Search - Rick Wakeman - The Legend (Live in Concert 2000) on DVD

Rick Wakeman 2000: An enjoyable DVD for keyboard lovers.

Jeffery K. Matheus | Indianapolis, IN United States | 03/10/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was pleased to find this new DVD/CD package, "Rick Wakeman: The Legend 2000", while browsing through a music store one day. I have been following Wakeman's work since first hearing him with Yes back in the late-70's (in fact Yes' "Tormato" was the first rock album I ever bought,..or at least the first that I ever really "connected" with.) I have also enjoyed much of Rick's solo work over the years; particularly his more electric, "rock"-oriented projects ("Wakeman With Wakeman", "Live Bootleg", "Myths & Legends", etc.) Being a bit of a music video collector, I already had in my collection Wakeman's excellent 1991 "Live" video, which features him playing in his more rock-setting, with a tight backing band and bluesy vocalist Ashley Holt. This newly released DVD, on the other hand, features a fully-instrumental performance of the more classical and/or "new age-y" side of Wakeman's music - and this 2-hour show features no other musicians or collaborators...just Wakeman and his two hands in front of his rack of new-fangled keyboards! Rick covers some familiar material, and some that I was not familiar with at all. He performs some exrememely different covers of two classic Yes tracks, namely "And You And I" and "Wonderous Stories" (nicely re-arranged here for solo keyboard), as well as solo classics such as "Guinevere", "Birdman of Alcatraz", "Catherine Howard", and "The Recollection". One highlight for me was the version of "Jane Seymore", played with mind-bending skill, and using a beautiful, full-bodied church-organ sound! Although I usually don't like to hear covers of songs by The Beatles (the originals are just too good to mess with in my opinion!) Rick's personal tribute to Lennon & McCartney (a medley of "Help" and "Eleanor Rigby") is actualy another highpoint of this show to my ears. Wakeman plays along with pre-recorded (or perhaps MIDI-generated) "orchestral" backing on a few songs, and this helps to add a bit of variety to the music. If I have any complaints about this performance it is that Rick uses the same-exact (bright, full, sustained) piano sound throughout MOST of the show - it IS a great sound mind you, but the show could have been a little more colorful and varied if Mr. Wakeman had used a wider array of sounds, timbres, and textures on various tracks. One highpoint of the DVD (as other reviewers have pointed out) is Rick's often humorous storytelling between songs. One bit that will rise a laugh out of Yes fans is Rick's comments about his former bandmate Jon Anderson; "Jon's the only person that I know of who is trying to save this planet...but is not actually FROM this planet"!!! All in all, if you are a fan of Rick Wakeman, Yes, or great keyboard performances in general, then you can't go too far wrong in picking up this DVD today! Also, if you are a Wakeman/progressive rock fan, be sure that you ALSO check out the work of Rick's son, Oliver Wakeman. Oliver has recorded two fine concept albums ("Jabberwocky" and "The Hound of the Baskervilles") in collaboration with a fellow-keyboard wiz, Clive Nolan (from the excellent UK prog band Pendragon). The 'Nolan & Wakeman' albums continue in the musical spirit of Rick's earlier progressive rock work ("Journey To the Center of the Earth", "Myths & Legends") with swirling synthesizer solos, majestic classical themes, spoken narration, and powerful "rock" vocals....do yourself a favor and give BOTH generations of "the Wakeman genius" a listen!"

Simply Beautiful

P. Finnegan | Temple, Texas United States | 10/01/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Not often am I prompted to write a review, but this DVD is special. Simply stated, it's beautiful. The anecdotes are funny and insightful, the music is "nothing short of spectacular". If you are a fan of Rick Wakeman, this DVD is a must. If you would like an introduction to Rick Wakeman, this DVD is a must. If you would like a spend 120 minutes being thoroughly entertained, this DVD is a must.A wonderful fusion of music styles flawlessly combined to showcase his keyboard versitility. Simply beautiful."

And You and I

George Sinutko Jr | Royal Oak, Michigan United States | 08/18/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm sitting here watching the DVD and I'll just let stream of thought take over...Rick Wakeman(age 50) solo in concert... someone pinch me, I think I'm dreaming...we've heard these songs before but never so sharp and clear and played with so much passion...he doesn't miss a note...the short stories between the songs show Rick's sense of humor(watch out for the death scene in Anne Boleyn)...the DVD quality is supurb...Rick's version of "Help" may bring you to tears from it's shere beauty. Throw in extras like a detailed biography, photo gallery and an audio CD of the concert with "Merlin the Magician" added makes this package a must for all Rick Wakeman fans."

Truly a legend!

A. Lesley | Conway, S.C. United States | 08/13/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The only way to describe this dvd/cd set is "perfect". The cd features the music tracks from the dvd concert. The dvd also features some bonus studio tracks. Overall, you get a lot of music. Also, Rick Wakeman tells jokes and stories between the songs on the dvd which are quite humorous. The concert features Rick alone playing keyboards, and on two tracks, a recorded orchestra backing track plays, but this does not cheapen the performance. It's not the long haired caped crusader from the 1970's, but if you're a fan of his later work, you'll enjoy this. The style of the performance parallels his Classical Connection albums and the Piano Tour album. [My only complaint about the whole concert is that there are bird sounds played in the background on his "Birdman of Alcatraz" track, but I'll let him get away with it this time!] My favorite Rick Wakeman dvd to date!"