Country: UK
Genre: Progressive Rock
Release year: 2010
Label: Voiceprint
Volume 1: 1975 Live at the Empire Pool King Arthur on Ice
Although, according to the cover comment, Rick himself stubbornly considers this show to be the crowning glory of his career, it was criticized almost before its own premiere, and was shown only three times. This is probably not fair, because the music is really good, and the skating aunts in royal costumes can be considered as a backdrop, but to be honest with you, kind people, the kindest meow was right: at the sight of fake horses on skates in "Sir Lancelot and the Black Knight" impossible to stop laughing...
Volume 2: Live at the Maltings 1976
I already talked about this concert here, it's practically the same thing, so the good-natured people who downloaded it can skip it. I'm posting again, because this is a different edition, and in order not to violate the integrity of the box set for the sake of collectors.
Volume 3: Live 1980 Swedish Television Special
A very good concert on the drive, but disgusting in terms of video quality. The picture is clearly taken from VHS, and with minimal studio processing. The concert was part of a big show dedicated to the birthday of the Baltic city of Carlscrona, which resulted in the killer song "Happy Birthday Karls Krona" in the middle of the band's performance. Wakeman here is short-haired and brutally unshaven, and looks very much like the young Benny Andersen from ABBA, which is probably why he was invited to Sweden. Perhaps the organizer was a little short-sighted...
Volume 4: 1984 Live at the Hammersmith Odeon 1981
Do not be surprised, good people, different years in the title of the disc. The first date is the title of a novel by George Orwell. It was also the title of the musical that Wakeman wrote with Tim Rice based on the book. But the musical failed: firstly, Tim Rice made an optimistic ending in Hollywood style, for which he was scolded by critics, and secondly, when they wanted to go on tour to the States and make money, the Orwell Foundation did not give them permission - with such then the final...
And the concert is good. The girl on vocals is good, especially when she sings classics about Arthur, Henry VIII and things from Jorney.
Volume 5: Night Music
This disc contains a recording of the English program "Little Night Serenade". Wakeman has a regular piano plus a synthesizer, a chamber setting, Rick introduces each song, but he doesn’t joke as usual – well, yes, he’s in a suit. If you listen, it's quite interesting: let's say "Gone But Not Forgotten" is dedicated to the Falklands crisis, if any of the good people remember this one. Although it is not very clear what the crisis has to do with it, because the thing turned out to be quite major. There is a small orchestra, instead of vocals, the actor recites something like that. The composition "After The Ball" was written for the figure skating competition at the Innsbruck Olympics. Already in figure skating, Wakeman understands a lot
Rick does not remember the year the program was released - grit, somewhere in the eighties ...
Collectors will be interested, I think.
Volume 6: Rarities plus Interview
Both interviews are quite interesting. In them, Rick talks about a lot of things: about his bummer since "1984" (in his interpretation :)), about the decline in the popularity of progressive music these days, about the fact that record companies do not care about the safety of their archives, and all that. Unfortunately, no subtitles. Moreover, his "English" English is also not easy. And there are a couple of musical inserts: an overture from "1984" and a performance at the Elgin Mansions.
Rick Wakeman – Video Vault Limited Edition DVD Box Set [2010, 6 DVD]
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