REVIEWS FROM VARIOUS SOURCES
An unauthorised bootleg reissued and repackaged yet again
On behalf of the Caravan community I am acting on my own risk to let it be known that these releases are neither authorised or associated with the present and past members and management of Caravan. Past manager Mark Powell publicly issued an official boycott for the sale of material from this concert which was recorded 30th June 2002 at The Patriots Theater, Trenton, New Jersey USA, the band appearing exclusively for the 2002 NEARfest Festival. Mark's statement can be read via an archived copy of the band's past official website: http://web.archive.org/web/20050411200349/http://www.caravan-info.co.uk/article.php?id=32
This CD is a repackaged reissue of truncated bootleg material previously available as 'A Night's Tale: Live In The USA' (issued by Classic Rock Productions ltd in 2003), 'Grey, Pink and Gold' (issued by Retro in 2004), Live On Air (issued by Southworld in 2010).
There was also an unauthorised DVD release of the concert titled 'A Knights Tale: Live in the USA' (issued by Classic Rock Productions ltd) which to has been repackaged and reissued under alternative titles and distribution companies (including Ragnarock ltd, Ragnarock Films, Music Reviews ltd, Sandbeach Holdings).
This material has never been authorised for release by the band and their management past and present and not a single penny has ever been received by members of Caravan from any of the many releases.
The Store For Music ltd is the latest record label to release this material and it is possible that once again it has been third party licensed to them "in good faith" by the person which I for unjust legal reasons have to refrain from publicly slandering. I have attempted to warn Store for Music about this material but they have refused to listen and thus have gone ahead with this reissue.
For authorised and approved releases check out Demon Records' new issue of the 1990 ITV Bedrock television concert titled Access All Areas now available as a remastered CD/DVD package with exclusive bonus material. Salvo have issued a PAL release of the band's 2010 television recording at Metropolis Studios in London which is combined with an exclusive CD release. In addition, the band have released many more official live recordings from 2010 through to 2015 which are part available from the official Caravan website including a DVD of their most recent USA concert.
Much love, NB
Slappyhead 1/5 15.02.2015 (PROGARCHIVES)
Don’t miss the trailer.
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 4/5 06.09.2008 (PROGARCHIVES)
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 3/5 (ALLMUSIC)
Sound quality is only OK and the band was not at its all-time best the night this live CD was recorded
Beware. If you already own the 2011 CD 'Live On Air', you already have a copy. Reissued in 2014 with a new title and cover artwork. Sound quality is only OK and the band was not at its all-time best the night this live CD was recorded. If you are not very familiar with Caravan, and you are looking for a good live album to get acquainted, look for those from the earlier years of the band ('Live', 'Live UK Tour 1974' and 'Live at the Fairfield Halls 1974' are all excellent).
All that being said, this is still a pretty good concert CD and if you are a dedicated Caravan fan (as I am), it's worth getting this album to complete your collection. Caravan's music is really worth listening to, it is one of the very best progressive rock bands ever.
Viva Twain 3/5 08.11.2014 (AMAZON)
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