and THAT voice - Anderson & Wakeman last night
So, Buxton Opera House; nice little venue and completely sold out.
On stage, two keyboards, a guitar, several monitors and what looked like a hundred candles (but I think were actually electric lights).
Enter Mr Rick Wakeman, slightly shorter hair than of late, all in black, including a long, gaberdeen type coat that made him look like the archetypal 'dirty old man', and the diminutive, shiny jacketed and General Custaresque Jon Anderson.
It was Mr Andersons 66th birthday yesterday, so he had a cake and we all sang happy birthday to him.
There followed two hours of accoustic music (with a twenty minute gap in the middle), and whatever problems Jon may have had with his voice must be gone, because he's still got it!
'Starship Trooper', 'Yours is No Disgrace', Time and a Word','Wondrous Stories', 'Roundabout', 'Turn of The Century', 'And You And I' and even 'Owner of a Lonely Heart' all played with feeling and slightly altered arrangements to suit keyboard and guitar and (in some cases) to accomodate a lower singing pitch, and received with delight by the crowd - especially an impromptu minute and a half when someone shouted 'Do 'Close To The Edge' quickly'!
The sound was (as you would expect) perfect, and overall pretty quiet.
All of this was interspersed with some (obviously rehearsed) 'off the cuff' remarks and stories between the two players, and a couple of genuinely funny moments that were (obviously) not rehearsed.
It should have been a superb evening, but, unfortunately for me, every other song was from a new album Jon and Rick have collaberated on and they just didn't work for me.
By half time I had had enough, and if I had been driving, I would have left.
By full time my mate and driver Mike had also had enough and we made like a tree as the encore wound down.
Having said that, it was fantastic to see both these wonderful musicians on stage, and Rick is a superb keyboard player.
Jon may not be the best guitarist or lyricist in the world, but his voice can still raise the hairs on the back of your neck, and at 66, how much longer can that be true?
Glad I went? - overall, YES! (pun intended!)
Would I go again - NO!
IMHO
Alyerpal