Customer Reviews

The Six Wives Of Henry VIII [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've seen Rick perform over the years as a solo artist, with Yes and with his son Adam, but never were any of those performances staged with all the musicians required to really represent his early work. So it was with great excitement that I noticed a small advertisement for the special engagements at Hampton Court in celebration of King Henry the 8ths 500th anniversary, where Rick presented "Six Wives" in it's entirely to small audiences of 5,000 patrons on May 1st and 2nd, 2009. This was to be my first and possibly last chance to finally see Rick with full orchestra and choir, and though I have never traveled overseas specifically to attend a concert, this seemed like the right time to do it, and the show was absolutely a dream come true.

This DVD very effectively captures the performance, in stunning high definition, with every track and bit of narration included. It will give you a very accurate impression of the actual show, particularly if you turn up the volume! My only quibble is that there was no camera placed above Rick's head to give you frequent shots of his hands at work. So you don't get the first full view of his playing until 27 min. into the concert. Making up for this is the sheer scope of what there is to see here, including 5 piece band, orchestra, choir, narrator, and the castle itself, which is really a key part of the experience. [...]

As for this DVD, get it! Doug

My, my! I always loved the original, but this concert was nothing short of unbelievable. I can't believe how fast a person's fingers can move. Rick may have aged in his physical appearance (we all do), but there's nothing that's changed in his ability to write and play--except that through decades of experience, he's gotten better.

I am a drummer, and I love different time signatures, but it's quite another thing to write those songs, employ those changing time signatures, and play marvelouly across them. A drummer develops a pattern to fit the time, but Rick has to play melodies across them. Just gorgeous.

I bought the blu-ray. The video quality was so clear, I thought I might just be in the audience. The light show that continued throughout the show was lovely at times, vibrant at others. The sound was crystal clear. I always judge the high end by how well I can hear the cymbals: they were beautiful. I'm not a big fan of electronic drums (always prefer accoustic), but they sounded great, and I'm always amazed by left-handed drummers. He was perfectly in time (and in tune) with Wakeman.

The choir...glorious. Dramatic and perfectly balanced. The orchestra was balanced as well (though I thought the electtic bass drowned out the orchestra's basses). Loved the lady trombone player. The marimba and xylophone were well played, and I could hear them.

The standout musician (beside Rick Wakeman) was Ray Cooper. He seems to enjoy playing, and he has the talent to back it up (used to play percussion with Elton John and a host of others). He's equally adept at congas, tambourine, cymbal rolls. He adds so much spice to the concert. He's been playing since the 60s (at least), so he's been around forever. [...]

Sum it up? Fantastic DVD. Get the blu-ray. Worth every penny, and the little book with the history of Henry the Eighth is worth the price of the DVD itself.

Well...the liner notes alone are worth the $11.95. Rick has always been a humorist, (I think he would have been a wonderful T.V. host if he hadn't done music instead)and he shares a few stories about the old days and the making of this album that are a treat. I never noticed Richard Nixon on the album cover...did you? He had petitioned Hampton Court to perform this album back in 1973 but was turned down. Now, 36 years later in front of a very enthusiastic crowd, a full orchestra, and a full choir, Rick brings a fresh performance of his debut album to DVD, and the sound was great. I didn't particularly care for his friend reading notes about all 6 of the wives inbetween each song, but otherwise Rick's performance was a classic. He has lost none of his abilities with age, even donning the shimmering gold cape and ascending a lighted staircase to play the pipe organ on Jane Seymour. If you've ever been a fan of Rick's keyboard mastery, you will enjoy this DVD a lot. A fresh take on an all time classic...ENJOY!

Agreeance with the other reviewers, the camera work is not very good. When Rick played the portable pipe organ at the top of the stairs, all we saw was a distant view of his back. There absolutely should have been a camera somewhere up there with him. We were also treated a number of times to views of his back when he was playing at his keys onstage.

I don't think Brian Blessed was a good choice for the narrator. It looked like he stopped in from having drinks at a pub...wrinkled clothes wandering around and reading from a rolled up wrinkled script. Perhaps someone like Patrick Stewart to narrate with a degree of seriousness or drama given the nature and location of the concert. I just found Blessed to be a distraction.

Rick sure has beefed up since last I saw him. I know his health isn't the best but....wow. I found it somewhat sad to see him at the end of the show playing the portable keyboard and walking around the stage.

The music was wonderful though. I've been a huge Yes and Rick Wakeman fan since the Fragile album and have seen Yes several times. It was great to listen to the album played in this setting and with orchestra accompaniment.

The director of this DVD should have done a much better job with the camerawork. Rick and his playing is the star of the show...would have liked to have seen more of it.

Two once-in-a-lifetime performances of Wakeman's first and best solo album and the editors neglect to feature the composer and lead performer. The lack of closeups on our hero's lightning digits is baffling unless his prowess is diminished due to ongoing health problems. Perhaps the live performance flaws were "fixed" in the studio and edited in post production. Outside of Wakeman veteran drummer Tony Fernandez, the guitarist and bass player have nary a close-up, even during their solos! It is as if they too were also re-recorded. Even odder is that the Wakeman closeups that are included are the later-day reworked solos, which are formidable in their speed and complexity. Sound-wise, the recorded mix of rock band, orchestra and choir is lovely and the updated arrangements (and a re-working of "Defender of the Faith", a 1972 track left off the album) are wonderful. If you expect a Wakeman-centered DVD, buy the CD instead because on this DVD he is reduced to a member of the "band".

I was a Yes fan, in a big way, in earlier days. I'm a professional musician, so I appreciate technical ability, as long as it's paired to music that makes an emotional statement that goes somewhere. There's TONS of notes here, masterfully played, but in my opinion the music goes nowhere. For someone who was enthralled and excited by the music of Yes, I found myself struggling to stay awake during the course of this DVD. A big disappointment. There's lot's of grandeur and pomp, but very little substance here. If you're looking for music that takes you on an exciting, emotional musical trip, this aint it. Sorry Rick, you're a great player, but there's more to music than playing as many notes as you can, in as short a space a possible.

I've listened this Blu-Ray for many times.

It sounds great when I select DTS-HD Master Audio, but I don't liked Dolby-Digital 5.1.

The music is great and the performance also is great.

The video is 1080i and the quality is very good.

I don't liked the scenes selected by the movie director. In my opinion the director could select it better. He should give attention for some details. As an example, when Rick is playing the Church Organ in Jane Seymour, the director should focused in Ricks fingers on the keys, instead, the camera showed only Ricks back from far.

Although the CD version lacks the narration from Mr Blessed, the music itself takes you on the journey through time.

It is truly Rick Wakeman's master work that we have all been waiting 30 years to experience.

Dave

After stating that his toruing days with his former band "Yes" are over, Rick Wakeman goes over-the-top with this special concert in the UK celebrating the 500th anniversary of King Henry VIII. He plays songs from the stellar album of the same name plus a few additional songs. The arrangement is great! Another reviewer mentions the lack of overhead shots showing Rick's keyboard work, but this isn't totally accurate. There are overhead shots of keyboard work, although perhaps not enough of them. The fantastic picture and sound, as well as the musicianship makes for an astounding concert experience. You must not miss Rick at the pipe organ, of which he ascends a long flight of stairs to reach. Rick is in top form here. The concert is so well produced that it reminds me of well produced Pink Floyd shows (minus the lights and lasers etc). Also don't miss Ray Cooper (of Elton John fame) on percussion. Awesome!

This concert is NOT a repeat of the original album. The album was a solo effort. This live concert performance was re written to include an orchestra and choir'

What an amazing performance it is. Also this is the first time SIX WIVES has been performed as a complete concert. WOW........and TEN stars.