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Caught Live + 5 is a live album by The Moody Blues, consisting of a 12 December 1969 live show at the Royal Albert Hall and five previously unreleased studio recordings from 1967 to 1968.
The band's performance was a popular and critical success at the time. In his newspaper review of the event, music critic Jack Scott called the concert a "knockout victory for progressive pop," having a "rich, full sound that combined sensitivity with sheer popular punch."
... [B]eautifully controlled waves of volume kept excitement high ... They're not slaves to volume. Power was used judiciously with splendid effect, producing a clean-cut, undulating sound...[2]
The recording showcases the band's versatility on different instruments, and their ability to perform complex material from their first four albums in a live setting. "Gypsy (Of a Strange and Distant Time)" is the only representative of the contemporary album To Our Children's Children's Children, likely because their method of heavy overdubbing on their records made much of the songs very difficult to successfully reproduce live.
The "+5" studio tracks were re-released on their 1987 album Prelude.
The 8-track tape version of this album has the distinction of being one of the few 8-tracks that is arranged exactly like the album, with no song breaks.
While Caught Live + 5 managed to reach #26 during its American chart run, it missed the British listings completely, the first time this had occurred for The Moody Blues since their 1965 debut The Magnificent Moodies. The band remained unhappy with the album, and would not sanction its release on CD until 1996.
This is the first Moody Blues album since Days of Future Passed not to feature cover artwork by Philip Travers. Decca Records instead used British art design group Hipgnosis.
