Caravan Binge

[progman1975]

In the process of FINALLY understanding and obsessing the Genius of this band. After all this years it was Pye Hastings penned "Memory Laine Hugh" that made me see the light. So, I
purchased "For Girls..." and now I'm onto 'Waterloo Lily". "The Love In You Eyes" has just blown me away. What a 12 min Canterbury lovefest. "Live at Fairfield Halls" is in my pile next. Please
join in the fun and maybe our fearless Canterbury Coordinator, Frank , has some thoughts.

[chalkpie]

In the process of FINALLY understanding and obsessing the Genius of this band. After all this years it was Pye Hastings penned "Memory Laine Hugh" that made me see the light. So, I
purchased "For Girls..." and now I'm onto 'Waterloo Lily". "The Love In You Eyes" has just blown me away. What a 12 min Canterbury lovefest. "Live at Fairfield Halls" is in my pile next. Please
join in the fun and maybe our fearless Canterbury Coordinator, Frank , has some thoughts.

Hey man - binges are THE BEST! Congrats!

This could technically be part of the upcoming Canterbury binge, which usually starts the last week or so of December, but we'll let you do your own now

Really glad you're digging the Caravans, man. Are you hip to the first few albums? If not, then you don't need me to tell you that those are absolute essential must-owns. This band just oozes "Canterbury" out of every last orifice, although they got less and less as time went on. And yes, if you are digging For Girls, then Fairfield Halls will blow your mond and then some. The "Hunting We Shall Go" medley is worth the admission price alone, but the whole damn thing is so stellar. You're gonna ice cream when you hear that one.

Let us know how the s/t, If I Could, and Grey and Pink are treating you also - for me that is where the true diamonds are. The BBC double disc studio "The Show of Our Lives" would be another essential purchase IMO.

Enjoy brother!

[markwoll]

Caravan & The New Symphonia is ( currently ) my fav live.
The DVD A Knights Tale:Live in the USA is from Nearfest and has a killer version of Nine feet underground.

[Toothyspook]

When you buy the albums make sure you get the reissues that have the bonus tracks.

Those bonus tracks, that were not worthy of release back then, are better than a lot of the music I hear today

[arturs]

^^^^
From all those very good bonus tracks, the two that are absolutely awesome are the longer versions of Love to Love You and especially Golf Girl. I believe they are only available on the compilation Where but for Caravan would I.... I actually burned a version of ItLoG&P that replaced the original versions with these longer ones. Much better!

[strawberrybrick]

Binges are good! binge drinking on the other hand... not so good!

[Scrotum Scissor]

Well, I personally highly recommend binge drinking with musical binge, albeit it's a certified acquired taste. And preferably not if you keep your folks at home.

I had a short Caravan binge myself this spring, and it was nice. Autumn is more Hatfield time for me, winter more Health and summer Softs. For whatever reason.

[bigjohnwayne]

God willing you will be a fellow lover of Caravan Live at Fairfield Hall


I spent a quite a bit of time with that record when I was in high school (class of '05).

I think the Girls Who Grow Plump songs sound a bit better without John G Perry's background vocals (not a big fan of the vocal harmonies as they were written on the album). Plus, there's the definitive version of "Virgin on the Ridiculous".


My favorites these days are If I Could Do it All Over Again, Land of Grey and Pink (their two most "canterbury" albums, to these ears) and Back to Front (their early 80s one-off with the original lineup).


Of course you'll also need to get everything Hatield and North ever recorded and Richard Sinclair's Caravan of Dreams solo album

[Phlakaton]

I'm still trying to remove the binge from last night - and it's about 4:30pm the next day. Ughhh.

[zombywoof]

Been doing this too. Plus I have a caravan shirt now.

[Trane]

just in case

https://rateyourmusic.com/board_mess...age_id=6012005

[JB Horwitz]

In the process of FINALLY understanding and obsessing the Genius of this band. After all this years it was Pye Hastings penned "Memory Laine Hugh" that made me see the light. So, I purchased "For Girls..." and now I'm onto 'Waterloo Lily". "The Love In You Eyes" has just blown me away. What a 12 min Canterbury lovefest. "Live at Fairfield Halls" is in my pile next. Please join in the fun and maybe our fearless Canterbury Coordinator, Frank , has some thoughts.

You want a 12 min Caravan binge? Check out last weeks PM Show. Stream it here:

http://www.xray.fm/broadcasts/view/8522

Starts about 25 min into the show.

All the best.

JB

[Progbear]

God willing you will be a fellow lover of Caravan Live at Fairfield Hall


I spent a quite a bit of time with that record when I was in high school (class of '05).

I think the Girls Who Grow Plump songs sound a bit better without John G Perry's background vocals (not a big fan of the vocal harmonies as they were written on the album). Plus, there's the definitive version of "Virgin on the Ridiculous".

I discovered it under its original, vinyl title, The Best of Caravan Live. I don’t mind John G. Perry’s vocals, but it’s nice to hear the For Girls... songs in live versions. And I agree that the version of “Virgin on the Ridiculous” blows the one on C&TNS away. But please get that one, too; the remastered version with the full concert. The orchestrated “For Richard” has grown on me in a big way, and the live version of “A Hunting We Shall Go” just slays. Caravan integrated the full orchestra into their sound like no other band did. That’s why I love Waterloo Lily and For Girls... so much. I like their earlier stuff, too, but the orchestra brought their sound to a new level. I’m sure having brilliant arrangers/conductors like Martyn Ford helped, but Pye’s wonderful tunes did beg for orchestration. And it wasn’t wimpy, soporific string-sweetening like one often gets when orchestra is added to rock. Super-nice!

Been doing this too. Plus I have a caravan shirt now.

Cool! I wish I had a Caravan shirt!

[progman1975]

Cool! I wish I had a Caravan shirt![/QUOTE]

Their website has them. Its run by Pyes wife, I think

[zombywoof]

BUMP

How great is the Fairfield Halls version of "Love in your eye"?

[chalkpie]

BUMP

How great is the Fairfield Halls version of "Love in your eye"?

Better than the studio counterpart IMO. Really great.

[zombywoof]

Better than the studio counterpart IMO. Really great.

Yeah, agreed. I generally prefer studio versions, but this one is pretty kickin'.

Frankie, do you have the New Synphonia? Can you comment / recommend?

[florentine pogen]

Caravan is the TITS!! Like sucking on a big pair of juggs... ya just can't get enough.

[soundsweird]

I love Caravan!!! ...but I don't do listening binges anymore. Even if it's one of my favorite artists, I find myself wanting to hear something completely different after I've heard maybe an album's worth of music. I jump around from Prog to Medieval to Electroacoustic to Western Swing to British Folk to Big Band standards to ECM label jazz to 60's pop to Balinese Gamelan to New Age to Bossa Nova to Experimental to Belly Dance to........

[Obscured]

Great sounding show from 3 weeks ago on bigo site for mp3 d/l- http://bigozine2.com/roio/?p=3986

John Etheridge (Soft Machine) on lead guitar, Geoffrey Richardson not in this lineup due to other commitments.

[arturs]

Thanks for the download link. Nice to hear a new Caravan show.

After listening I gotta say, they're basically a country-rock outfit now. I love Pye's music dearly; he can do no wrong in my book. So I enjoy it for what it is.

[yesstiles]

"Live At Fairfield Halls 1974" is their single best release.

[Lino]

Many of my faves from the 70s get very little play these days... some from sheer burnout, and some just sound awful to me , and make me wonder how I loved them so lol. For some odd reason, Caravan still sounds good to me every single time! And I've had all their records since '77.

If I Could Do It All Over Again... - probably my fave of their studio albums. Caravan and the New Symphonia is almost live prog perfection.
Don't sleep on the post 70's records either...some great stuff in there too.

[mogrooves]

Caravan and the New Symphonia.

A personal fave, and not only because I was in attendance.

[Lino]

A personal fave, and not only because I was in attendance.

How awesome! That was the 2nd Caravan album I ever owned, and spent many nights with the headphones on imagining what it would have been like to see.
That's why you are the mo-grooviest.