LIVE AT FAIRFIELD HALLS - 1974

Creatively, Caravan were at their peak in 1971 ('In the Land of Grey and Pink'), but their performance got that extra that made Caravan my all-time favourite (Canterbury-) band with the introduction of the viola of Geoff Richardson in 1973. (Violins always improve prog music.) 'Live at Fairfield Halls' is a registration of a live concert in 1974, shortly after the release of their 'For Girls...'-album, containing songs from 'For Girls...' as well as songs from previous times (like the concert favourite 'For Richard', which I now have in seven different versions, and 'Virgin on the Ridiculous' from 'Caravan & The New Symphonia', that has never been released on a studio album). It is Caravan performing at their peak, and especially Richardson's viola is superb. This really is one of the best live albums in prog history, and a must-have for everybody who loves Caravan, Canterbury music and violins in prog music. Caravan playing live really is something extra compared to their studio performances: their music is more voluminous, and really swings here! Originally, the recordings of this concert were released on an album called 'The Best of Caravan Live' in 1980, which for copyright reasons only came out in France. I lost my copy over the years, and have been waiting for twenty years before the album was re-released (and remastered) on cd, but it was worth every minute waiting. Five stars; if 'Nine Feet Underground' (their magnum opus, which as far as I know has never been released in a line-up with Geoff Richardson) would have been included, I would have given six.