Review of Caravan 35 Years: The Ultimate Anthology

Introduction

Another Ragnarok Ultimate Anthology arrives for review, and I find myself faced with the same `in over my head` feeling as the last time. This time the band in question is Caravan. Yet another prog rock combo that I have absolutely no knowledge of, and one who have never troubled the UK top 40 according to my research.

While the band may be veteran, the footage on this disc certainly isn`t. For your notes, you get 74 minutes of music, eight tracks in all taken from live performances from 1990, 2002 and 2003. This Anthology is released in a "Special DTS Enhanced Version". Before you get excited, it also has printed discreetly on the slipcase, "With such a wide selection of sound sources covering 35 years inevitably not every recording will live up to today`s exacting standards and some recordings will show the limitations of the available technology at the time" Take from that what you will.

Video

It`s live concert footage here so visual excitement is a little lacking. The first four tracks are taken from the 1990 and 2002 concerts, and they are shot on good old 4:3 video, with all the artefacts and lack of resolution that implies. But come the year 2003, and Caravan have finally caught up with the digital age. Presented in a letterbox ratio, this material is an order of magnitude sharper than the first four tracks. However the clearer image doesn`t offset the static performances.

Audio

You can choose from DD 2.0 Stereo, DD 5.1 or DTS. The surround is a tad richer and encompassing, the Stereo more strident.

Features

There are three bonus tracks taken from the bands heyday. It`s a bit of a shock to see these fresh-faced youths performing after having watched the rather more sedate concert from their geriatric selves. Presented in 4:3, two are in B&W, and one in colour.

Conclusion

After the rather anorexic offering from Atomic Rooster, I was a little more gratified to see that there was 82 odd minutes on this disc. There are still only eight tracks though, eleven counting the bonus extras, and given the price, it maybe cheaper investing in a CD. Caravan fans may appreciate this disc though.

Prog Rock isn`t my cup of tea though, and this disc did little to convert me. The tracks did nothing to inspire me, and served best as background music. This is despite the rather intriguingly titled `A Very Smelly Little Oik`, which I`m afraid didn`t live up to expectations. The concert footage may as well as not have been there. Most of the tracks were over 10 minutes long, with a few minutes of lifeless vocals and pretentious lyrics, broken up with lengthy instrumental breaks, that I can only describe as electro jazz, changing style 5 times per track. I found it dull indeed, quite shocking really compared to the bonus tracks, three vintage performances from the band, mercifully short and that actually had my toe tapping. But what do I know? I`m not a fan of this type of music; if you are you`ll be best placed to decide whether this disc is worth buying.