Caravan & the New Symphonia

Caravan & the New Symphonia Artist: Caravan
Label: Polygram Int'l
Category: Music



Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Format: Live
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1


UPC: 042288296928
EAN: 0042288296928
ASIN: B00005A46V


Release Date: 2001-04-17

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Listmania:

  1. My all time greats
  2. ROCK MEETS ORCHESTRA
  3. Influential but overrated proto-prog/prog albums

Tracks:

  1. Introduction by Alan Black/Memory Lain, Hugh/Headloss - Caravan,
  2. Dog, the Dog, He's at It Again [Live]
  3. Hoedown
  4. Introduction
  5. Love in Your Eye
  6. Mirror for the Day
  7. Virgin on the Ridiculous
  8. For Richard
  9. Hunting We Shall Go
  10. Hunting We Shall Go - Caravan,

Similar Items:

  1. For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night
  2. Waterloo Lily
  3. If I Could Do It All Over Again I'd Do It All Over You
  4. In the Land of Grey and Pink
  5. Cunning Stunts

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A Winner.......2007-01-09

Great CD. This remastered CD, complete with bonus tracks, should be part of every Caravan collection.

4 out of 5 stars Complete at last.......2006-02-02

Caravan first worked with an orchestra when recording Pye Hasting's instrumental piece A Hunting We Shall Go for the album For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night in 1973. The conductor and arranger for the session was Martyn Ford, who had been working with Barclay James Harvest. He enjoyed the experience so much he proposed the idea of a live concert also featuring the New Symphonia Orchestra. The idea was in vogue at the time with artists as diverse as Procol Harum and Deep Purple recording albums with full orchestras on board, sometimes with overblown and pompous results, though this is happily not the case here, where the orchestration genuinely adds a new dimension to the music.
The concert happened on 28 October 1973 and was brilliantly captured on the Pye Mobile by Bill Price for an album, which was duly released in April 1974. Due to the space limitations of vinyl, only the main part of the concert was included, and the running order could not be maintained. It consisted of the lengthy Love In Your Eye (from Waterloo Lily), two hurriedly finished new songs, Mirror For The Day and Virgin On The Ridiculous, and their normal closing number, the suite For Richard.
For this remastered re-issue the entire concert appears for the first time, complete with Pye Hastings' between song banter. Three songs from the current album were performed before the orchestra came on, and for an encore the complete ensemble performed the piece that had kick-started the project, A Hunting We Shall Go. These make a valuable and very welcome addition to an already essential CD.

4 out of 5 stars The Finest Fusion of Rock and Orchestra.......2003-02-24

The fusion of rock and orchestration is certainly not something new. It seems many rock bands these days are deciding to update their material with an orchestra. Metallica brought back this idea with their 1999 release "S&M." The Scorpions tried doing the same thing and now, KISS is at it in Australia--ready to perform with the Sydney Orchestra in full makeup! God help us all.

However, in 1974, the Canterbury prog-rock masters, Caravan, fused the two perfectly. In fact, this could possibly be the best fusion of rock and orchestra ever attempted. The orchestra is used in just the right way--not too overdone and not too overblown. Caravan uses the New Symphonia just like another member of the band--adding an overall effect, which is astonishing and breathtaking. From the power of "For Richard," to the sweetness of "The Love of Your Eyes," this record is sure to be a favorite for any Caravan fan who might be skeptical of this live classical fusion. For others interested in the paring of electricity and orchestra, this album is not one to miss.

This new remastered version is a gem. To put it bluntly, it sounds amazing. The orchestra is so clear and perfect, it almost sounds as if this wasn't recorded in 1974. Plus, as a bonus, this disc features three tunes the band recorded that same night without the orchestra as a warm up before hitting the stage with the big band-I don't believe these songs were featured on the original release.

While the fusion of orchestra with rock is a novelty these days, Caravan did it best in 1974 with this live release, along with the album prior to this, "Cunning Stunts." Play it loud and play it often!

5 out of 5 stars Finally.......New Symphonia is on CD.......2002-09-04

A friend turned me on to Caravan in 1971 and I've enjoyed all of their recordings (up to 1975's Cunning Stunts) ever since. This CD release of New Symphonia will certainly be welcomed by all fans of the group, and with good reason. It has been remastered reasonably well, so the quieter orchestral passages sound clearer (no tape hiss) and the band sound is balanced nicely with the orchestra.

Deram also included additional material in the form of A Hunting We Shall Go, performed with the orchestra. They also decided to add the group's non orchestral warmup set, giving all listeners a well rounded hearing of a very special evening.

The New Symphonia has always been a favorite of mine because of the unique sound. It seems Caravan's music just works well in an orchestral setting, and this recording proves the point. There is a lot to enjoy here.

If you are new to Caravan, I would recommend you start with In The Land of the Grey and Pink or For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night. If you are already familiar with the group but never listened to this one, you can feel comfortable in purchasing this CD. A very pleasant experience awaits you.

5 out of 5 stars Finally.......New Symphonia is on CD.......2002-09-04

A friend turned me on to Caravan in 1971 and I've enjoyed all of their recordings (up to 1975's Cunning Stunts) ever since. This CD release of New Symphonia will certainly be welcomed by all fans of the group, and with good reason. It has been remastered reasonably well, so the quieter orchestral passages sound clearer (no tape hiss) and the band sound is balanced nicely with the orchestra.

Deram also included additional material in the form of A Hunting We Shall Go, performed with the orchestra. They also decided to add the group's non orchestral warmup set, giving all listeners a well rounded hearing of a very special evening.

The New Symphonia has always been a favorite of mine because of the unique sound. It seems Caravan's music just works well in an orchestral setting, and this recording proves the point. There is a lot to enjoy here.

If you are new to Caravan, I would recommend you start with In The Land of the Grey and Pink or For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night. If you are already familiar with the group but never listened to this one, you can feel comfortable in purchasing this CD. A very pleasant experience awaits you.

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