first official albums :
Garden Of Delights
Xhol Caravan : Electrip (1969)****'
Garden Of Delights Xhol : Hau-Ruck (1970)****'
Spalax Xhol Caravan : Mother Fuckers Gmbh (1972)****°
later released live recordings :
Garden Of Delights Xhol Caravan : Altena 1969 (1969)***°'
Garden Of Delights Soul Caravan : Live 1969 (1969)**°°
Garden Of Delights Xhol : Altena 1970 (1970)****°
Xhol Caravan is one of the only I would say slightly Canterbury-styled German bands (along with Brainstorm,..) and one of the most interesting Krautrock / jazzrock groups from Wiesbaden (Hessen). They started as Soul Caravan with some soul and jazz influence, (including two black musicians at that stage), but evolved to more improvised and advanced territory with a name change to Xhol Caravan with a single in 1969 still showing some soul influence, until the band really changed stile with some small line up change, and a much more adventurous debut, “Electrip”, with longer, partly improvised tracks. It was along with a few other independent examples one of the most interesting albums of that time, with a jazz influenced psych-rock style that was going to be an influence to groups like Out Of Focus, Kraan,... Also early Embryo was related in style. While looking like hippies, driving in a flowerpainted car, and playing rather psychedelic go-free music, they had experienced several problems by the police and costumers, finding them too suspicious characters, like one event on the border of Switzerland where they confiscated some innocent teabags (having put them in prison for a day).
The debut LP, "Electrip" was reissued on LP some years ago, and by Garden Of Delights on CD soon after. The single, also included, wasn’t that interesting yet, but “Electrip” surely is a classic of a jazzrock driven album with interesting compositions and incredible improvisations, and a must for Canterbury (and Soft Machine) lovers. Some of the improvisations have some free form improvisations, but are still very structured, powerful and crafty, and with energetic evolutions.
“Hau-Ruk”, their second album under the name of Xhol (1971) contains two long improvisations, where the group is at its peak. The first track is a wonderful 24 minute trippy jazzy improvisation, while the second, 20 minute track is equally styled, but also has parts directing towards rockn’blues and psych’n roll.
“Motherfuckers GmbH” (1972) is a more experimental album and is based upon left over recordings. While “Radio” uses old soul from the Soul Caravan recordings, they are switched like on a radio (with radio noises) as if they are not so interesting to play from start to finish, at the same time showing their complete very quickly evolution in style. After another short Canterbury track, "Leistungsprinzip" this is followed by a unique and beautiful, very experimental trippy organ track, "Orgelsolo" from almost 10 minutes, is followed by another trippy track, "Side 1 firstday" starting a bit like Pink Floyd live (organ) with flute, evolving to another great jazzy-psychedelic trip. “Grille” is like an outro of the former track with some birdsounds, and some calm flute and conga improvisation. The last track, “Love Potion 25” starts again in a more souljazz style, but with some beautiful jazzy improvisation. The compilation is done very well, but it is especially the mid part that makes the album very unique.
The "Altena 1969" album contains a very fine improvisation with Canterbury, jazz and bluesrock touches of John Coltrane's "Olé", more psychedelic and moody than the original. Soul singer James Rhodes at this stage was still part of the group. With his contribution, "So Damn" is more soulful jazz, and "Psychedelic Sally" is a more Hendrix styled souljazz (without the guitars). After the somewhat less interesting but still ok, "Emptiness" it's great to hear that the "Freedom Opera" was also included. The almost 57 minute track was reissued before on “Motherfuckers Live” together with a Cologne gig from 1969 recorded by WDR television, and another side with interpretations by experimental English groups), but here you can hear it as part of the the original live concert. The track has a fundament of compositional ideas with freedom of more free and freaking improvisations. The first 17 minutes were entirely instrumental, with the vocals, at various times slightly mad, fitting well as contribution, and showing what Xhol Caravan would have become if James Rhodes wouldn’t have left soon after.
The most soulful part has rather unusual long improvisations along for this type of singing. There I’m still not sure how the different doesn’t express a bit with too different feelings. But anyhow, also these vocals evolve well along with the music. When they become more mad, also in a soulful way the free aspects in the music become complete. By the time of the “Freedom Poems” parts, vocals and music became first like a calm free-formed organism, with an almost religious but rather mad conclusion, and the great rocking souljazz “Planet Earth” composition.
The "Live 1969" album by Soul Caravan still is with the complete line-up. The liner notes on this release learn how Soul Caravan was fronted and formed by the two African-American fingers. There was some popularity, support and promotion of soul by some American labels at that time. American soldiers also showed interest in the band and booked them various times for gigs, leading to some CBS interest. After a while with the growing interest in more adventurous music, and a festival with Zappa, Amon Düül, Tangerine Dream, Guru Guru, some undeliberate influence of drugs and by more psychedelic groups, the style of the group rapidly evolved to something more original. This recording, showed how this evolution was done.
First two tracks much more are an instrumental jazzrock experience, with great live energy. This is followed by a session of a drum solo, according to the time's fashion. The Otis Redding track after that is a soul cover, which is more like an ok crowd teaser to sue/woo the public, ok, followed by a second more funky (James Brown) cover which ends up in another jazzy improvisation.
At the stage of "Altena 1970" Xhol Caravan shorted their name into Xhol, because they didn't want to be confused with the Canterbury group Caravan. The first 37 minute track is an up tempo jazzrock track, first with flute, in the direction of Ruphus Zufall, then with sax and organ, with sharp, complex jazz rhythms, with tiny weird freaky directions, inventive psychedelic parts, then calm and moody like jazz, until a kind of East Of Eden like jazz-rock, then like the best swinging jazz or bluesy jazz. I also recognise a musical theme which was used again later in 1971 on Embryo's "Rache" (I think on "Spain Yes, Franco Finished" if I remember well). The great jazz-rocking energy continues on "Electric Fun Fair". The longest track, “Xholenium" has a small freakier intro, some longer jam parts, but also other similar moody organ with bass and jazzy drums improvisations, partly Canterbury and jazzrock related in style.
This recording was recorded pretty well, -with just a few less disturbing small mistakes-, by professional jazz lovers. Technically it was impossible to have reissued this before, but even now, with three tracks counting already over 80 minutes, one other 20 minute track was left out, and another shorter track which was already known from "Electrip" had to be taken out as well.
The famous TV sessions from 1971 were also reissued lately, as “Talking To My Soul” on a DVD by the same G.O.D. label.
PS. Hansi Fischer also played on "Paradieswärts" from Amon Düül, and on "Rache" and "Father, Son and Holy Ghost" and on the live album from Embryo, "Bremen 1971" where especially the first track, "Try to be" should be very close to the music of Xhol Caravan.
A radioshow on Xhol Caravan is planned for 2006-05-10.
