver these breathtaking solos we have known and loved for so long. Rick even goes for a walk amongst the many fans whilst playing his keytar, something which obviously is greeted with a lot of enthusiasm. While it’s none other than Ozzy Osbourne performing the song on the Return To The Center Of The Earth album, "Buried Alive" is sung here by Damian Wilson. Having been the singer with the prog metal outfit Threshold for some time, the song is no problem at all for Damian, nor is the title track for the concept album 1984. With lyrics written by Tim Rice, plus the fact Damian Wilson has performed in the musical Les Misérables, of course the fusion of music and voice works very well. The song also sports some great bass slapping by Pomeroy; however, I would have loved to hear Adam’s organ solo played on an authentic Hammond C3 instead of the plastic sounding synth he uses. To end this unforgettable night at the Gran Rex Theatre in Buenos Aires the band treats the audience to a slice of Yes with "Starship Trooper." Here it’s a bit difficult to digest Damian’s voice when you have been used to hearing Jon Anderson for more than thirty years! The part "Würm," which dates from Steve Howe’s Bodast days, really is the exclamation mark to a great concert. This part starts with very low Moog sounds followed by yet another wild keytar solo by Adam that is soon followed by guitar fireworks from Ant adding a more metalic ending. By now the entire hall is cooking whilst the Wakeman show comes to a close. Next to this great show, the DVD also contains a candid interview with Rick where he talks about loads of interesting things, such as the story behind his cape. I won’t tell anything more as it’s ever so nice to see it when you don’t know what to expect. And as if that superb DVD quality weren’t enough, you also get an extra audio CD as a bonus gift with this package. Recorded live at Ronnie Scott’s in Birmingham somewhere in July 1997, the quality of the recording is rather poor, as if a fan recorded the show onto minidisc instead of having used mixing desk quality. A true bootleg if you like! The line-up is rather different to the one on the DVD as this one has Chrissie Hammond on vocals and Alan Thomson on bass. They deliver a funky Stones cover with "Paint It Black" and level this with the uptempo Beatles classic "Eleanor Rigby," which has Wakeman in great form, playing superfast. Their version of "Starship Trooper" sounds more poppy than the Buenos Aires version, due mainly to some percussive passages and speedy uptempo solos. The quality, as already said, is rather poor, but then again this is a freebie, as the main attraction is and remains the DVD, which is worth every penny on its own! More about Live From Buenos Aires (DVD) / Official Bootleg 1977 (CD): Track Listing: DVD: Lancelot And The Black Knight / Catherine Howard/ Catherine Of Aragon / The Visit / Return Of The Phantom / Extracts From Journey To The Centre Of The Earth / Catherine Parr / Merlin The Magician / Buried Alive / 1984 / Starship Trooper Musicians: Contact: Website: www.rwcc.com Discography
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