MADE IN CUBA (DVD)

Rick Wakeman

Symphonic Prog

4.04 | 17 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

I love me my Rick Wakeman! Especially the opportunity to see Wakeman's cream O the crop vintage material performed in contemporary times.

With that said, it's surprising that it's taken over 7 years for me to finally watch this performance start-to-finish.

With that said, I'll start with the material:

Great selection! I'm not sure if I could request a better playlist than what Rick and The Ensemble came up with. Well, perhaps I'd trade the Phantom piece for another Six Wives track.

The Band: Definitely a great band! It goes without saying that Rick will be masterful as always. I've never seen him slouch or seem unrehearsed... ever!

The drummer, Ashley Soan (Del Amitri, Jordin Sparks), I have read was a last minute fill in, with that said, Rick obviously knew talent was required to pinch hit and be more than just serviceable. I thought he was great.

The bassist, Lee Pomeroy (Steve Hackett, Take That), was outstanding! His solo riffs on "Heart of the Sunrise" near the end put Chris Squire to shame!

The guitar player, Dave Colquhoun, somewhat of an unknown commodity was technically capable, but I thought his was a bit too "pyro-technic" for Wakeman's material. No doubt he's a good guitar player, but in my opinion, just not a good fit.

Finally, we get to good old Ashley Holt, original vocalist from "Myths and Legends", Journey and "No Earthly Connection". Now, don't get me wrong, I find nostalgic appeal in his presence, but honestly, I think that he's just one of Rick's old drinking buddies that he's dragged out to sing for decades. His vocals from the 70s until the present just make me cower. I've enjoyed all the music in spite of his voice! His best moments in this performance were when he was off stage!

The vocals are the one reason I give this recording and performance four and not five stars.

The "Road to Cuba" extra on the DVD is also a great add in. If you're a Wakeman fan this is a "must have". If you're a Yes fan of Wakeman era material, it's also close to must have. if you're a casual fan, definitely worth checking out.

BostonMike | 4/5 | 2013-1-25

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