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Track Listings
| 1. Memory Laine, Hugh / Headloss |
| 2. Virgin on the Ridiculous |
| 3. Be Alright / Chance of a Lifetime |
| 4. The Love in Your Eye |
| 5. L'Auberge Du Sanglier / A Hunting We Shall Go |
| 6. The Dog, The Dog, He's At It Again |
| 7. For Richard |
| 8. Hoedown |
Product Description
CD Description
David Sinclair / keyboards Geoffrey Richardson / viola Mike Wedgwood / bass Pye Hastings / guitar, vocals Richard Coughlan / drums
About the Artist
Founded by former Wilde Flowers members David Sinclair, Richard Sinclair, Pye Hastings and Richard Coughlan, Caravan rose to success over the years from 1968 into the 70 s. This English band from Canterbury blended Psychedelic Rock with Jazz to create their distinctive sound. Caravan were the first British band to sign for American record label Verve and released their debut album Caravan. After the closure of Verves rock and pop division, Caravan moved to Decca records and released If I Could Do It All Again, I d Do It All Over You in 1970. After the third album release, David Sinclair left the group and was replaced by Steve Miller. This change in musical direction to a much more Jazz influenced approach with Waterloo s Lilly didn t sit well with followers of the group and the band soon disintegrated, leaving Hastings and Coughlan. The remaining members recruited Geoffrey Richardson (Viola) Stu Evans (Bass) and Derek Austin (Keyboards) and toured extensively. No recordings were ever made with this line up until Evans was replaced by John Perry, and Dave Sinclair rejoined the group in 1973. The album to follow, For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night was considered as one of the groups finest moments. Perry left soon afterwards and was replaced by Mike Wedgwood. A loyal following has ensured steady sales of back catalogue, helped by a lengthy live career and who continue to play to this day, featuring founder members Pye Hastings (Guitar, Vocals, Songwriting) and Richard Coughlan (Drums).
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The year has barely started and the competition for the best archive release of 2002 is already over. Caravan's "Live at the Fairfield Halls, 1974" is one monster of a live album, a couple of seconds short of 80 minutes of sheer brilliancy from a magnificent group in the peak of its powers.
Previously available only briefly in the early 80's under the title "The Best of Caravan Live" (now complete with "Chance of a Lifetime" and the encore "Hoedown" correctly placed) this is a professionally recorded album with exceptional sound quality. The gig itself has been lauded as one of the finest Caravan performances of the period, and one can easily hear why. The set is brilliant from start to finish. Even the songs usually heard with orchestral backing ("Virgin on the Ridiculous" and "A Hunting We Shall Go") sound superb as quartet arrangements and certainly do not seem lacking in any respect.
This Caravan comes loaded with goods - don't miss out on your share!
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The definitive Caravan live album.
OK the official release at the time "Caravan & the New Symphonia" has a novelty value with the full orchestral backing but is not as good as this release.
The band were in magnificent form at fairfield Hall (obviously looking forward to their impending jaunt to the States)and every track is superbly performed - often surpassing the studio versions. Certainly The Love in Your Eye, For Richard and L'Auberge du Sanglier are worth the price alone.
As one of the few who managed to get "The Best of Caravan Live" - the French release that featured much of this concert performance - I was doubtful if I would ever see it on CD so I could hardly have been more pleased to see the full concert released in its own right.
80 minutes of Caravan bliss? Come on - you can't go wrong!
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
For anyone who managed to get their hands on the rather rare vinyl version of this album (only released in France) they might wonder what the fuss is about but this has nevertheless long been regarded by other Caravan fans as a bit of a holy grail release. Effectively released then as a live greatest hits package in fact it comprised a single performance from Croydon in September 1974, arguably at the zenith of the band's artistic period with Decca - certainly in terms of studio albums it was all downhill from here on in.
The performance is nevertheless an enjoyable one. The band had long ago mutated from the original Canterbury line up and by late '74 it was effectively a new band playing the old hits (even the last album's line up from earlier in 1974 had not survived long).
Now repackaged as a single live album (it is exactly what it says on the cover) these are nonetheless pretty storming performances, particularly the tracks from the "Girls That Grow Plump in the Night" LP. It is a bit of a strange mix however and although there is rarity value in the "L'Auberge Du Sanglier" suite being captured for posterity this and the New Symphonia track, "Virgin on the Ridiculous", are pretty weak live in my view.
What makes up for these minor shortcomings are great performances of "Love in your Eye", "Memory Lain, Hugh/Headloss" and the old staple "For Richard". The whole album
was recorded professionally on the Pye Mobile recording unit and, as such, sound quality is extremely high.
Most Caravan fans will want this in their collection but if we can get earlier performances from 1970-71 officially released I suspect that this performance will, in comparison, soon be forgotten.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Caravan at their peak
Way back in the mid 70s I saw Caravan five times up and down the country. As a fifty-something old git, I do know they are a bit naff, but they represent the pinnacle of British... Read more
Published 8 months ago by P. Kaye
Mike's first gig
I had this LP on the Kingdom label, bought at a record fair. My best mate and son's Godfather, Mike Wedgwood, was amazed to hear it as the band seemed barely aware that it... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Mr. Thomas Thatcher
Other reviews relate to a different item
All the reviews on this page for "A Hunting We Shall Go" seem in fact to be about a different item, namely "Live At The Fairfield Halls, 1974", which is certainly an excellent... Read more
Published 12 months ago by simonbla
Not the only, but definitely the best way to hear Caravan
Like many other bands in the early seventies, Caravan were always at their best in concert. Sadly Richard Sinclair had moved on prior to the recording of this and 'For girls who... Read more
Published on 29 Jun 2009 by Mark Kibble
Come on!!
I'm new to Caravan, so it has been a joy to discover this classic prog outfit I had so regrettably overlooked. Read more
Published on 4 Jun 2009 by Paul Millington
Who Needs a Third Version of This Collection of Songs?
Well I certainly do actually. Essentially there was the studio album, For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night, then a live album Caravan & the New Symphonia which covered more or... Read more
Published on 22 Sep 2008 by Numinous Ugo
Great music: fine perfomance: lack-lustre recording.
Recorded on their first American tour (presumably) and not too long after the definitive "Fairfield Halls" set (also available on CD. This is rather a disappointment. Read more
Published on 16 Sep 2008 by Mr. N. Loebner
a classic
I bought this album in 1980 while interailing on the continent.
I had "In the land of .." , but must admit that wasnt a true Caravan obsessive, being more of a Camel... Read more
I had "In the land of .." , but must admit that wasnt a true Caravan obsessive, being more of a Camel... Read more
Published on 9 April 2006 by Dr. Michael J. Johnson
Caravan at their best!
I was a loyal Caravan fan back in the early 70’s and could never understand why a band with such original musical ideas, and unique sound (just listen to that organ on If I... Read more
Published on 15 Jan 2004 by ben hedges
Buy this CD Now!
"For Girls......" for me was the best Caravan LP. Not true to Caravan of old, but Free Form Caravan with Jazz. Read more
Published on 21 Mar 2002
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