A NIGHT'S TALE: LIVE IN THE USA

It is ironic that with Caravan being such an essentially British band, one of the finest visual records of their work should be this concert recorded in the USA. The gig captured here took place in 2002 at the Nearfest festival in Trenton, New Jersey. While the musicians may not all have been part of classic line up, both singer/guitarist Pye Hastings and keyboard player Dave Sinclair are present, along with long serving band members Richard Coughlan and Geoffery Richardson. Jim Leverton, Doug Boyle and Simon Bentall complete the seven man line up.

The set list includes many of the Caravan favourites, including a delightful "Caravan medley" which draws from about 8 songs. The selections for the medley are a fine mix of the familiar and the less familiar, the piece effectively becoming a suite in its own right rather than simply a sequence of song extracts.

Most of the remaining songs are played out in full, although the superb "All the way" which opens the gig is cut down substantially from its original 9+ minutes. Highlights include a great performance of the epic "9 feet underground" and a unique yet totally recognisable recitation of "For Richard". The latter features some fine flute playing by the versatile Geoff Richardson. Elsewhere, Richardson creates some excellent moods through his viola playing and also adds mandolin to the bonus track "Travelling ways". Quite why the Jim Leverton (who is a doppelganger for the late Alan Freeman!) led "Travelling ways" is not simply included in the main feature is not clear.

If there is a downside, some of the vocals, and in particular the harmonies ("I know why you're laughing") can be a bit suspect, perhaps due to monitor problems.

The other bonus features are less than essential, being a one minute observation by Richardson, and a Norwegian bimbo interviewing some of the arriving audience.

In all though, a superb recording of a rare gig by Caravan in the US.