Artist: Rick Wakeman Title: “The Other Side Of Rick Wakeman” Label: Music Video Distributors Release Date: 8/28/2007 Genre: Progressive/Classical/Comedy Rating: 3.5/5
“How many keyboardists does it take to change a light bulb” or “why did the keyboardist cross the road” are some of the questions that you might find yourself asking as you watch this candid and intimate performance by legendary keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman. The video finds the Yes legend in front of a studio audience where he performs several compositions of his own along with some cover material on the Grand Piano. The aspect of this is interesting enough as Wakeman strips down the compositions to the bare essential roots with the end result being quite a pleasing experience. It’s very different indeed to hear and see Rick perform on the piano as opposed to the multiple levels of synthesizers he is most associated with from Yes and his other projects. The film begins with Rick doing his introductory stuff and giving some idea about what the whole evening would entail for the audience in attendance but here is where it gets all the more interesting. While he talks about the piece he also slips in some humorous tales and anecdotes about the song or the goings on that reflect the song as compared to his own life experiences. For example: He starts to talk about his past marriages and ex-wives before he sits to perform “The Henry Suite” and the audience response to this method is quite complimentary. His manner is pleasant and his sense of humor is quite interesting and more real since it reflects his own life and what was going on in his head to the best of his recollection. Continue reading “The Other Side Of Rick Wakeman” by Rick Wakeman→
Artist: Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe Title: “An Evening Of Yes Music Plus” Label: Music Video Distributors Release Date: 8/28/2007 Genre: Progressive Rock Rating: 4/5
Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe is a band that makes up four fifths of the legendary Progressive Rock group Yes and in 1989 these musicians recorded an album that bore the same name and would support it with an extensive tour. This tour would feature many of the originals from this debut album along with a strong compliment of Yes classics and so special was the occasion of the live recording that it would be available to any cable television subscriber who wanted to order it via something that was called “Pay Per View”. Since this was 1989, the term was still quite new but in today’s world it’s much more commonplace and is done very often for concerts and special sporting events. I still remember begging my parents to let me order the program and swore I would pay them back. These PPV Specials were great as you would be able to invite friends over for a live concert that was happening right in your living rooms. The concert for ABWH begins with some orchestral flourishing and instead of seeing the entire group onstage from the get go, we instead find singer Jon Anderson walking out among the crowd as he makes his way to the stage. Singing and touching the outstretched hands of the audience in attendance while he walks, Anderson does his vocal lines with the help of a rhythm guitarist onstage. When he is finished we find Steve Howe doing the same thing and performing solo to the audience and then Rick Wakeman does the same. It was definitely an interesting way to start out as one normally expects the full group to perform at the onset of a concert like this. Leave it to the Progressive innovators to change things up once again. It’s not until the beginning of “Long Distance Runaround” that we find drummer Bill Bruford onstage accompanying them on a tambourine before he jumps behind his tremendous kit of Simmons electronic drums. As a drummer, Bruford was one of the biggest advocates of these types of percussion implements and he led the charge into their being accepted by more performers. Continue reading “An Evening Of Yes Music Plus” (DVD) by Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman & Howe→
Artist: Various Artists Title: “Back Against The Wall” Label: Purple Pyramid/Cleopatra Release Date: 9/13/2005 Genre: Progressive Rock Rating: 8/10
One of my all-time favorite albums in the music collection is most definitely Pink Floyd’s epic release “The Wall”. Twenty-five years after its initial release the music sounds as fresh and as innovative as ever. Roger Waters truly had created a masterpiece with his band mates David Gilmour, Richard Wright and Nick Mason. Musically and lyrically profound this albums impact still resonates today and is revered in the minds of many great musical artisans. To celebrate this impact some of these greats in Progressive and Hard Rock joined forces and performed a song for song representation that not only stays true to the original but also offers a glimpse into their own style as well. The result is extraordinary and very enjoyable. Similar to the great masterpiece itself the best way to listen to this CD is from beginning to end as one ends up doing when they try to merely sample “The Wall” release. You gain so much more from absorbing it in this manner than by simply playing the radio hits. Continue reading “Back Against The Wall” by Various Artists→
