...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...



..::OPIS::..

It is ironic that with Caravan being such an essentially British band, one of the finest visual records of their work should be this concert recorded in the USA. The gig captured here took place in 2002 at the Nearfest festival in Trenton, New Jersey. While the musicians may not all have been part of classic line up, both singer/guitarist Pye Hastings and keyboard player Dave Sinclair are present, along with long serving band members Richard Coughlan and Geoffery Richardson. Jim Leverton, Doug Boyle and Simon Bentall complete the seven man line up.

The set list includes many of the Caravan favourites, including a delightful "Caravan medley" which draws from about 8 songs. The selections for the medley are a fine mix of the familiar and the less familiar, the piece effectively becoming a suite in its own right rather than simply a sequence of song extracts.

Most of the remaining songs are played out in full, although the superb "All the way" which opens the gig is cut down substantially from its original 9+ minutes. Highlights include a great performance of the epic "9 feet underground" and a unique yet totally recognisable recitation of "For Richard". The latter features some fine flute playing by the versatile Geoff Richardson. Elsewhere, Richardson creates some excellent moods through his viola playing and also adds mandolin to the bonus track "Travelling ways". Quite why the Jim Leverton (who is a doppelganger for the late Alan Freeman!) led "Travelling ways" is not simply included in the main feature is not clear.

If there is a downside, some of the vocals, and in particular the harmonies ("I know why you're laughing") can be a bit suspect, perhaps due to monitor problems.

The other bonus features are less than essential, being a one minute observation by Richardson, and a Norwegian bimbo interviewing some of the arriving audience.

In all though, a superb recording of a rare gig by Caravan in the US.

Easy Livin



Caravan's DVD A Night's Tale: Live in the USA makes a fine companion piece to A Knight in London, picking up their story a decade later and across an ocean without skipping a beat. Recorded at Nearfest, Patriot's Theater, in Trenton, NJ, on June 29th, 2002, it captures the band in startlingly good form, 35 years into their history and still capable of delivering a spirited show packed with attractive singing (Pye Hastings' and Jim Leverton's voices have only grown richer with age, and Hastings can still hit the high notes), virtuoso playing, and well-chosen music from across their history. Indeed, all but three of the songs overlap those done at the London show, but they're done so well and so differently here that there should be no concern about overlap.

The shooting and recording are state-of-the-art, and several of the numbers feature some brief camera trickery in which the image goes to black-and-white and captures rehearsal and set-up material that is related to what you're seeing. The lineup is also the same, except that original keyboard player Dave Sinclair has returned here, replacing Jan Schelhaas, his successor, who had been in the band for the London show. There are some repetitive bonuses from the earlier performance, but the best part of the supplement is Geoffrey Richardson's specific recollections about Nearfest. The disc opens automatically to a simple two-layer menu that's easy to manipulate - the sound is excellent whether played back in stereo or 5.1 Surround.

Bruce Eder



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. All The Way 4:04
2. A Very Smelly Grubby Little Oik 6:48
3. Liar 6:39
4. The Dog, The Dog, He's At It Again 6:13
5. Nine Feet Underground 18:14
6. Caravan Medley: 15:42
Dabsong Conshirtoe / All Aboard / Where But For Caravan Would I / O Caroline / The Dabsong / Love In Your Eye / Backwards / A Hunting We Shall Go
7. Nightmare 9:10
8. I Know Why You're Laughing 5:45
9. If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You 4:36
10. For Richard 14:50

Extra Features:
11. Travelling Ways 3:54
12. Liz Steen Investigates 3:39
13. Geoffrey Richardson On Nearfest 1:19

Filmed at Nearfest, Patriots Theater Trenton, New Jersey, 29th June 2002.



..::OBSADA::..

Viola, Flute - Geoff Richardson
Vocals, Guitar - Pye Hastings
Guitar - Doug Boyle
Keyboards - David Sinclair
Bass, Vocals - Jim Leverton
Drums, Percussion - Richard Coughlan




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01aVYSQLzUc



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!