Rick Wakeman - In Concert: King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents... (1995)

This album is a unique document of the early Wakeman-era. If you ever asked yourself if he could play his complex compositions live, well, he certainly can. How? Well, buy this album and find it out yourself. Although this is a very 'pure' recording, including some 'bum'-notes and other things going wrong, it's a very enjoyable record. Loads of great music for a nice price!


Review by Jan-Jaap de Haan @ DPRP CD Review:

Only recently I discovered an interesting live-album by Rick Wakeman, although it has been released already in 1995. The recordings origin from November 1975, which makes this album one of the most interesting Wakeman live-recordings, because it's one of the earliest. This album consists of recordings from only one show, in the way as it has been broadcast, so no overdubs guaranteed.

Having listened to Wakeman's latest release Return To The Center of The Earth recently, it was nice to hear the 'original' again. This album starts with a 'medley' of the highlights from Journey To The Center of the Earth. What strikes me is the clear and direct sound of this recording, although Wakeman plays an 8-piece band (including a three piece brass-section). The opening of the album is rather bombastic - as most of Wakeman's material - and shows some new elements to the songs. Wakeman isn't afraid to improvise or change arrangements. Sometimes one of the band-members is slightly out of tune, but it doesn't disturb me at all, the energy makes up for that!

Catherine Howard is one of the three "Wives of Henry VIII" present on this album. The introduction of this song brings very bombastic drums, accompanied by the brass-section in a great way. After the introduction, John Dunstervill has room for a guitar-improvisation, which is very nice and almost ends up as "The Clap". Suddenly, a distorted riff - you will recognise this one - is introduced, immediately followed by some other familiar themes. A lot of variation and Catherine Howard only seems to function as a framework for this all.

The start of Lancelot & The Black Knight is very hectic and even an bit messy, but contains a lot of power. Ashley Holt is screaming his lungs out in this part, followed by a brilliant and fast keyboard-solo.

Anne Boleyn starts very atmospheric, in order to change into a haunting song, immediately after the keys come in. Not an 'easy' song to get into, but worthwhile, because of its many twists and turns. Again, there's a lot of room for improvisation, especially in the middle (up tempo) part of the piece, where Wakeman starts very low and 'climbs' higher and higher! A funky guitar accompanies him. Towards the end, the romantic theme returns.

Some 'bits and pieces of Journey', as Wakeman announces it, form The Forest, which mainly consists of a long guitar-solo at the beginning and a key-solo at the end. Only the middle part is close to the original, the rest has been re-arranged. A fun piece, 'cause it really jams! The finale features a 'stolen' bit by Grieg; simply awesome!



A combination of two songs from The Myths and Legends... forms Arthur & Guinevere. Although a complete orchestra is replaced by only three persons, the famous opening theme hasn't lost its power at all. To the contrary, I'd say. The vocal part that follows is a bit long, but leads to a repetition of that wonderful theme.

The Guinevere-part of the track is performed not very differently from the album version, although there's a very 'big-band'-like intermezzo with different solos by keyboards and guitars. Not the best part of the album, but still special.

Merlin The Magician is a live-favourite of Wakeman and I can understand why. This song, with all its changes and the very weird 'chorus' is interesting from the beginning 'till the end. Not a single dull moment, it brings you slow romance and fast can-can in one song!
The closer of the album is Catherine Parr, as song that starts in a dark and threatening way, followed by one of the fastest key-parts I ever heard. Like the other 'Wives'-tracks, the main theme only functions as a framework for improvisation. Piano, synths, it's all there. A great closer of the album.

To conclude: I wouldn't have reviewed a 4 year old album if I didn't think it was worth it. Besides this, it is very well possible that we deal with a re-release here (for Euro-markets?), since the original 95-version had a different cover.

This album is a unique document of the early Wakeman-era. If you ever asked yourself if he could play his complex compositions live, well, he certainly can. How? Well, buy this album and find it out yourself. Although this is a very 'pure' recording, including some 'bum'-notes and other things going wrong, it's a very enjoyable record. Loads of great music for a nice price!



Tracklisting:
1. The Journey to the Center of the Earth (12:21)
2. Catherine Howard (11:29)
3. Lancelot and the Black Knight (5:28)
4. Anne Boleyn (8:57)
5. The Forest (6:44)
6. Arthur and Guinevere (14:41)
7. Merlin The Magician (7:26)
8. Catherine Parr (8:25)

Total Time: 75:30

Line-Up:
- Rick Wakeman / keyboards
- Ashley Holt / vocals
- John Dunsterville / guitars & mandolin
- John Hodgson / percussion
- Martyn Shields / trumpet
- Reg Brooks / trombone
- Roger Newell / bass, vocals
- Tony Fernandez / drums