| The
Review |
This DVD was recorded live in Krakow,
Poland during their MASQUERADE OVERTURE tour in 1996 at a
high point in the beloved neo-prog band's career. PENDRAGON
had been building up a solid legacy with their brand of atmospheric
and cinematic progressive rock, and in the mid/late 90's their
profile was pretty high for a band running their own label
and doing things their way. The band has always had a strong
European fan base. This DVD captures Nick Barrett and his
pals delivering a fine, professional performance. Multiple
cameras get a lot of angles, so the viewer isn't forced to
watch the same close-ups and stage shots all the time. They
use a few camera 'cranes', so there's a feel of gliding 'movement'
and bird's-eye views across the slightly small but atmospheric
stage. The DVD has a somewhat 'made for TV' feel to it- like
one of those made for PBS(Public Broadcasting) TV stations
where they would interupt the show after every few songs to
try to get you to pledge 50 dollars so you could watch the
program and get a collector's mug(think MOODY BLUES). Only
you don't get the interruptions.
By the 90's, Pendragon had forged
a more dramatic and somewhat symphonic direction with their
material, and liked to play the most recent material. Songs
pretty much cover 90 percent of the MASQUERADE OVERTURE album
as well as choice cuts from the previous two, with only 'Leviathan'
from the 80's. Nick Barrett is a focal point, and actually
a decent showman. Here, a bearded Barrett sports a harlequin-type
checkered coat, much like the characters found on the album
covers, perhaps giving the performance more credence by attempting
to look part of the musical world he has created(Nick writes
most of the songs). Barrett gets my respect- he has a unique
voice and should really be considered a bona fide guitar god.
His playing is more emotional than your usual progressive
rock string king, yet with amazing technique. He can usually
back up his flights of fancy with haunting solos and solid
rhythm foundations. Clive Nolan(of ARENA fame) looks like
your classic Nolan: trench coat and dark stare as he concentrates
on his atmospheric synth and piano playing, and occasionally
bangs thy head during the more powerful sections. A clean-cut
Peter Gee on bass looks more like a banker than a rocker but
provides a lot of the glue that holds it all together, while
drummer Fudge Smith is all smiles and looks the happiest at
what he's playing.
Extras include biographies and
images, as well as a Barrett interview which finds him in
a jovial mood. Another interesting highlight is the bonus
music video for 'SAVED BY YOU' from the 1988 'Kowtow' record.
This video is amusing, as it is VERY 80's and features a younger
Barrett with a more John Parr/Billy Squier image strutting
around with the ladies. Don't think it ever made it to MTV,
but there's still hairspray everywhere. That ridiculous video
was almost worth the price of the disc itself, but shows how
far Pendragon has come as a band. Certainly a welcome addition
to any Neo fan's DVD collection.
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