I don’t know about the wide-front, quasi-maternity pants, fey stance and
possible bolo tie that the mirrored version of Rick Wakeman sports on this DVD’s
cover, but the actual material herein certainly features the legendary keyboard
wizard and Yes man in an interesting new light.
The
Other Side of Rick Wakeman showcases a lifetime of hilarious anecdotes and
escapades from the grumpy composer and raconteur. Wakeman talks about behind-the-scenes
stuff — the equivalent of the cool side of the pillow of his career — including
the first rehearsals with Yes, his multi-marital life, recording session mishaps
like accidentally setting a piano on fire, his exposure in a Japanese toilet (surely
Larry Craig would like this story…) and more. Wakeman also explains his version
of the X-factor, and brings to life the lost chord in the Yes classic “And You
and I.”
Side of Rick Wakeman isn’t merely a chat-fest. Running about 10 or 15
minutes short of two hours, this brand new show also features classic material
from Yes, The Strawbs and several of Wakeman’s his hit solo albums, as well as
a couple cover tunes, all performed on in acoustic fashion on the piano. The
track listing herein includes David Bowie’s “Life On Mars,” “The Henry Suite,” “See
a Monkey on a Stick/A Glimpse of Heaven,” “And You and I,” “Gone But Not
Forgotten,” “Wondrous Stories/The Meeting,” “Spur of the Moment/After the Ball,”
“Birdman of Alcatraz,” “Guinevere/Merlin the Magician,” Cat Steven’s “Morning Has
Broken” and the Beatles’ “Help/Eleanor Rigby.” Still, though the music is perhaps
the main course, the more frank stories about working with artists like
and other good-natured yarns, are what make this title interesting.
anamorphic widescreen, The Other Side of
Rick Wakeman comes with a 5.1 surround sound audio track. Case-touted “bonus
materials,” as it were, consist of a single bonus track, “Children of Chernobyl.”
Some interview material would’ve been nice, but as is, this is enough of a disarming
reinvention of its subject for lapsed Yes-heads, prog-rock devotees and middle-aged
music fans in general. B+ (Concert) C+ (Disc)