Record Reviews
16 Reviews Found. Use search to find more reviews or follow the links in the review text.
  | CARAVAN ~ ALL OVER YOU
TALKING ELEPHANT 090 (Barcode: 5028479009022) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1995 - 1996 Released: 2006
It doesn´t happen too often that a band takes a look back at its music recorded over 20 years earlier and decides to re-record it from scratch, as if from another perspective. But than again, CaravanFind albums by this artist, the legendary British Prog / Canterbury pioneering group, is hardly a "usual" band – one can always expect them to come up with the unexpected. This album is exactly that – a new look at the glorious material the band recorded in the 1970s and a new presentation of that material. Of course many fans saw this move as sacrilegious, holding the opinion that this classic Prog material should remain untouched. With all due respect to the fans, it´s really up to the band to decide what they wish to do with it, and honestly, considering how great this new versions are, this bold move truly paid off. Pye HastingsFind albums by this artist, Geoffrey RichardsonFind albums by this artist, Dave SinclairFind albums by this artist, Jimmy HastingsFind albums by this artist and Richard CoughlanFind albums by this artist (the Caravan lineup at the time this album was recorded) did a splendid job and this historic material sounds absolutely fresh and brilliant as it ever did and in some cases even better. Years of experience and evolution surely added layers of sophistication and understanding, which can, and in this case do outshine the youthful enthusiast and spirit of the original recordings. A must for any Canterbury music fan!
| | | CD 1 Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | CARAVAN ~ IN THE LAND OF GREY AND PINK (40TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION)
DERAM 533316 (Barcode: 600753331613) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1970 - 1971 Released: 2011
This is the 3rd album by CaravanFind albums by this artist, the ultimate Canterbury Scene band which defined the Prog sub-genre and laid out its musical boundaries. Guitarist Pye HastingsFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Dave SinclairFind albums by this artist, bassist Richard SinclairFind albums by this artist and drummer Richard CoughlanFind albums by this artist were not only superb players but also revolutionary composers, creating music which was new and completely different from anything else on earth. Aided by flautist / saxophonist Jimmy HastingsFind albums by this artist, the band recorded this masterpiece, which remains their best effort in a long and illustrious career. The original album is an iconic singularity as far as giant steps in music development are concerned and it still is an absolutely essential listening experience. This new edition expands even further the 2001 expanded edition, including BBC sessions, previously unreleased demos and alternate versions and a DVD with 5.1 Surround Sound mixes of the album by Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist (of Porcupine TreeFind albums by this artist and BlackfieldFind albums by this artist fame) and TV video material. If any album deserves such a royal treatment, this is it, so enjoy every minute of it as there are certainly many minutes to be enjoyed. Beyond essential!
| | | 2CD+DVD 3 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | CARAVAN ~ THE SHOW OF OUR LIVES - LIVE AT THE BBC 1968-1975
DERAM 301443 (Barcode: 600753014431) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1968 - 1975 Released: 2007
Every piece of archival material by the legendary Canterbury Scene band CaravanFind albums by this artist is worth its weight in gold, and where to look for such material if not in the BBC vaults, which seems to be an endless source of superb material from the 1960s and 1970s material for us, the ever hungry fans. This great collection of Caravan recordings spans the first 8 years of the group’s career and includes material from their most adventurous and productive period. It’s enough to list the musicians, who were members of the band over the years (Dave SinclairFind albums by this artist, Pye HastingsFind albums by this artist, Richard SinclairFind albums by this artist, Richard CoughlanFind albums by this artist, Geoffrey RichardsonFind albums by this artist, Mike WedgwoodFind albums by this artist) is enough to make every Canterbury fan shiver with awe-inspired admiration. The group was truly inspirational, setting the path for generations to come and vastly contributing to the development of jazz influenced Fusion and avant-oriented RIO. The BBC session included here cover the band’s entire first phase, starting from their debut eponymous album on VerveFind albums on this label and covering all the albums they recorded for DeccaFind albums on this label, the last being Cunning StuntsFind albums with this title. The quality of the material is absolutely superb from start to finish both musically and sonically, as the usual high standard of the BBC sound engineering never fails to astonish. This is an absolute must to every Caravan and Canterbury Scene fan, and basically for anybody out there, who likes good music.
| | | CD 2 Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | MATCHING MOLE ~ ON THE RADIO
HUX 083 (Barcode: 682970000831) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1972 Released: 2006
Although Matching MoleFind albums by this artist existed for barely a year, they are still considered one of the most important Canterbury scene bands and their musical legacy achieved legendary status over the years. Formed in late 1971 by Robert WyattFind albums by this artist, who left Soft MachineFind albums by this artist dissatisfied with the Free Jazz phase the band he founded was going through at the time, this new band was much closer stylistically to the Soft Machine Jazz-Rock period, which recorded ThirdFind albums with this title. The original lineup included (apart from Wyatt) the ex-CaravanFind albums by this artist keyboards wizard Dave SinclairFind albums by this artist, bassist Bill MacCormickFind albums by this artist and guitarist Phil MillerFind albums by this artist. Pianist Dave MacRaeFind albums by this artist joined later, playing alongside Sinclair and when Sinclair left he stayed on as the resident keyboards player. The band recorded two excellent albums: the self-titled debut Matching MoleFind albums with this title and Little Red RecordFind albums by this artist. Following the band’s split by the end of 1972, Wyatt started his solo career and Sinclair and Miller went on to form Hatfield And The NorthFind albums by this artist and National HealthFind albums by this artist, the two most significant Canterbury bands ever. The CuneiformFind albums on this label label released two albums with live Matching Mole material in the 2000s (Smoke SignalsFind albums with this title and MarchFind albums with this title), but their BBC sessions reminded unreleased until now. This is the first time that the BBC sessions, recorded between January and April of 1972, can be heard by the numerous fans of the band, myself included. Both the quintet and the later quartet versions of the band can be heard. The music is of course phenomenal and needs no further recommendation, something any Canterbury fan around the globe will surely agree with.
| | | CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | ROBERT WYATT ~ THE END OF AN EAR
COLUMBIA 493342 (Barcode: 5099749334229) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1970 Released: 1998
1st album by drummer / keyboardist / singer / composer and one of the Canterbury movement founding figures, Robert WyattFind albums by this artist, recorded while he was still a member of Soft MachineFind albums by this artist. Sadly often overlooked, this revolutionary recording shows Wyatt´s visionary approach to music and his deep involvement with the UK Avant-Garde Jazz scene, which was approaching a peak of its development at the time. Overall this album is more radically Jazz oriented than the music created by Soft Machine at the time, which was still related to Rock roots and essentially an extension of the early Jazz-Rock Fusion efforts. The only Soft Machine member appearing on this album is saxophonist Elton DeanFind albums by this artist, who shared Wyatt´s passion for Jazz. The rest of the players are prominent UK Jazz musicians like bassist Neville WhiteheadFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Mark CharigFind albums by this artist, pianist Mark ElidgeFind albums by this artist and Canterbury legend Dave SinclairFind albums by this artist on organ. Wyatt composed all the music except one tune, which is a Gil EvansFind albums by this artist composition heavily arranged by Wyatt. Wyatt´s drumming on this album is spectacular, completely unique in his rhythmic approach and closely related in the form of collective improvisation to the expressions of his partners. One can only imagine how Wyatt´s involvement with the British Avant-Garde Jazz scene would have developed, if not for the tragic accident, which cut short his drumming career. Therefore this album becomes even more historically important, presenting that aspect of the man´s genius. For listeners acquainted with Wyatt´s later years, this album should be quite a revelation, although probably a much tougher musical challenge. In retrospect this album remains as essential document of an era, when breaking musical barriers was completely acceptable and music was making giant steps towards a new horizon. This is a visionary work in every respect, which should be cherished and returned to periodically, to be re-discovered. A must for any serious music lover!
| | Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: | CD 1 Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
|
