Land Of Grey & Pink 40th Anniversary Edition

I have the original 'Deram' cd and it sounds so good I'd be skeptical about any 'remaster'......

Oh whoopee another triple pack rip off special.

Just how MANY times do these guys expect someone to buy their products?

<counts on fingers....>

Erm, that'd be four in my case

The 2001 re-master was very good and made the original CD sound very flat plus had good extra stuff. This has more extra stuff and given Wilson's excellent re-mixing of the early King Crimsons I have every expectation that this will sound even better.

When, with all these remix/remasters do these albums cease to be the original albums the bands laid down, I assume to their collective OK?

In Fripp's case most definitely. In Caravan's case, I dunno, but I suspect they'd be grateful of any additional income (assuming they still qualify for royalties). None of the four/five who made this album are minted.

Thanks Gary, my order is placed. Details of the remix/remaster here http://www.caravan-info.co.uk/...thanniversaryedition

As Steven has a passion for music creation, I would also expect the highest quality for fans to appreciate. I do not think he or the band were motivated by urine extraction from music followers. The King Crimson 40th Anniversary series, especially 'Red' makes me wish I had a 500/S600 or DBL system to appreciate the power and terror delivered in such clarity by this group of gifted musicians.

Comment from Steven's FB page on 5 April...

Amazon have now listed the 3 disc edition of Caravan's In the Land of Grey and Pink, so I guess it's now official - this is out in June on Universal. I don't know the exact track listing, but I did a new stereo mix and a 5.1 mix, plus mixed a whole slew of out-takes and alternate versions from the master tapes.

By the way, this is not the "very famous 70's progressive album" I referred to in my earlier post (I wouldn't describe Caravan as very famous, though I personally love them).

Amongst Steven Wilson fans, speculation is rife about the prog album he refers to above.

Denis

Re Caravan 40th Anniversary edition for once a reasonable price,like the Rush MP  anniversary issue.

Caravan are not one of my favourite bands so I'll stick with the original .

Perhaps the record companies are learning?  Unlikely I know.

Someone once asked me to name an album that was "me". Now I find best/top "whatevers" almost impossible to do, but this record is as close as I could get to being "me". I think their first three albums are one of the best first three albums I own (the next two aren't too dusty either) and Richard Sinclair has one of my favourite voices of all time. This album also has some of my top instrumental breaks of all time too.

Oi'll give it foive*

*for older folk

Thanks Gary

Caravan are one of my favourite bands.

Land of the Grey & Pink is my favourite Caravan elpee. 

(LP, CD, Canterbury Tales double CD, The Show of Our Lives CD. Live DVD and now three times on this this triple)

That'll make 8 copies of Nine Feet Underground. 

Richard Sinclair's vocals are superb and Julian Frederick Gordon Hastings is not bad either. 

(Richard's vocals of the H&TN elpees are sensational too in my view) - up there with Bob Wyatt). 

And Dave's keyboard is one of the great sounds on record. 

Excellent I'll order a copy.

All the best, Guy

Not sure what anything could be added to the original vinyl. Funny lot Caravan - really enjoyed "Land of Grey and Pink" nut other stuff left me cold.

Ho hum

Mick

Right, I bet you're dying to read this bit of anorakness.

Had a bit of a Grey and Pink evening (and funnily enopugh as i writre the sky has gone obligingly, and rather beautifully, grey and pink).

Disc 1

From what i can tell, the main album on disc 1 is identical sonically to the 2001 master, with nothing that I can detect done to it. You then get a triplet of Steven Wilson remixes, of which:

Frozen Rose (appeared as a bonus on the 2001 release as The Word). Recorded as part of the original album, but dropped through lack of space. Very good. ANd it's Richard Sinclair - nuff said.

Love To Love You - a demo that lacks the flute outro and is generally not much more than of passing interest.

Nine Feet Underground - nothing in the booklet that tells you where the source for this came from but they're all clearly studio out-takes that Wilson (presumably) has put together. It's more-or-less the same length as the original but most of the solos are somewhat different (in fact I've only heard Dave Sinclair play these very close to the official recording once, live, back in 71) which is rather jarring, but not as jarring as getting to my favourite bit, Disassociation, and hearing not Richard, but Dave Sinclair sing it. Fair enough, as he wrote it and doesn't do a bad job, but it sounds so so wrong!

Disc 2

Bits and pieces of studio out-takes and demos, three of which weren't on the 2001 remaster. It Doesn't Take A Lot is the best, but not a lot to write home about.

Then you get 5 BBC session recordings, including Nine Feet Underground (again!) and Feelin' Reelin' Squealin'. Some of the titles cross over with Green Bottles For Marjorie (early Caravan BBC sessions) but I can't tell if they're the same or not. Regardless they're very good.

Disc 3 (DVD)

You get a Steven Wilson 5.1 mix of the main album (haven't got surround so go figure what that's like). Then there's the whole album in a Wilson stereo mix. I played Nine Feet Underground as I could (at a pinch and with no-one listening) scat my way through the whole thing and hence see what Wilson's been up to with it. And the answer is, he's cleaned up and separated out the drums and bass just a little and the overall sound benefits from that. I suspect he's tampered a little with the stereo placing of the keyboards, because they sound more centralised in his version. Apart from that it seems a straight take. Given that I had to listen to the thing through a fairly cheap Panasonic DVD player, overall sonics were hard to judge (the DVD sounded a little thinner).

I can see no information on what bit-rate/sampling was used. Sorry.

The jewewls of the DVD though are the two clips performed live for German TV's Beat Club - Golf Girl and Winter Wine, both performed beatifully and leaving you just demanding more.

Overall.

If you're a Caravan nut, or simply don't posess this classic then it's a no-brainer. Otherwise if you have the 2001 remaster then probably not worth it.

I have the 2001 re-master (and jolly good it is too) so I've not ordered this ...

but I did order the grey and pink vinyl which will, hopefully, be winging its way...

Got mine today. Ripped it but haven't had a chance to listen. I don't have the 2001 RM so hopefully it's going to sound good to me. I have a UK release CD (from the 80s I think) which didn't do the vinyl any justice at all, so this is a logical gap filler. I am a bit of a sucker for these sets but selectively. I don't hoover them up but the ones I wanted I really love owning - providing they sound good.  Mistakes have occasionally been made.

OK I am a bit of a Caravan nut, but on Gary's review I don't think I'll splash out on another Grey & Pink. I do agree that the 2001 remaster was a class job.

That said, I have just ordered the 'Show of Our Lives' double set (live at the BBC) which I found for just £5.47 at tescoentertainment.com.

Having listened I wouldn't say it's super smashing great. It has more low level body, clearer voicing and a less sharp top end than my not too brilliant regular CD.  I am content. But not bowled over.

That'll probably be me with yet another copy! Although I will hold back for the reviews because my Japanese import sounds very good and I'm not sure if there is enough magic in the world to do something about the aircraft hanger acoustic. Nevertheless, I won't need *too* much of an excuse to buy it. and it's good to hear that some stuff which I consider to be of outstanding historical merit is being looked over all these years on. 

I have the 40th anniversary Caravan In The Land Of Grey And Pink number 428 of the limited edition of  500 pressings of the pink marbled double 180g vinyl.

I cant stop playing them.

Steve has done a great job on the mixes on LP2.

Wonderful sounding vinyl.

Stu

Gary, try the link below, be quick there is only 500 copies!

http://store.universal-music.c.../invt/0600753342008/

Still available at link above ~ £24.99 + p&p is free if you spend over £35...

They must pick out of the rack an post at random.

rotf got his this week and it was under mine,

Stu

mine is 407/500

the odd numbers sound better than the even  

If anyone missed last Sundays Country Tracks on BBC1 ?

Check it out on BBC iPlayer  if its still there?

It was all about the part of Kent i live in.

The best bit is if you fast forward to the Canturbury music.Caravan/Wild Flowers/s machine/and Syd Arthur.

Kate Bushes fave band.

Stu,

Gary,

Thank Debs,

She gave you the link.

I just dragged up a old thread,

This is something i would Not of had to do before HOOPLUS

Stu.