XHOL Caravan - ' Talking To My Soul ' DVD (Garden Of Delights)
Catalog number: DVD01
XHOL Caravan - ' Talking To My Soul ' DVD (Garden Of Delights)
Catalog number: DVD01
From Aural Innovations April 2010 update
I believe this is Garden Of Delight's very first DVD release and it's also their first label release I've seen packaged in the digi-pack format. The DVD's first three tracks are from a German TV special that was originally broadcast on October 18, 1970. "All Green" is basically a good jazz-fusion work out for the band, as "Talking To My Soul" featured a cool liquid light show - including the image of a giant eye several times and "Oszillogram" has all the making of a great krautrock song with a nice flow to it that had the band playing in top form. The 36 minute television show was pulled from the SWF serie's vaults. The previously mentioned "Talking To My Soul" performance would make a great TV promo video.
Personnel: Ocki Brevern - keyboards, Hansi Fischer - flute & soprano sax, Tim Belbe - tenor sax, Klaus Briest - bass and Skip - drums. Picture and sound quality is great. Plus Garden Of Delights took the time to tag something on this DVD that I didn't expect - two reunion live performances of two of the old band members - Tim Belbe and Hansi Fischer with additional musicians backing them up. Track 4 is of their fusion piece "All Green" from a 2003 gig and then track 5 is (again) another version of "All Green" during a 2004 live appearance - both segments are more or less a 'straight shoot' but the quality is fine. Something I didn't notice until a bit later but this is a two-sided DVD with the same program on both sides. Final pitch, the DVD comes with the Garden Of Delights traditional 26-page (but, who's counting?) informative booklet packed with info, artwork and band memorabilia. Chalk up another must-have on your krautrock want-list.
Visit the Garden of Delights label site at: http://diregarden.com
Reviewed by Mike Reed