Biography
Caravan was formed
in Canterbury, England in 1968 by Pye Hastings (guitar/ vocals),
Dave Sinclair (keyboards), Richard Sinclair (bass/ vocals) and
Richard Coughlan (drums). The four had previously played at
various times with the local Canterbury band that started it
all, The Wilde Flowers, which also featured future Soft Machine
members Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers and Hugh Hopper. The band's
1968 self-titled debut saw the first signing of a UK band to
the American MGM/ Verve label. The band's second album, If
I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You was
released in September 1970, and would mark the start of their
classic period.
September
1971 saw the release of the seminal In the Land of Grey and
Pink. By now a loyal fan base was developing and they were
playing some prestigious gigs in front of audiences upwards
250,000 people. At this crucial point, Dave Sinclair decided
to leave, and went on to form Matching Mole with former Wilde
Flower mate Robert Wyatt. Delivery Keyboardist Steve Miller
came in as a replacement for Dave - recommended to Richard Sinclair
by Phil, Steve's brother and a guitarist who would go on to
greater notoriety with Hatfield & the North and National Health.
This line up was not a favorite with fans, who saw a change
to a jazzier feel, based in large part around Steve's piano
oriented keyboard style. This style dominated the next album,
Waterloo Lily, released in May of 1972.
With the
departure of both Miller and Richard Sinclair after the release
of Waterloo Lily, auditions were held for replacements,
and Stuart Evans and Derek Austin went on the road with the
band. Not fitting in with the traditional Caravan sound, tensions
lead to their departure shortly thereafter, while the rest of
the band headed into the studio to record demos for the next
album. Enter new members John G. Perry on bass, Geoffrey Richardson
on viola and the return of David Sinclair on keyboards for the
recording of For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night. This
album marked another change in the band's sound, this time towards
a more straight symphonic rock sound. This lineup also recorded
the live album Caravan and the New Symphonia. These would
pretty much be the last solid releases from Caravan in the studio.
Mike Wedgewood
replaced Perry on bass for Cunning Stunts in 1975. While
the side long Sinclair penned "Dabsong Conshirto" was a strong
piece, the first half of the album was definitely a low point
for Caravan, and marked the beginning of a series of mediocre
releases and lineup changes, eventually leading to the reunion
of the original members on Back to Front.
Many different
compilations and live albums were released in the intervening
twelve years before a new studio album, Battle of Hastings,
was released in 1995. Richard Sinclair had left again, replaced
by Jim Leverton. With the addition of second guitarist Doug
Boyle and percussionist Simon Bentall, Caravan is still active
today, playing many live dates as well as being rumored to be
preparing a new studio album for release in 2002. Decca/Deram
has also remastered the band's classic albums, from If I
Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You through
Cunning Stunts, with a myriad of bonus material, copious
liner notes and impeccable sound quality. 2002 also saw the
band play their first performance in the United States in 28
years at NEARfest 2002.
- Mike Prete [September 2002]
Source:
Caravan Information Service Online
If
I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You (1970)
Perhaps
the preeminent statement of the Canterbury scene, If I Could...
is classic Caravan all the way. This album sees the band at
their apex, expertly blending pop, psychedelia and progressive
rock. With long jams and fuzzed out organ dominating the work,
If I Could... has a relatively raw sound that is at times
similar to their contemporaries Soft Machine (Third was
also released in 1970). The usual quotient of mellow and whimsical
tracks is upheld here as well, along with the always enchanting
vocal combination of Richard Sinclair and Pye Hastings.
"And I Wish I
Were Stoned" and the classic "For Richard" are extended pieces
dominated by the psychedelic jamming and fuzzed out organ sound,
as well as memorable melodies, and are filled with great, complex
playing; the former in particular having one of the most incredible
guitar solos I've ever heard. The title track shows the band
at their whimsical best, with a light jazzy touch and a pop
feeling, showing why the band was just as comfortable on "Top
of the Pops" as they were cranking out ten minute epics. "Hello,
Hello" is another of my favorite pieces; a light and jazzy song
with an intoxicating vocal melody.
The bonus tracks
here consist mainly of demo versions of album songs, but also
included is the previously unreleased "A Day In The Life Of
Maurice Haylett" which would have fit right in on the album
proper. In short, this is a simply amazing album that I cannot
recommend highly enough. -
Mike Prete [October 2001]
Click
Here for Tracklist and Lineup Info
In
The Land Of The Grey And Pink (1971)
One of
the finest examples of the Canterbury sub-genre, In the Land
of Grey and Pink is Caravan at their peak; capturing both
their jazz-tinged, virtuosic jamming and charming English whimsy.
Magical tales of far away lands and golf balls falling from
the sky, while rather absurd, add to the band's naive charm.
This album displays more of the band's poppy tendencies, although
with interesting folk-like instrumentation and usually blended
with long flights of instrumental ecstasy. The overtly jazzy
rhythm section of Richard Sinclair and Richard Coughlan keep
a strong yet open foundation, over which Dave Sinclair reigns
supreme with blazing Hammond organ riffs. Intoxicating, ethereal
melodies abound, often sung by the soft and mesmerizing voice
of Richard Sinclair.
The band
is at their best when melding both the pop and instrumental
aspects together, and the two extended songs on the album are
the highlights. "Winter Wine" drifts along like a dream, with
a more acoustic nature and exquisite melodies developing over
its course. The real treat though is the side long closer. "Nine
Feet Underground" takes all these elements to epic heights,
with endless, dynamic Hammond drenched keyboard passages and
stunningly beautiful vocals. This is something that must be
experienced.
The bonus
tracks on the remaster are rather interesting, with a totally
unreleased song and radically different versions of "Golf Girl"
("Group Girl") and "Aristocracy", which would appear in finalized
form on Waterloo Lily. This album is an outstanding classic
that, like its predecessor, comes with my highest recommendation.
-
Mike Prete [October 2001]
Click
Here for Tracklist and Lineup Info
Waterloo
Lily (1972)
Perhaps
marking the height of Caravan's jazz influenced compositions,
Waterloo Lily steers away from the traditional sound
of the group with the addition of electric pianist Steve
Miller and the progressively jazz oriented contributions
of Richard Sinclair. This new facet of the band's sound,
a more refined improvisational bent, is emphasized on "Nothing
At All". While there are some great moments here, the track
also suffers from a fair share of meandering and some nasty
fade-ins and outs, which is probably the result of having
spliced together bits and pieces of a jam session with Phil
Miller.
"The Love
in Your Eye" is easily the high point of the album. This
epic suite integrates a symphonic leaning into their currently
jazzy tendencies, utilizing strings and brass as well as
woodwinds with a subtle, focused intensity. The traditional
Caravan sound is most present on the title track and "Aristocracy",
both of which combine the whimsy and playfulness we've come
to know and love along with intense jamming and a softer
more melodic side. While the album is often dismissed by
fans as being "boring jazz-rock", there is in fact plenty
here to appeal to lovers of the group's earlier work.
This remaster
also has the most interesting bonus material, including
some completely new material; two tracks with just Pye and
acoustic guitar, and the full band track "Looking Left,
Looking Right". There is plenty here for the Caravan enthusiast.
- Mike Prete [October 2001]
Click
Here for Tracklist and Lineup Info
For
Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night (1973)
A marked change
from the jazz-rock heavy predecessor, For Girls Who Grow
Plump in the Night sees the band adopting a more streamlined
symphonic approach. This is easily attributable to the departures
of both Richard Sinclair and Steve Miller, who were in turn
replaced by John G. Perry and Dave Sinclair, along with the
addition of Geoffrey Richardson on viola. Gone are the whimsical,
jazz tinged and Hammond drenched songs of earlier albums,
replaced here by driving symphonic rock. Although this certainly
produced an interesting change, it's just not what I want
to hear from Caravan, as there are plenty of other bands out
there doing the same thing, and for the most part, doing it
better.
"Memory
Lain, Hugh/Headloss" and "L'Auberge du Sanglier/A Hunting
We Shall Go" are very good symphonic rock pieces in their
own right, and there is no lack of energy or strong playing.
However, Perry's nasal vocals, while not the focus on most
songs, make me wish for the return of Richard Sinclair. Like
all the other Decca/Dream remasters, this album features a
plethora of bonus material. Unlike the other albums, this
is mostly comprised of demos that aren't much different than
the final versions. However, they do have hold some notable
interest for Caravan devotees as being the only recordings
with interim members Stuart Evans (bass) and Derek Austin
(keyboards).
For
Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night is not a bad album taken
by itself, but the classic Canterbury sound stopped here.
For a more representative look at Carvan in their prime, check
out the preceding three albums.
- Mike Prete [October 2001]
Caravan
And The New Symphonia (1974)
With
their newfound symphonic direction, the decision to record
with a full symphony orchestra was probably the next logical
step for Caravan. Recorded live at the Theater Royal, Drury
Lane on October 28th, 1973, the new Decca/Dream remaster
presents this concert in its entirety, as opposed to the
previous release which only contained the tracks recorded
with the orchestra, and also lacked the encore of "A Hunting
We Shall Go".
The first
three tracks consist of the warm-up section of the concert,
with just the band itself. These spirited renditions add
some life to the studio versions. The actual concert begins
with three new pieces, along with the classic "Love in Your
Eye". With its original orchestration, this would be the
perfect piece to showcase here, but is sadly ruined in parts
by the addition of Perry's caterwauling in the background.
The new pieces aren't all that strong either, and foreshadowed
the lackluster output that was still to come from the band
in their career. The band does redeem themselves somewhat
in the end with intense renditions of "For Richard" and
"A Hunting We Shall Go", making this a fairly necessary
release for fans of the band. - Mike Prete [October 2001]
Click
Here for Tracklist and Lineup Info
Songs
For Oblivion Fishermen (1998)
Songs
for Oblivion Fishermen is a compilation of live material
recorded by Caravan for various BBC programs during the 70s.
Caravan, like most of the other jazz wielding Canterbury bands,
tended to incorporate intricate jamming and joyous improvisations
into their work. This approach tended to carry over quite
well in the live atmosphere, making this album a nice companion
piece to the studio material, rather than a by-the-numbers
rehash.
Considering
that the songs on this release are most of the band's best,
there is nothing that really stands out, as everything is
solid. The combination between the shorter, poppier songs
and the extended suites is perfect. There is also a nice balance
between the different lineups of the group, with the first
six songs coming from the original lineup, and the last six
from the For Girls... era. Also included is one previously
unreleased song, "Love Song Without Flute".
My
one complaint is that this doesn't really flow like a real
live album, with all the pieces from different live studio
appearances, without an audience, not to mention the change
of lineups halfway through. Nonetheless, this would make a
good introduction to the band, as it is comprised of some
of their strongest material
- Mike Prete [October 2001]
