Plus! Kansas Make Their Way To Video With Device Voice Drum!

Rick Wakeman. I?d be lying if I said that I?ve always spoken his name in the most reverent of tones. I?d also be lying if I said that I?ve ever said much about him at all. While I?ve never been especially dismissive of RW, never felt the need to ?dis? him, I?ve managed to pass the last 30 years without giving him too much of my attention. My older brother had Journey To The Centre Of The Earth, I loved the Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe album and of course Yes has provided many hours of listening pleasure, but I don?t think I?d call myself a rabid fan nor claim that I was someone who has never been able to resist the caped one. So when the opportunity to view three new DVD/CD packages from the fine folks at Classic Pictures, I jumped at it if for no other reason than believing I might finally understand this elder statesman?s POV, for no other reason than believing I might perhaps fall in love with an artist I?d managed to pass over so many times over the years and although I can?t say that I?m now the president of the Rick Wakeman Fan Club, Midwest Chapter, I do have to say that the three releases bestowed upon me proved eye-opening if nothing else.

First up is Journey To The Centre Of The Earth. Recorded as part of a television special in Melbourne, Australia in February, 1975, the visual experience is perhaps important for Wakephiles, though perhaps not the most tantalizing to casual customers. The TV stuff, if you will, has not been edited out (though the commercials have been, thankfully) and the sound quality is, at times, abysmal. Still, there?s nothing quite like seeing the master in his first prime as he works among banks and banks of keyboards, stretching his arms and legs like some sort of hopping caped creature surrounded by knobs and keys that seem awesome enough to somehow be tied to the fate of the universe. It?s great fun hearing Terry Taplan narrate tunes inspired by the Jules Verne novel and even more fun witnessing Ashley Holt and Gary Pickford vocalize beautifully on ?Guinevere,? or to witness guitarists Jeffrey Crampton and Roger Newell in action. (Of course, that?s not to say that some sartorial choices of various band members are to be immediately forgiven, or that the inflatable creatures who appear onstage during the JTTCOTE segment won?t inspire uproarious laughter from post-This Is Spinal Tap viewers. Ah, it was a different time.) But you do quickly realize what a great (and wholly underrated) composer Wakeman is as he and the band take you through ?Catherine Howard,? ?Catherine Parr? and ?Anne Boleyn,? three tracks that remain among the best he?s done in his entire career. The audio-only portion wins out here, though. You might as well get the double package, but know that the DVD will probably inspire the fewest viewings of the trio here, while the audio disc might just inspire the most spins. (Hey! Are we going to get an album reissue with the original artwork in a cardboard gatefold sleeve? That?d sure be nice.)

Bottom line: Important to completists, casual fans might be better off buying the album first and winding their way to the DVD much later in the program. Bonus material on the DVD is nil.

Jumping ahead to the year 1997 and the locale of Buenos Aires, Argentina, we have Rick Wakeman and the English Rock Ensemble captured live in said city, paired with a different version of said band than on the audio CD, The Official Bootleg, a live recording from Birmingham, England. Here, the video is pretty damned good, the performances largely spot on and the song selection wise. Joined by a (mostly) ace band including son Adam Wakeman on (what else?) keyboards, Ant Glynne (guitars), the fabulous Tony Fernandez on drums, Lee Pomeroy on bass and Damian Wilson on vocals, Wakeman really lets loose here, setting the black and whites aflame on tracks such as ?Buried Alive,? ?The Visit,? ?Merlin The Magician,? and a stunning, balls-out version of ?1984.? A father and son keyboard duel caps everything off, making it one of the most enjoyable moments of all three DVDs, while the ensuing solo from the elder Wakeman will remain a favorite of casual and dedicated fans for some time to come. That said, there are a few missteps: Wilson seems glaringly out of place, seeming more suited to working in a metal band than with RW, seeming also to have been plagued by mic problems (is it me or does there seem to always be the slightest traces of feedback when he shows up?) and is also harmed by taking on the impossible task of filling Jon Anderson?s role for ?Starship Trooper.? Glynne is sorely missed on the audio companion, although the guitar-less collective makes its way through superb versions of ?Paint It Black,? ?Eleanor Rigby? and ?After Prayers.? It helps that vocalist Chrissie Hammond stands in a class apart from other vocalists and delivers each track with unadulterated zeal that even elevates a slightly flawed version of ?ST? over the one on the DVD. (Who the hell can touch Jon Anderson? No one, I tell you. No one.)

Problem is, the CD is indeed a bootleg, sounding much like it was recorded somewhere beneath the center of the earth, which is a shame only because you know that that lineup could have delivered an impossible-to-replicate live album that might have garnered Wakeman just a little more attention for his efforts.

Bottom line: A great performance from Wakeman on both the audio and video sections here. Great track selection on both releases, plus a nice interview with the man himself. The cape is here, which is a good sign. Enjoy.

Now for the crown jewel: The Legend: Live In Concert 2000. The lighting, song selection and fashion are just right as viewers sit back for nearly two hours of Wakeman and his piano, plus a few stories on the side. You get to hear about the one time Wakeman?s ever been drunk on stage, how much it costs to record a church organ in England and how he feels about Jon Anderson. You?re also treated to gorgeous versions of ?Birdman of Alcatraz,? ?The Nursery Rhyme Concerto,? ?Help/Eleanor Rigby? and a sensible cover of ?And You and I/Wonderous Stories.? The DVD contains six bonus tracks (including ?Morning Has Broken?) that are not on the CD. The CD itself is gorgeous by itself and serves as an excellent companion when no others can be found and, finally, it proves that Wakeman (occasional sartorial missteps aside) is the legend of rock keyboards.

Bottom line: Start here and work you way backward to Live From Buenos Aires and Journey To The Centre Of The Earth. Extras here are scant, though the musical gallery proves refreshing and slightly poignant. Disappointing that no other artists comment on Wakeman or that there?s not more archival footage; typos abound on the disc sleeves as well. ?Merun The Magician? and ?Birdman of Alcutraz? are but two.

Can?t Get Enough Keyboard? Try out the following CDs: John Young?s N.C.V (No Commercial Value), Greenslade?s 2001 Live, The Full Edition, 4NYC from Jordan Rudess, Pinup Guru from Tomas Bodin or Klavierstucke from Chris Opperman.

For more: http://www.rwcc.com/

The New World
Device Voice Drum, Kansas, Compendia Music Group

I don?t often resort to this kind of language here, but here goes: Wowzers! If you?re like me and have never caught Kansas live, this will provide you with at least 18 reasons to do so next time they come through your town. Shot on film (!!) and recorded live in Atlanta, GA in June, 2002, this captures the quintet in peak form as they soar to unfathomable heights, proving once again that they are the original American progressive rock band.

At first I was skeptical: despite the fact that they recorded two strong albums without Kerry Livgren in the mid-80s and despite the fact that I love every song included on this package, I worried that somehow they just wouldn?t have the spark. I believed that no Livgren and no replacement for him would leave things, well, kind of flat. But the fact is, you never miss him. Richard Williams squeezes every note and emotion possible out of his Paul Reed Smith and does it with the kind of conviction that makes you forget that these songs were originally rendered with two guitars. Moreover, bassist Billy Greer proves himself to be an integral member of the band (he can sing to boot!) despite the fact that he?s not an original member. As I?ve noted elsewhere, Steve Walsh has never sounded better than he does at present. While some will no doubt argue that he?s lost a few of his top notes, it hardly matters. There?s a richness there now and a subtly that proves a worthy trade for anything he may (and I stress ?may?) have lost. (Robbie Steinhardt, violin, and Phil Ehart drums are also in fine form here, with Steinhardt proving especially entertaining to watch.)

While I don?t understand the animated segments of the video and while I yearn for just a few more extras here (perhaps some older footage of the band from, say, the 1970s), Device Voice Drum is a welcome addition to the Kansas oeuvre and will, one hopes, introduce them to an even wider group of fans, a group that will include those who have been unable to see the band in the past but will sprint to see them in the future.

Bottom Line: Get this now! Loaded with classics and performances that often rival (if not surpass) the studio originals, this is the document of an important American band that refuses to be relegated to the footnotes of rock and roll history. Check out the band interviews and making of the video for more. Newbies can scan the discography section for where to go next. The two-disc audio set (with its own special bonus feature) is sold separately. Do I need to mention it?s worth having both?

Can?t Get Enough? Check out The Ultimate Kansas (two disc set), plus other recent reissues.

For more: http://www.kansasband.com/