The Moody Blues - Caught Live + 5 (1977)

Review 1 from Amazon.com:

In 1977, as the Moody Blues were coming to the end of their six-year sabbatical from recording, they released "Caught Live + 5," a double-album that featured three sides of a live concert recorded at the Royal Albert Hall on December 12, 1969, and one side of 5 rare studio tracks. Very similar in format to the 1982 double-album by Genesis, "Three Sides Live," but "Caught Live + 5" proves that the Moody Blues got to this concept first. The live concert recording---the only live Moodies release featuring original keyboardist Mike Pinder---is excellent, with the Moodies giving some of the tunes a refreshing, rough-and-tough live treatment, especially "Gypsy," "Peak Hour," and "Ride My See-Saw." The live portion of the album shows what a tight band the Moodies are, as they also give tremendous performances of other favorites like "Dr. Livingston I Presume," "Tuesday Afternoon," "Nights In White Satin," "Legend Of A Mind," and the progressive-rock suite of "Have You Heard" & "The Voyage." For those of us who never got to see the classic Moodies line-up live, the "Caught Live" portion of the album is definitely the next best thing. As for the five studio songs, they're all quite good. John Lodge's "Gimme A Little Somethin'" is a nice number, and Mike Pinder's "Please Think About It" is a fine, slow-but-steady piano shuffler. But it is Justin Hayward who shines the brightest with his trio of compositions. "Long Summer Days" is a marvelous light-hearted song, and "King And Queen" and "What Am I Doing Here?" are both wonderful, dramatic, haunting Moody Blues songs.With the long-awaited, brand-new Moody Blues studio album "Octave" still a year away, the Moodies sent their fans a very generous postcard with "Caught Live + 5," a most-appreciated combo platter of vintage live and studio material. For the diehard Moody Blues fan, this album is a must-have.



Review 2 from Amazon.com:

I will admit that the sound quality isn't the best...but anybody who was around in 1969 can agree that most all live recordings from this era sound about the same.

If you're a long time Moodies fan and never got to see them live....and if you never grabbed the vinyl version when first released in 1977...this would be a bargain for you....and a nice addition to your collection.

The recordings acoustics are similar to that of an arena...I believe it was recorded at the Royal Albert Hall...as that is the building pictured on the case. I personally like the audience and background noises....it gives a bit of realism and an audience vantage point to the listener.

The 5 bonus tracks were also released on the PRELUDE cd..along with 6 other unreleased tracks from the early days. Something else that no true devoted Moodies fans should be without.



Tracklisting:
1. Gypsy (4:03)
2. The Sunset (4:33)
3. Dr. Livingstone, I Presume (3:23)
4. Never Comes The Day (5:39)
5. Peak Hour (5:13)
6. Tuesday Afternoon (4:51)
7. Are You Sitting Comfortably (4:21)
8. The Dream (0:58)
9. Have You Heard Part 1 (1:22)
10. The Voyage (3:37)
11. Have You Heard Part 2 (2:33)
12. Nights In White Satin (5:55)
13. Legend Of A Mind (7:05)
14. Ride My See-Saw (4:30)
15. Gimme A Little Somethin' (3:13)
16. Please Think About It (3:44)
17. Long Summer Days (3:12)
18. King And Queen (3:55)
19. What Am I Doing Here (3:33)

Total Time: 75:40

Line-Up:
- Justin Hayward / guitars, vocals
- John Lodge / bass guitar, vocals
- Michael Pinder / keyboards, vocals
- Ray Thomas / harmonica, flute, vocals
- Graeme Edge / drums, percussion