 |
 |
|
| Rick Wakeman - Journey To The Centre Of The Earth Live In 1975 - 30th Anniversary Edition |
 Released: 2005 Label: Classic Pictures Cat. No.: DVD8049X Total Time: ~135:00 | |
Reviewed by: John "Bobo" Bollenberg, March 2005 Wakeman fans the world over were already ecstatic when they were treated to a DVD recording of Rick and band performing live in Australia on 4th February 1975 as released by Classic Pictures a couple of years back. Performing all of Journey To The Centre Of The Earth, some highlights from The Six Wives Of Henry VIII and a snippet from the then new album Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table this most certainly has to be one of the most prized possessions for any real Wakeman fan. Only a couple of years later and Classic Pictures already releases a new version of this footage this time including the extra banner which reads "30th Anniversary Collectors Edition." The concert remains exactly the same, although a little extra has been added entitled "The Lost Journey." Filmed by none other than Gary Pickford Hopkins with one of the then state of the art cameras (which now looks like something out of an antiques shop), around half an hour's worth of never before seen material has now been made available for all the world to see. In January 2005, Rick Wakeman, Ashley Holt, Gary Pickford Hopkins, Roger Newell and Barney James all got together in Shepperton Studios to look at those images and also to comment on this great adventure. Each and every one of them shines as they go through it all over again. Rick gets very aroused when he sees footage of the airplane sporting the Rick Wakeman logo. Before actually seeing it on screen, Rick didn’t know footage of the plane existed. The funny thing is that all five of our friends are sitting in Shepperton Studios drinking a cup of tea whilst they rave about those incredible times where masses of beer and scotch were consumed. Angry old men indeed. On the other hand, we have the sad atmosphere as well as they recognize at least half a dozen people on those images who have since died. Thirty years on, this is exactly what you can expect. I was seventeen when Rick performed Journey the world over. Whilst others were getting bonkers about The Osmonds or David Cassidy, I drew keyboards and mini-Moogs on my school bench, imitating Rick during his incredible solos. No wonder the girls at school thought I was mad! So next to this wonderful unexpected extra feature, there's of course the actual concert as well. When Rick took to the stage in Melbourne, he was the world's number one keyboard player and no fewer than twelve million people would buy his theatrical Journey To The Centre Of The Earth album. Prior to delivering the entire Journey project live, he also performed some highlights from his much acclaimed debut album Six Wives Of Henry VIII and also performed some material from his then to be released third album The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table much to the delight of the many thousands who witnessed this great performance. It is clear that Ashley Holt is a much better singer than Gary Pickford Hopkins and one asks himself why the hell both men had to go on tour with the Wakeman extravaganza in the first place? But let us not forget that these were the days of Rick's heavy drinking (and smoking, just look at his teeth for proof!), recruiting his backing band straight from the pub, although manager Brian Lane had offered Rick such guests as Eric Clapton and Roger Daltrey to name but two. Just look at the cans of beer on top of Rick's grand piano and I rest my case! Dressed as the pure "caped crusader" you can see Wakeman struggling with his many synths, sometimes having to spread his legs as wide apart as possible in order to tackle the right keys. Bearing in mind the difficulty in tuning the mini-Moogs correctly, during live performances it is inevitable that there is the odd bum note whether it comes from "uncle" Rick or from someone in the orchestra or choir. When you look at this DVD it shows how much of a gamble every single concert with orchestra and choir really is, as Rick and the band applaud enthusiastically once the final note of the Journey epic has died down. It's as if they are glad it's all over and no harm has been done. Not in a big way anyway, as throughout this concert you can hear the Moog sounding off key, as is also the Mellotron for that matter. In the first part of Journey, the brass section doesn't sound at all convincing and the choir sometimes has it hard to keep track. As opposed to its vinyl counterpart, this concert shows the whole of Journey in one go, even including the cheap inflatable dinosaurs (I wonder what happened to them since. Have they been offered on eBay yet?). But then again, this is no ordinary DVD, as it has a more historic importance rather than trying to obtain the highest recognition in the quality control department. The close-up Moog and harpsichord solos during "The Battle" simply are breathtaking. As an encore, Wakeman performs "Catherine Howard" in a brand new arrangement giving guitarist Jeffrey Crampton the chance to really shine. During the then new song "Merlin" we see Rick running from one side of his keyboards to the other, from his Moog to the piano. Again the Mellotron is completely out of tune here. It's wonderful to see how Wakeman is almost in a trance during "Anne Boleyn." With a reprise of "The Forest" comes an end to a remarkable concert. Even if at times someone runs in front of the camera throwing a huge shadow onto the stage, this live concert is of a big historical significance. So pop this DVD in your player and think you’re entering a time capsule taking you back in time a cool thirty years, a time where the word "stress" apparently still had to be invented! Recorded live on february 4th 1975 at the Sydney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne, Australia featuring the Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra and The Melbourne Chamber Choir conducted by Verdon Williams More about Journey To The Centre Of The Earth Live In 1975 - 30th Anniversary Edition: Track Listing: Catherine Parr / Guinevere / Journey To The Centre Of The Earth / Catherine Howard - Merlin / Anne Boleyn / Reprise from The Forest Musicians: Contact: Website: www.rwcc.com Discography
| |
[Review Index] [Home] [Top]  © Copyright 2005 ProgressiveWorld.net/John Bobo Bollenberg |