Wakeman, Rick And The English Rock Ensemble - Live From Buenos Aires (DVD) / Official Bootleg 1977 (CD)

Year of Release: 2002
Label: Classic Pictures
Catalog Number: DVD1095X
Format: DVD
Total Time: 110:00:00

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!

Tracklisting:
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

Special Features: animated menu / track selection / artist interview - Rick Wakeman, behind the music

CD: Lure Of The Wild / Robot Man / Extracts From The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table / After Prayers / Eleanor Rigby / Starship Trooper / Würm (TOTAL TIME: 56:00)

Musicians:
DVD: Rick Wakeman -keyboards
Adam Wakeman -keyboards
Ant Glynne - guitars and backing vocals
Tony Fernandez -drums
Damien Wilson -vocals
Lee Pomeroy - bass and percussion

CD: Rick Wakeman - keyboards
Adam Wakeman - keyboards and backing vocals
Alan Thomson - bass and backing vocals
Chrissie Hammond - vocals
Tony Fernandez - drums and percussion
Stuart Sawney - guitar (7)

Discography:
Piano Vibrations (1971)
The Six Wives Of Henry VIII (1973)
Journey To The Centre Of The Earth (1974)
Lisztomania (1975)
The Myths & Legends Of King Arthur & The Knights Of The Round Table (1975)
No Earthly Connection (1976)
Rick Wakeman's Criminal Record (1977)
White Rock (1977)
Animal Showdown (1979)
Rhapsodies (1979)
I'm So Straight I'm A Weirdo (1980)
1984 (1981)
The Burning (OST) (1981)
Rock N Roll Prophet (1982)
Cost Of Living (1983)
G'ole! (1983)
Crimes Of Passion (OST) (1984)
Live At Hammersmith (1985)
Lytton's Diary (1985)
Silent Nights (1985)
Country Airs (1986)
The Family Album (1987)
The Gospels (1987)
20th Anniversary Limited Edition (1988)
A Suite Of Gods (1988)
Custer's Last Stand/Ocean City (1988)
Time Machine (1988)
Zodiaque (1988)
Black Knights At The Court Of Ferdinand IV (1989)
Sea Airs (1989)
Phantom Power (1990)
In The Beginning (1990)
Night Airs (1990)
Phantom Power (1990)
2000AD Into The Future (1991)
African Bach (1991)
Aspirant Sunrise (1991)
Aspirant Sunset (1991)
Aspirant Sunshadows (1991)
Rock N Roll Prophet Plus (1991)
Softsword (1991)
The Classical Connection (1991)
Best Works Collection (1992)
Country Airs (1992)
Classic Tracks (1993)
No Expense Spared (1993)
Prayers (1993)
The Classical Connection 2 (1993)
The Heritage Suite (1993)
Unleashing The Tethered One - The 1974 North American Tour (1993)
Wakeman With Wakeman (1993)
Light Up The Sky (1994)
Live On The Test (1994)
Lure Of The Wild (1994)
Rick Wakeman's Greatest Hits (1994)
The Stage Collection (1994)
Wakeman With Wakeman - The Official Bootleg (1994)
Wakeman With Wakeman Live (1994)
Almost Live In Europe (1995)
Cirque Surreal (1995)
Rick Wakeman In Concert (1995)
Rock & Pop Legends (1995)
Romance Of The Victorian Age (1995)
The Piano Album (1995)
The Private Collection (1995)
The Seven Wonders Of The World (1995)
Visions (1995)
Can You Hear Me? (1996)
Fields Of Green (1996)
Orisons (1996)
Tapestries (1996)
The New Gospels (1996)
The Word And Music (1996)
Vignettes (1996)
Voyage (1996)
Welcome A Star (1996)
Fields Of Green '97 (1997)
Simply Acoustic - The Music (1997)
Tribute (1997)
Master Series (1998)
Themes (1998)
Official Live Bootleg (1999)
Return To The Centre Of The Earth (1999)
Stella Bianca Alla Corte De Re Ferdinando (1999)
The Masters (1999)
The Natural World Trilogy (1999)
White Rock II (1999)
Christmas Variations (2000)
Chronicles Of Man (2000)
Morning Has Broken (2000)
Preludes To A Century (2000)
Recollections - The Very Best Of Rick Wakeman (2000)
Rick Wakeman The Legend Live In Concert 2000 (2000)
The Caped Collection (2000)
Classical Variations (2001/2002)
Simply Acoustic (2001)
Out Of The Blue (2001)
Two Sides Of Yes (2001/2002)
Treasure Chest Volume 1 - The Real Lizstomania (2002)
Treasure Chest Volume 2 - The Oscar Concert (2002)
Treasure Chest Volume 3 - The Missing Half (2002)
Treasure Chest Volume 4 - Almost Classical (2002)
Treasure Chest Volume 5 - The Mixture (2002)
Treasure Chest Volume 6 - Medium Rare (2002)
Treasure Chest Volume 7 - Journey To The Centre Of The Earth (2002)
Treasure Chest Volume 8 - Stories (2002)
Two Sides Of Yes - Volume II (2002)
Wakeman & Cousins -Hummingbird (2002)
Out There (2003)
Retro (2006)
Retro 2 (2007)
The Six Wives Of Henry VIII Live At Hampton Court Palace (2009)
Always With You (2010)
Past, Present, and Future (2010)
Anderson/Wakeman - The Living Tree (2010)
In The Nick Of Time-Live In 2003 (2012)
Journey To The Centre Of The Earth 2012 (2012)
The Myths & Legends Of King Arthur & The Knigts Of The Round Table 2016 (2016)
Piano Portraits (2017)
The Phantom Of The Opera (2017)

Piano Odyssey (2018)
Christmas Portraits (2019)
Official Bootleg Series - Boston USA 1974 (2019) Official Bootleg Series - Osaka Japan 1975 (2019) Official Bootleg Series - Sheffield UK 1981 (2019) Official Bootleg Series - Vienna Austria 1976 (2019) Official Bootleg Series - Preston UK 1981 (2019) Official Bootleg Series - Tokyo Japan 2008 (2019) Official Bootleg Series - Cropredy UK 2010 (2019) Official Bootleg Series - Osaka Japan 2014 (2019) Official Bootleg Series - Tokyo Japan 2014 (2019) Official Bootleg Series - Daphne Du Maurier Festival UK 2001 (2019)

The Classical Connection (VHS) (1991)
The Very Best Of The Rick Wakeman Chronicles (VHS) (1994)
Simply Acoustic (VHS) (1996)
The New Gospels (VHS) (1996)
The Piano Tour Live (VHS) (1997)
Rick Wakeman Live (VHS) (1998)
An Evening WIth Rick Wakeman (VHS) (2000)
Rick Wakeman Live In Concert 2000 (DVD) (2000/2002)
Journey To The Center Of The Earth Live In 1975 (DVD) (2001/2002)
Rick Wakeman & The English Rock Ensemble - Live In Buenos Aires (DVD) (2001/2002)
Rick Wakeman & The English Rock Ensemble - Out There (DVD) (2004)
Journey To The Centre Of The Earth Live In 1975 - 30th Anniversary Edition (DVD) (2005)
Made In Cuba (DVD) (2005)
Amazing Grace (DVD) (2007)
The Other Side Of Rick Wakeman (DVD) (2007)
Video Vault Volume 1 - 1975 Live At Empire Pool, King Arthur On Ice (DVD) (2007)
Video Vault Volume 2 - Live At The Maltings 1976 (DVD) (2007)
Video Vault Volume 3 - Live 1980 Swedish Television Special (DVD) (2007)
Video Vault Volume 4 - 1984 Live At The Hammersmith Odeon 1981 (DVD) (2007)
Video Vault Volume 5 - Night Music (DVD) (2007)
Video Vault Volume 6 - Rarities Plus Interview (DVD) (2007)
The Six Wives Of Henry VIII Live At Hampton Court Palace (DVD/BR) (2009)
Classical Wakeman Volume 1 - Live In Lugano (DVD) (2010)
Starmus (DVD) (2017)
Live Portriats At Lincoln Cathedral (DVD) (2018)

Genre: Symphonic Prog

Origin UK

Added: May 18th 2003
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Artist website: www.rwcc.com
Hits: 3622
Language: english