THE SIX WIVES OF HENRY VIII - LIVE AT HAMPTON COURT PALACE (DVD)

Easily 5 stars for the show itself. But the dvd? Only 4 I'm afraid. I understand this is probably because no dvd EVER can give you the same feeling as experiencing a live concert, but I think even with that in mind, this film isn't perfect. Everything about the performance is great; the tight band, the atmospheric orchestra, the very 14th- century choir (how indulgent!), Rick himself with his "castle" of keyboards, the extrodinarily entertaining Ray Cooper, and especially the larger-than-life Brian Blessed, who narrates each wife with genuine interest and occasional humour.

BUT, its the mixing and filming of this seemingly-rushed package that lets it down. There are some odd camera angles here, probably set up in such a way to capture the stage and the castle, lighting and all. But it seems a little tacky, in a way that definately WASN'T true of the actual show. And the sound is rather poor at times, not in quality, but in the mixing of certain instruments. Some of Rick's keyboards are considerably louder than others, and the orchestra is pretty quiet throughout. The choir is almost silent! You can see their mouths opening though.

Overall- a wonderful show but a fractured video. Still worth buying it though, as no other dvd will ever capture a performance of this classic album in all it's "medieval" pompous glory.

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