EMI
Ritchie temporarily left the European mainland for a trip to York, to the Grand Opera House to be precise. York only happens to be almost plagued by mediaeval buildings; a guildhall, a wall, one of the largest gothic cathedrals in Europe etc. Of cause Ritchie had to lay there, and do a little picturesque bonus to the tones of “Minstrel Hall”. But there is more, let´s not forget abot the sold out arena.
Opener “Locked within the Crystal Ball” could well have been Blackadder´s “See the little Goblin”, since the audience was happy only to see the old bard on British soil. Ritchie is in a fabulous mood, must be the setting and the immaculate band. As could be expected Ritchie is the star of the evening. His solos are as sharp as ever, only performed less often on a Fender Stratocaster. The NORDMAN cover “Journeyman”, as well as the previous “The Circle” is blessed by the electric and lo and behold, there is a whiff of expectation and awe from the present gentry. I dare say that the mood changes when the man in black retorts to acoustic instruments. But as the story goes, the only mishap is the gypsy-like and somewhat off-beat, on the night at least, “Toast to Tomorrow”. I think it works better one of Ritchie´s many treks into Eastern Europe. Candice is probably one of a very limited number who can joke with Ritchie the way she does, about his age and all. But the chitchat with the audience serves its purpose of conveying the feel of a warm and friendly evening. The encores after being showed the clock by one of the staff, from “Dandelion Wine” onwards, is pure Ritchie magic. Soft love ballads like “First of May” or speedier stuff like “All the Fun of the Fayre” doesn´t matter, Ritchie really creates the right expressions while his guitar gently weeps. Then there is the big issue of having the Man in Black back, with his frantic and ferocious mastery of the Fender…but that, alas, seems as credible as a folly.
Track list
DVD
Locked within the Crystal Ball
Gilded Case
The Circle
Journeyman
World of Stone
The Peasant´s Promise
Toast to Tomorrow
Fires at Midnight
Barbara Allen
Darkness
Dance of Darkness
Dandelion Wine
All the Fun of the Fayre
First of May
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