Music / Reviews
Review: Rick Wakeman, Bristol Beacon
Ridiculed during the punk years, Rick Wakeman has found renewed success by doubling down on the prog. Tonight the Beacon is packed for his second appearance here this year (he was at the Slapstick gala) as he celebrates two of his great early solo albums on the last night of another hugely successful tour, this one being dubbed The Return of the Caped Crusader Part 2.
First up is Rick’s concept album debut, The Six Wives of Henry VIII – or the Richard Nixon album as it is known to aficionados, on account to the waxwork of Tricky Dicky looming out of the background of the cover shot of the young Rick amid the wives at Madame Tussauds, seemingly unnoticed by anyone at the time.
He remarks that he always felt a great affinity with Henry on account of having almost as many wives, though he ended up giving houses to most of them rather than beheading them.
As before, Rick occupies his own lair centre stage, surrounded by huge banks of keyboards as if to keep the other top-notch musicians of this English Rock Ensemble at bay.
These include his son Adam on a slightly smaller bank of keyboards, hyperactive journeyman bassist (Caravan, Yes, Steve Hackett, er, Take That – where he’s charged with playing some of the actual music while the aging boy band cavort) Lee Pomeroy, long-serving guitarist Dave Colquhoun, and three female backing vocalists among them. Rick describes this as the best incarnation of the Ensemble to date, and it’s hard to argue with that as they obviously know this music intimately and perform it sympathetically.
The main challenge of the first half of the show is expanding an album that runs for a mere 37 minutes to almost an hour. Or it would be a challenge for anyone other than a prog titan, for whom musical loquacity has never been a problem.
The expansions are most noticeable on Anne Boleyn and Anne of Cleves, which now incorporate lengthy solo spots, including a bass solo. Technology also allows Rick to do the wives in the same order as Henry did, which wasn’t possible when the album was originally released in 1973.
After a 30 minute break and a swift change of the cape, which almost conceals his ample belly, Rick’s back for – deep breath – The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, whose debut on ice at Wembley in 1975 is often cited by detractors as the nadir of prog excess.
The album has enjoyed a rehabilitation since then, not least when the Beeb started using the Arthur theme for its General Election coverage, which must have helped Rick finance a wife or two. He also introduces excellent young leather-trousered vocalist Jesse Smith, who gives it plenty of Jim Morison-esque swagger but will hopefully steer clear of bathtubs.
Once again, the album isn’t played in sequence, Merlin the Magician being extracted and performed at the end as an extended keyboard showcase featuring a keytar duel between Wakemans Sr and Jr. The applause is suitably rapturous. Any chance of No Earthly Connection and Criminal Record next time, Rick?
All pix by Mike Evans.
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