Soul Caravan - Live 1969
(Garden Of Delights) Catalog no: CD115
Soul Caravan - Live 1969
(Garden Of Delights) Catalog no: CD115
From Aural Innovations October 2009 update
Recorded in early 1969, just prior to when the band had changed their name to XHOL Caravan. I've heard there's one other earlier effort from this German krautrock / experimental band - 'Get In High' ( ' 67), not sure if it's been reissued on CD yet or not. What we get here is an 'incomplete' thirty-seven minute live
performance that is so well edited, I honestly could not tell which songs might have had certain parts cut out. Either way, sound quality is great. Starting
off with Roger / Hammerstein's all-out jazzy "My Favorite Things",
it dawned on me that this CD import would likely be a bit different than the
other XHOL titles I've heard. Next up is the thirteen-minute "All Green"
with (sort of) a psychedelic vibe to it - although it's a bit more jazzy than
I was maybe expecting as so was "Skipping" but I have to admit the
drum solo was somewhat impressive. Last two songs are covers - their well played
remake of Otis Redding's "(Sitting On) The Dock Of The Bay" and their
inspiring homage to James Brown with "Lick A Stick" - personally,
I thought this tune was the best song on the entire CD. Personnel: Leon - vocals,
Werner Funk - guitar, Klaus Briest - bass, Ocki Von Brevern (R. I. P.) - keyboards,
Hansi Fischer - soprano sax, Tim Belbe (R. I. P.) - tenor sax and Skip Van Wyck
- drums. Myself, I like some of the other discs by XHOL and their various /
similar line-ups better - like 'Electrip', 'Motherf***kers Live' 2-CD or (also
out on the Garden Of Delights label) 'Hau-Ruk'. CD comes with a 28-page booklet
with a listing and an image of every GoD title put - releases numbers 1 through
117, so you can see what other label titles you don't have.
Check out the Garden of Delights web site at: http://diregarden.com
Reviewed by Mike Reed