CARAVAN Cunning Stunts reviews CARAVAN Cunning Stunts ratings distribution 3.10 Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(11%) Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(35%) Good, but non-essential (38%) Poor. Only for completionists (2%) CARAVAN Cunning Stunts reviews Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings Collaborators/Experts Reviews SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Prog Folk 2.5 stars really!! The beginning of the end although they might argue that this was the end of the begionning. This should have been a great Lp but the sound is completely different (more Americanized) and one wonder what a master piece the suite might have been if it had been recorded one year earlier. Actually, the BBC sessions make some of these tracks better and more-Caravan sounding. Another Stunning play on words on the title of the album, you C�nts??? ;-) Review by loserboy PROG REVIEWER "Cunning Stunts" is another superb Canterbury prog release from CARAVAN mixing all the right elements throughout.

Songs range from more pop orientated (side A) to the side long epic "The Dabsong Conshirtoe" which shows a more progressive side of CARAVAN ( a six part movement). "Cunning Stunts" in many ways is actually my fav of CARAVAN's output with some great gentle CAMEL-like canterbury keyboards and songs. Vocals are picture perfect with great harmonies and thoughtful backing vocals. The reason why I love this album is that although "Cunning Stunts" carries all the trademarks of classic CARAVAN they involve more CAMEL imagery than say SOFT MACHINE influences. A beautiful album worthy of your collection... Review by greenback SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator The worst caravan album! Man! This album is really awful! The album is often full of accoustic rhythmic guitar and pseudo sentimental background string or minimal keyboards arrangements! We are far from "In the Land of Grey and Pink"! The melodies are quite not catchy at all. The music is simple, the songs seems accessible but the addiction never comes! What happened to those guys? It is even BEATLES-esque!

SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin Caravan put on the show of their lives, gery vood! The last of the great Caravan albums. The school playground humour of the title, and the rather nondescript sleeve disguise an excellent work which features many fine moments. The jazz influence which came to the fore on "Waterloo Lily" is seldom in evidence here, the album being among the band's most accessible releases, while retaining a significant depth of Canterbury prog. "The show of our lives" is a majestic opener, complete with chiming bells contributing to a veritable wall of sound. The stately pace and choral vocals give an almost stage show feel to the track. "Lover" and "No backstage pass" combine well to form a beautiful 10 minute piece which was to become a regular feature of their live set. The "Dabsong concerto" occupies virtually all of side 2 of the LP. It carries many of the Caravan trademarks, with some fine instrumental work. It does tend to drift a bit midway through, but is brought back together by a reprisal of "The show of our lives" to end the track.

Overall, a slightly more commercial album than their previous offerings, but another classic Caravan release nonetheless. The 2001 remastered CD version has 3 extra tracks including the rare "Keeping back my love" and an 18 minute live version of the classic "For Richard". Review by Proghead PROG REVIEWER I hate to come down hard on CARAVAN, after releasing a handful of good to great albums, they came up with this over-orchestrated disaster known as "Cunning Stunts". The lineup at this point was Pye Hastings, David Sinclair, Geoff Richardson, Richard Coughlin, and Mike Wedgwood. Wedgwood was previously CURVED AIR and appeared on the wonderful "Phantasmagoria" and its followup, "Air Cut" (which I hadn't heard yet, but had a lineup change for that album). While Mike Wedgwood's appearance in CURVED AIR didn't hurt the band any (after all, the songwriting there was confined to Sonja Kristina, Darryl Way, and Francis Monkman, keeping the CURVED AIR sound), his appearance in CARAVAN really hurt the band, as he seemed to take over here and hogged the spotlight.

And most of the stuff he came up with is mush, like "The Show of Our Lives" and "Lover". The orchestrations don't help. What's really lacking here is the whimsy, and the charm of earlier albums, concentrating too much on orchestration. Pye Hasting's rare vocal show, "Stuck in a Hole" is a bit of an improvement. And where's David Sinclair? Mostly it's just him on piano, I start missing his organ, like on "In the Land of Grey & Pink". "The Dabsong Conshirtoe" is the side-length cut, which actually has some excellent moments, starts off rather mushy, but still prevents the album from being a complete disaster. Not the first place to start if you're new to CARAVAN. PROG REVIEWER 3.5 really. This album was Caravan's most commercially succesful, driven by the (relative) single sucess of the songs "Stuck in a Hole" and "The Show of Our Lives". Despite this, it earns a lot of derision on the part of die-hard fans, some unwarranted. This is the last good release from Caravan, and has many reasons to recommend it.

(It sports a great cover, and Caravan had not lost their trademark Canterbury humour, with the title pun, "Cunning Stunts"). By this point the lineup consisted of band leader and guitarist Pye Hastings, the canterbury legend (and recently returned) David Sinclair on keys, Richard Coughlan on Drums, Geoff Richardson on Violin and Mike Wedgewood on Bass. A strong lineup, but the addition of Wedgewood does push them into much more conventional, rock-pop mould. The album opens with the stately Sinclair composition "The Show of Our Lives", which is the closest Caravan comes to symphonic prog. This slow and majestic track is a real gem, Pye's voice and guitar are both spot on, as well as Richardson as always fantastic violin/viola work. The next track, Pye Hasting's "Stuck in a Hole" was Caravan's biggest hit, and while it lacks the power and grandeur of "Show of our Lives" and their earlier work, it is nonetheless enjoyable and fun, (although not the sound Caravan fans had come to expect). The next three tracks are rather mediocre bordering on insufferable.

Mike Wedgewood's "Lover" is one of the most hated tracks ever by Caravan fans, with good reason. It is syrupy trash with little substance. "Welcome the Day" and "no Backstage Pass" are a bit better, though instantly forgettable. With the eighteen minute "Dabsong Concerto", another Sinclair composition, Caravan return to their strong canterbury jazz roots, and they do it well. This is the last epic in the bands repertoire, and its memorable. It has a poppy begginning, similar to many of their songs, which fades into a great Jazz-Prog workout. While Caravan had no doubt drifted towards a more commercial sound of late, they showed they could still play, and play well on this track. Interestingly, this track not only draws its inspiration from folk, jazz and prog like many Caravan tracks, but their is a great deal of Funk in it as well! Overall a very enjoyable and lively track (minus the repetitive and annoying ending with random sound effects). The album closes with a short (1 minute) and pleasant piece called "the Fear and Loathing in Tollington Park Rag", a nice little acoustic guitarpiece and a great way to end the album.

Overall a pleasant and enjoyable album, and the last of any importance from Caravan. Despite three weak middle tracks, it is a strong album, and any fan of the lighter, more structured side of Canterbury will love it - 3.5 stars. Review by Tony Fisher PROG REVIEWER I dug this out for this review after not having listened to it for over 20 years and the reasons I didn't like it then apply more than ever now. Caravan had gone through several line up changes since their masterpiece (In the Land of Grey and Pink), the charismatic and excellent bass/vocalist Richard Sinclair having left to be replaced by Mike Wedgewood and Geoff Richardson having come in to take the load off Dave Sinclair in the lead instrument role. He provides viola and electric guitar solos, largely because Pye Hastings seems unwilling or unable to solo. However, the problem does not lie with the musicians, all of whom play very competently. Caravan are noted for quirky, very English songs with a distinct sense of humour. The material here is generally completely average and most of it is forgettable.

The Show of our Lives is the best track on side 1 and escapes criticism, being a fine song in the true Caravan mould with some great choral singing. Stuck in a Hole was released as a single but flopped deservedly; the title describes the band's predicament well. Lover is horrible, slushy and slow with dreadful string arrangements and the last 2 tracks are entirely forgettable, Welcome the Day being decidely poppy and fairly horrible. Side 2 is almost all taken up by The Dabsong Concerto which sounds like an attempt to revisit Nine Feet Underground. It is pretty good overall and has its moments of brilliance, but it's a bit self indulgent in parts and does not ignite in the way the earlier piece did. So how to rate this mixed bag? Bearing in mind that I have owned this LP for 31 years and have probably played it less than 10 times (it's in pristine condition!), that must say something. It falls between 2 and 3* but, like the curate's egg, good in parts only merits 2*.

Review by Heptade PROG REVIEWER This is Caravan's first sort-of dud, ironic considering that it was their most commercially successful album at the time (and ever, I think). I think they really missed Richard Sinclair's talents as a singer and composer and his sense of humour. The genius of In the Land of Grey and Pink is not present here. For Girls Who Grow Plump... was a pleasant album with some memorable, inventive tunes, but this one passes by without much to remember. That's not to say it's not pleasant- the strings, piano, flute and viola are quite elegant and Pye Hastings remains a good singer and a decent songwriter, but it's all rather inconsequential and a bit bland, sort of like a Peter Frampton album. The songs are pretty much soft-rock with an occasional stab at a kind of white funk groove. The 18 minute Dabsong Conshirtoe is basically a bunch of songs like the rest of the album tied together, not a real epic. I don't mean to come down so hard on the album, but by Caravan's high standards, this slice of competent 70s rock doesn't really measure up.

Having said that, if you are building a core collection of Caravan albums, this is certainly pleasant enough to add to your purchases. Just don't expect anything too mind-blowing. Review by Seyo SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator This will probably sound heretical for die-hard CARAVAN fans, but I enjoy this album much more than heavily overrated "The Land of Grey and Pink"! It's soft and easy to listen, true, but it is not simply "soft-rock" or "easy-listening" music. The music flows perfectly from start to finish and seems like well-constructed and composed theme. This LP is far from groundbreaking or avant-garde innovations. It is far from masterpiece. But it is simply very nice album to listen to and enjoy. I don't see a reason why "Cunning Stunts" shouldn't be included in any decent prog collection. Review by ZowieZiggy PROG REVIEWER While you listen to the opening song, you will pass through several experiences : some dull acoustic start, a sumptuous guitar break and finally a gospel oriented finale. Quite an indigestible mix.

"Stuck In A Whole" is more in the style of their previous (and more rocking) album. An easy listening and upbeat rock song. Not bad, but not really good either! It is true to say that this album is not a great one. The syrupy and well titled "Lover" is an ultra mellowish song which collapses under heavy orchestrations. Press next. My favourite song from this album is "No Backstage Day". Smooth vocals are combined with a beautiful melody and when the band group its forces and perform the upbeat middle part, we are not far away of the best "Caravan" which is of course not the case during the funky "Welcome The Day". Press next. The epic of this album is another pleasant song. It combines quiet musical moments and rock passages with a special mention to the very good violin play (but these brass are too invading). It should please any "Caravan" fan. It saves a bit this album I must say. Some jazzy flavours and good fluting almost fully occupies the second half of this long piece (eighteen minutes, sharp). I admit that the last five funky minutes are repetitive and useless. It really ends up nowhere.

A pity because without those brass and this finale it could have been a good epic. This is an aaverage album even if the remastered edition features a good version of For Richard. Two stars. Review by UMUR SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator Cunning Stunts is the sixth studio album from Caravan. After the brilliant For Girls Who Grow Plumb in the Night, I expected an equally stunning album, but I guess Caravan�s great era ended with For Girls Who Grow Plumb in the Night because Cunning Stunts is a disappointment compared to the previous album. It�s not all bad though and there are hints to the Caravan we love. The Show of Our Lives starts the album. It�s a semi-ballad song with lots of orchestration. I can�t say I enjoy this song very much. It�s definitely not to my taste. Stuck in a Hole is the next song and here the quality is considerably higher. This is how Caravan should sound like IMO. It�s an energetic song that reminds me a bit about some of the songs from For Girls Who Grow Plumb in the Night. One of the best songs here without a doubt. Lover is a terrible cheesy ballad type song with lots of orchestration.

Really not my taste at all. Around this time of listening I was seriously worried if Cunning Stunts would continue in this way but fortunately the next song No Backstage Pass is a pretty good subtle Caravan song. But then we go again with a terrible song. Welcome the Day has beat that is almost in the vein of disco. This song is so cheesy I can�t stand it. The keyboard solo by David Sinclair is a bit redeeming though. It�s a very bad song though. Dabsong Conshirto is an 18 minute long song which is the definite highlight of Cunning Stunts. This is actually one of the greatest compositions I have heard so far from Caravan. Lots of soloing by violin, keyboards and flute but there are also some of the most demanding vocal parts Pye Hastings ever did. Really high pitched without sounding forced. What a great song. The last song is The Fear and Loathing in Tollington Park which is a short almost bluegrass inspired guitar led song but then flute kicks in and gives it a folky touch. Ok but nothing special. The musicianship is very good even though it�s hard to understand that brilliant musicians like these want�s to play some of the things played on Cunning Stunts.

The production is very good. I really enjoy this production and I wish that the music had been better so it could have profited from the good sound quality. Cunning Stunts have good moments and terrible moments and it�t definitely not my favorite Caravan album but the good moments does mean that I will rate Cunning Stunts 3 stars. Two songs stand out as the best and saves the album and that is Stuck in a Hole and Dabsong Conshirto. This is partially recommendable. I would buy this if I fell over it in a record store but it�s not the kind of album I would seek out. SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Symphonic Team Neither cunning nor stunning This is one of Caravan's better albums, but it is far away from the previous For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night. Cunning Stunts consists mainly of rather lightweight songs with a distinct Pop flavour. Perhaps, not that they are particularly commercial or very memorable, but they are quite accessible and cathcy they somehow lack an edge. The opening song, The Show Of Our Lives, is more grandiose and symphonic than what we are used to from Caravan. It is a lovely song though, but hardly progressive.

The misguided Jazz-Rock/Fusion direction of Waterloo Lily is thankfully not resurrected on this album. Instead they chose here to be a bit more accessible and melodic which benefits their sound much more than Jazz-Rock in my opinion. However, they often sound rather anonymous here and a bit too lighthearted for my taste. The Disco flavoured Welcome The Day would have fitted perfectly, both musically and lyrically, on an Alan Parsons Project album like I Robot or Eve! The centrepiece of the album is the 18 minute, multipart The Dabsong Conshirtoe. This is clearly the most interesting song on the album and is quite nice. However, it does not compare favourably to the For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night material or the classic Five Feet Underground from The Land Of Gray And Pink. The conclusion is that Cunning Stunts, while neither particularly cunning nor particularly stunning, is still a good album. However, it is hardly essential listening. Review by snobb SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator Caravan turned on US market with this album.

They always were pop-folk wing of Canterbury scene, but on their previous albums they quite successfully balanced between catchy melodies, soft multi layered sound and light smell of jazzy psychedelia to stay one of most respectable Canterbury scene band. With Cunning Stunts they left their usual field of activities. Songs there are a bit faster,less dreamy, missed almost all folksy moments, but became much more funky and a bit more jazzy. Still big part of great melodies stayed on this release, and they are great material for almost groovy compositions a-la Steely Dan or Chicago (even more some compositions sound close to ELO prog-boogie ,or are influenced by American folk music) I believe for Canterbury scene fans this album is a total disaster, but with my love to jazzy/funky grooves I can easily find an interesting side of the band's music there. For sure, a bit simplistic and some openly radio-friendly compositions didn't help much for band's progressive fame, but open ears listener will find really many interesting moments in the music of this album. Interesting release for funky jazz rock fans, not recommended for Canterbury or prog folk lovers. Really 3+!

Review by octopus-4 SPECIAL COLLABORATOR RIO/Avant/Zeuhl Team This is what I consider the last good thing made by Caravan. This quite underrated album (IMO of course) is similar in its structure to Grey and Pink: 5 songs on the A side and a suite on the B side, even if there's a short closer at the end. But let's go step by step: the album's opener is one of the most famous Caravan's tracks, at least by the mainstream public. It was also the title of the compilation that represented my first Caravan purchase. It's not on PA but I have to retrieve the vinyl in a box... "The Show Of Our Lives" is a major-chords-mellow-tempo song, nothing special apart the cello in the background and I really dislike its final. Things are little better with "Stick In A Hole", another of the Caravan's pop-oriented songs. It's a piece of British Glam as we have found several times in the previous albums. Not properly prog. Good but non-essential let's say. "Lover" seems to have been written to give Geoff Richardson the opportunity to place some strings here and there.

This song can be skipped both for the trivial pop music and for the poor lyrics. At this point somebody could wonder why I call this album "the last good thing"...let's proceed. Strings and flute open "No Backstage Pass". It's the first true Caravan song. The vocals are not too dissimilar from Richard Sinclair's and the music is finally fully enjoyable. There's some pop in the chorus but it's not so bad to jeopardize the rest of the song. "Welcome the Day" is a surprise. I don't understand why a band like this tried to make a Disco-Funky song. The attempt was unsuccessful , specially because the chorus is too typical Caravan's stuff and this partially saves this song. Not that it's bad, but surely is not what one looks for in a Caravan's album. If I want this kind of things I can buy Bee Gees or at least the late 70s output of Wishbone Ash (a little better for me). Ok, the A side is no more than two stars, but "The Dashboard Conshirtoe" is about to come. Put the vinyl upside down and listen to one of the best songs ever released by this band.

A slow melodic beginning with some jazzy accents, the only thing that appears misplaced is the bongos in the background. After a couple of minutes it goes uptime and it's not dissimilar from what is found in epics like Nine Feet Underground. The initial theme is then back just to introduce a glam part that's very enjoyable and contains the brasses arranged by Jimmy Hastings who reveals to be a genius. Also the guitar solo which follows is reminding of the acid sounds of the first albums. To be honest I like the Slade, so how could I dislike this? However it suddenly stops to leave room to a symphonic instrumental part which later turns into jazz. And it's really better than the first jazzy attempts of Waterloo Lily. The bass is so good that you wouldn't suspect that Richard Sinclair is not here. As often happens in jazz and in prog there's room for riffs from all the instruments, in particular guitar and electric piano which alternate several times. When the jazzy part stops one could expect a thunder like on For Richard. It turns into funky instead. This is a five minutes coda or better the final movement of the symphony which ends in chaos as also None Feet Underground does.

Please forgive the last minute... The album is closed by "Tollington Park Rag". As the title says it's a ragtime and even if totally disconnected from the rest, I like it. One funny trivial is that I was unable to listen to it on vinyl without passing by the suite first, because moving the pick-up so close to the centre of the disk was causing the pick-up to go back to the standby position... I know that I shouldn't rate half of an album, but the B side is very good and at the level of the best things released by Caravan so missing it because of some poor things on the A side would be a pity. The A side is for fans only but the B side is an excellent addition. I will go for the average but with the temptation of rating it 4 stars. Review by Warthur PROG REVIEWER The consensus amongst most Caravan listeners seems to be that somewhere along the way they drifted a bit too far into commercialised poppy soft-rock realms, lost their distinctive personality, and churned out some really bad albums. The main point of disagreement seems to be precisely where the decline began.

Personally, I take a hardline approach: Cunning Stunts, the album which changed up Caravan's sound and swapped out the Canterbury style of For Girls Who Grow Plump in favour of cheesy strings, anonymous and generic jazz-rock blended with unconvincing stabs at hard rock, and The Dabsong Conshirto, Caravan's least convincing epic (with most of its sections far outlasting their appeal). Sorry, Caravan, but here's where I get off the bus. Review by Sinusoid PROG REVIEWER Sometimes, an album can come with a bad omen before the first listen. Take Caravan's sixth studio album, CUNNING STUNTS. When I first put on the record after I get home, I find that my copy got the pressing all screwed up and switched the two side labels around. That's just my bad experience with one item. The actual musical content of the record is about as head-scratching.

From the band that had delighted fans with a unique concoction of jazz, prog, pop and psychedelia, and the band that really rebounded its career with FOR GIRLS WHO GROW PLUMP IN THE NIGHT, to begin the album with something that wouldn't sound too out of place on a Billy Joel or Elton John record is frightening. ''The Show of Our Lives'' has extremely little of Caravan's usual pizzazz; instead, it opts to crack open in an American market that I assume never heard it. I hate to sound harsh, but if there is a good reason why CUNNING STUNTS has been obscured in comparison to other Caravan records, it's that most of the album sounds like very lightweight, generic '70s soft rock. What made Caravan Caravan is nearly nonexistent on the first side, save for a little Pye Hastings dry humour. New bassist (the third bassist in three albums) Mike Wedgewood isn't helping any as his two tracks (''Lover'', ''Welcome the Day'') sound awkward and never really fit Caravan's style. They sound like they're trying to be ''Caravan, the band, the musical'', and for this band it doesn't work.

Also, on the previous album, I enjoyed the fresh sound Geoff Richardson's viola brought to the band; here, I forget he's in the band until about the fifth song. The only song that at least has somewhat of a lasting impression is ''The Dabsong Conshirto'', another attempt by David Sinclair to bring the band back into epic status. For CUNNING STUNTS, it's decent enough, but it's too clustered to be in ''Nine Feet Underground'' territory. For some reason, Hastings actually goes for the highest notes in his range early in the epic with mixed results. And ending with a reprise of ''The Show of Our Lives'' isn't a welcome conclusion in my book. For whatever reasons, CUNNING STUNTS is a huge disappointment of an album that Caravan hasn't quite rebounded from. The songs sound like clockwork and the band doesn't seem to gel like they have before. Speaking of unable to gel, Dave Sinclair exited the band again after this record. Caravan | Psychedelicized 09 Mar 2012 - Colin Nagy From: Canterbury, England Caravan are considered to be a vital part of the British underground scene that existed in the late sixties.

Unfortunately, commercial success was never something the band found. Caravan was also a big part of the legendary Canterbury music scene. The original members of Caravan were Richard Coughlan (drums), Pye Hastings (guitar, vocals), David Sinclair (keyboards, vocals), and Richard Sinclair (bass). Coughlan, Hastings, and David Sinclair had all been members of a band called the Wilde Flowers. In 1968, they went on to form Caravan, landing a recording contract with MGM/Verve. That same year the band released their self-titled debut album. The album is soft and hypnotic, attracting the attention of the underground scene upon its release. The album was composed of all original material minus “Where But For Caravan Would I Be”, a song written by Hasting’s older brother Jimmy along with Brian Hopper. Two of the album’s songs, “Place Of My Own” and “Ride” were released as a single, but the music was more intended for an album-buying crowed, thus not selling well. Caravan moved to Decca when Verve folded, and released their second album, If I Could Do It All Over Again.

When it came to their third album, Caravan was switched to Decca’s progressive Deram label. Just a couple of moths after the release of In The Land Of Grey And Pink, David Sinclair left the band to work with Robert Wyatt. Steve Miller (piano, vocals) of Carol Grimes’ Delivery came in as Sinclair’s replacement. The fourth album, Waterloo Lilly, is considered to be one of Caravan’s weaker efforts. Shortly after it’s release, Miller left, initially hoping to reform Delivery. Richard Sinclair also left the band to form Hatfield And The North. Two unknowns named Evans and Austin came in as replacements, along with the edition of Geoff Richardson (electric viola). The lineup lasted a very short period of time as Evans and Austin both left the band after a failed tour of Australia. David Sinclair wound up rejoining and John Perry was recruited by the band. The fifth album by Caravan was called For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night, and was heavily influenced by orchestral sounds, featuring a lot of brass. The album was well received, but the original sleeve was rejected by Decca, as it showed a naked, pregnant woman on the front.

The final version had the same woman wearing flimsy nightwear. The Caravan And The New Symphonia, released in 1974, saw many of Caravan’s early material re-recorded live at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, September 28, 1973. The album had only two new songs, “Mirror For The Day” and “Virgin On The Ridiculous”. In the summer of 1974, Perry was replaced by Mike Wedgwood who had previously worked with Kiki Dee and Curved Air. Caravan’s most commercially successful album was Cunning Stunts, providing the single “Stuck In A Hole” / “Lover”. The album reached #124 on the charts, but the single never really sold well. Caravan continued to record albums into the 1980s, reforming in 1982, before they stopped recording new material. Artist information sources include: The Tapestry Of Delights by Vernon Joynson Feel free to use our Facebook page to discuss & ask any questions you have about this artist, a fellow PsycheHead is sure to have the answer.

Tracks played on Psychedelicized… From the 1968 album Caravan Ride From the 1970 album If I Could Do It All Over Again, I’d Do It All Over You If I Could Do It All Over Again, I’d Do It All Over You And I Wish I Were Stoned/Don’t Worry As I Feel I Die With an Ear to the Ground You Can Make It/Martinian/Only Cox (Reprise) Hello Hello From the 1971 album In The Land Of The Gray And Pink Golf Girl CARAVAN discography and reviews Review by Borik I read a lot of negative reviews on this recording, but I dare to disagree with them. No, this isn't the big prog reunion some Caravan fans might have hoped for. But... yes, this is the classic line-up and yes, they sound like classic Caravan! I admit this album is very poppy, but I can remember the highly acclaimed 'For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night' is very poppy as well. Personally I prefer this album above the stylish-similar 'Blind Dog' from '77, although this material sounds a bit more fresh and transparant.

For the famous David Sinclair keyboard solo you must wait until the epic last song, which is wonderful, but on 'Videos of Hollywood' he plays a very nice synth solo as well. Another pleasant component of the album is the wonderful sound of Richard Sinclair's bass, which is very clear present in all the songs. On top of the cake we hear a few very nice sax solos from the one and only Mel Collins. To everyone that likes the classic 70's Caravan and both 'Blind Dog' and won't set epic prog expectations too high, this is a very enjoyable album, worth quite a few spins. It's Caravan in what they do best: writing catchy poppy songs with a blend of colourful instrumentation. Review by ster After Caravan produced "Waterloo Lily" the dissension among the members proved to be too much. Pye Hastings and Richard Sinclair were obviously on two different paths. Richard Sinclair and Steve Miller would leave and be replaced by John G. Perry on bass/vocals and Geoff Richardson would provide electric violin. Also Dave Sinclair would come back as the keyboardist. This time though it would be Hastings who would be the main driving force with John G.

Perry providing excellent vocal harmonies and Geoff Richardson providing a lot of the instrumentation with his violin rather that Dave Sinclair's keyboards. What we get is a very different sounding Caravan record. But it turns out to be an amazing record. From the beginning to the end. Very upbeat. The Canterbury sound only comes through rarely. The album rocks more often too and has more af an American sound without losing progressive ingenuity. A fun album through and through. One of those records that just never lets up being great, track after track. Even though this record is uncharacteristic of earlier Caravan albums, they broke new ground and came up aces. Review by ster Different but still excellent. Caravan did a great job cultivating such a great sound from their debut to their third album, In The Land Of Gray And Pink. This was due to a stable lineup and great contributions from all members. After ITLOGAP failed to become the commercial success they had hoped, keyboardist David Sinclair left and was replaced by Steve Miller. Newcomer Steve Miller brought a more jazzy influence that was contrary to guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Pye Hastings style.

The sound of the band changed since Miller sounded nothing like David Sinclair and bassist/vocalist/songwriter Richard Sinclair was very accepting of the new direction. Now the band were at odds and the album has an obvious contrast of styles. Waterloo Lily is a bit of a let-down because it sounds different from its predecessors but is still a great record in its own right. Waterloo Lily is a rock tune with some jazzy chops. Hilarious lyrics and great playing. An excellent song and a Canterbury classic. Nothing At All /It's Coming Soon / Nothing At All is an instrumental that starts off with a jam that maybe overstays its welcome by a few bars, very monotonous. Mid-tempoed with plenty of improvised soloing along a related riff, but the "It's Coming Soon" section makes up for it with its great melodies, variations and dynamics. Songs And Signs is a shorter piece penned by newcomer Steve Miller. Very melodic with great vocals. Great tune. Aristocracy is a Pye Hastings song that doesn't disappoint. A leftover from the Gray and Pink sessions. A fun poppish song although the version on the deluxe version of ITLOGAP is better IMO.

The Love In Your Eye / To Catch Me A Brother / Subsultus / Debouchement / Tilbury Kecks is the epic on the album and one of Caravan's great moments. Great melodies with a backdrop of brass and Jimmy Hastings excellent flute playing. The tune then morphs into a jam not too different than the second track but little better and maybe a little too long. Still an excellent track with lots of variation. The World Is Yours is an acoustic Hastings penned tune that's nice but kind of weird that they chose this to end the album. Review by marcobrusa This one caught me by surprise. I had never listend to an entire canterbury album before. I decided to start with this one because of the very high rating, with no expectations. I fell in love on the first listen. Absolute masterpiece. No filler. No virtuosism. Every song is perfect. I listen to this album at least once a week at this very moment. Winter Wine has some of the best lyrics i've heard in my life (at this point, and if the singer is clear, i understand english whithout reading the lyrics). It's one of those albums that will stay forever in the top of my personal list.

Nothing more to say. Masterpiece. Review by Rodrigo Andrade7 This is my introduction to CARAVAN and aswell to the canterbury scene. I am astounded with the music produced on this album from the beginning to the very end, this is solid 5 stars for me in just one single listen. All the tracks on this album are solid and mark a very unique sounding and highly intelligent music like I never had listen before. You can clearly hear jazz and psychadelic elements all over the place, making it such a good combo in a album. The epic "Nine Feet Underground" is literally a ocean of music, 22 minutes of amazing musicianship, this band has amazing vocals and very clever song writting. The only bad thing about this album is that I cannot find any flaw or bad thing about it. Hehe seriously, this is a masterpiece of a album which remains as one of the most quintessential albums of the canterbury scene and to this day, it is between my favorite albums of all time without any doubt.

Review by siLLy puPPy Collaborator PSIKE Team As one half of the Wilde Flowers which was, of course, the big bang band of everything later deemed Canterbury Scene, CARAVAN couldn't have been more distant from their counterparts The Soft Machine at this point. While Soft Machine had pretty much gone full on jazz with only scant traces of rock remaining, CARAVAN on the other hand took the psychedelic pop approach and with their third album IN THE LAND OF GREY AND PINK which is what i surmise to be the initial goal that the Wilde Flowers strived to achieve all the way back in the mid 60s. Unfortunately they just didn't have the chops and finesse to pull it off that far back.

But it seems that CARAVAN never left those ambitions behind and despite a full-on entry into the progressive rock world of "If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You" which incorporated the best psychedelic features of the 60s with fresh and fertile ideas that were brewing at the turn of the decade, on album number 3 they chose to tame down any sort of bombast and focused on tamed down melodic developments that could in many cases pass as radio friendly tunes that your grandmum could sip tea to. Well, sort of? The truth is IN THE LAND OF GREY AND PINK has always been a disappointment for me. Upon first listen i could not understand what all the fuss was about with this one. Where were the classical guitar workouts? What in the world happened to the symphonic light speed keyboard bombast? The crazed time sigs? The surreptitious proggy ways of cloaking a melody in rhythmic grandiloquence? Well, not on this one. Since this was my first CARAVAN album recommended by the leagues of prog fans who touted its virtuous nature, i simply abandoned the notion of pursuing any other albums from CARAVAN.

After all, this was the best! Or was it? After by happenstance hearing "For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night," i was astounded that i was instantly hooked by that album and decided to revisit this album as well as check out all the earlier albums as well. Well lo and behold i had made a gargantuan booboo by simply writing this band off as wimpy wannabe progsters. Like many prog albums, even the more accessible strain of artists require some time for the idiosyncrasies to sink in. Despite being the easiest entry point into the Canterbury Scene universe, CARAVAN is no exception. Yes, tracks like "Golf Girl" and the title track are instant accessible slices of psychedelic pop all gussied up in supplemental instrumentation such as flute, tenor sax, piccolo, bells, wind instruments and even trombone but upon further listening and comparisons to true pop songs of the era, there are indeed progressive attributes aplenty. It's just that these aren't in your face and set on fire. Yes, think of this as psychedelic pop rock but really, really goooood psychedelic pop rock.

The kind Jefferson Airplane and other 60s bands just couldn't even come close to mustering up. While i do consider this a step down from the previous album, i have to admit that the compositions are well thought out and intricately spiced up with all kinds of subtle variations. In the beginning i was a non-believer but in the end i have come around to appreciate this album as a very listenable and well respected entry point for many prog rock lovers to delve into a much more complex prog universe. I mean really. How can you resist those soulful organ and Mellotron workouts of David Sinclair, the baritone vocals of Richard Sinclair and the unmistakable rhythmic chops of Ricard Sinclair's bass with Richard Coughlan's drum contributions. However, one of the things that's really missing from this album unlike others is the guitar capabilities of Pye Hastings. Here he merely serves as a rhythmic underlord never getting to usurp the organ, piano and Mellotron dominant psychedelic world that very much coincides with the color limited Hobbit world of the album cover. After all is said and done, this is an album i have grown to appreciate but not an album i have grown to love above all others.

Even within the greater world of CARAVAN this is my least favorite of the first five essentials. It lacks the thrill and excitement of what came before and what came after and despite having so-called prog behemoth workouts like "Nine Feet Underground" which in reality are only stitched together pop hooks that are sewn together instead of creating a true wild and wooly instrumental magnum opus that delivers surprise and puts the listener in a state of awe. But in the end, IN THE LAND OF GREY AND PINK is a quite listenable album that does deliver in creating a nice relaxing stroll through their imaginary world. Perhaps only deserving the "sorta prog" label but whatever you want to label it, it is still a very rewarding listen if you don't have expectations of ELP meets Yes or Gentle Giant. Despite all the radio friendly potential, the record label failed to promote this album which led to abysmal album sales initially. The good news is that this album has become quite the classic of the ages and could certainly qualify as a mutant late bloomer. Unfortunately David Sinclair was so dismayed by its lack of notoriety that he would depart soon after and join Robert Wyatt in creating Matching Mole.

Nevertheless, the band would sally forth and create a couple more worthy editions to any prog collection. Review by siLLy puPPy Collaborator PSIKE Team As the 60s abruptly became the 70s, the psychedelia of the former era was transmogrifying into something more sophisticated. With the prog rock explosive nature of 1969 occurring with bands like East Of Eden and King Crimson forever changing the rock history books, bands who came before who were more focused on the psychedelic pop aspects of the scene rather than the sophisticated compositions of what would develop suddenly found themselves upping their game manyfold and the creative expressions were sudden and highly effective. CARAVAN was one such band that was one half of The Wilde Flowers, with the other half, of course, being The Soft Machine. While Soft Machine started out on a similar trajectory as their counterparts, they seemed determined to race full speed ahead into the world of jazz and upon every subsequent release jettisoned the rock aspects of their music. CARAVAN had the complete opposite approach. They simply took the psychedelic pop rock features on their debut album and upped the sophistication several times over and focused MORE on the rock instead of less.

The results equated in being one of the most exciting releases to exist in the progressive rock work in the early year of 1970. IF I COULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN, I'D DO IT ALL OVER YOU is only the second album by the mighty Canterbury Scene innovators CARAVAN, but it is in my opinion their absolute best album that took all the best features of the 60s and adopted the new developments that were quickly becoming the 70s. There is a perfect balance between old and new on this one and this album is the perfect marriage of the two eras in equal proportionality. The title track starts things out innocently enough with a catchy repetition of the words that make up the whimsical title track.

This album captures the perfect period sound with catchy melodies that incorporates lots of organ runs and a plethora of rock and jazz instrumentation including not only the usual rock instruments but also sax, flute, claves, bongos, congas and other such oddities like hedge clippers and assorted ashtrays :O While the catchy passages and rich palette of musical timbres create a delightful listening experience, what really puts this album into the realms of true masterpieces is the intricate and well-designed compositions that keep the listener enthralled and ecstatic throughout the album's playing time. While the title track reels the listener in with its catchy and psychedelic tribute to the 60s, the second track "And I Wish I Were Stoned / Don't Worry" creates a multi-part 8:12 track that takes the nihilism of the shattered utopian dreams of the 60s and seeks a route through escapism. The pinnacle of this leap into the progasphere comes full force on the penultimate 14:17 track "Can't Be Long Now / Fran�oise / For Richard / Warlock" that pulls out all the prog punches.

While the sections and components of these tracks encompass the same types of psychedelic pop tendencies, it's how they are all sewn together and how well each passage flows from one segment to the other. Far from being random, the different sections recur in logical formations where themes develop and appropriately move on and then are revisited. The general gist is that one track is a normal song length and then the next one that is progressive and lengthy serving with mini-suites that build up into a larger whole. IF I COULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN, I'D DO IT ALL OVER YOU simply covers all grounds of the era. It includes a healthy dose of the psychedelic scene of the era, smooths things over with pop sensibilities and dresses it all up with progressive rock workouts and jam band excursions that include jazzy improvisational techniques. Nothing outlasts its welcome and even 45 years after its release still evokes a sense of excitement when listening to it. This truly is not only one of the best CARAVAN albums but a cornerstone of the early progressive rock scene as well. This is simply a major mandatory edition to any prog lover's world. Perfect in every way.

Review by Magnum Vaeltaja Collaborator Eclectic Prog Team Given the high ratings for this album by hundreds of other reviewers, it's easy to say that this isn't a very hard album to love. But what makes it so universally enjoyable? The answer certainly doesn't lie in the musicians' virtuosic pyrotechnics; most of the album's licks are just simple major harmonies with pentatonic soloing and there's nothing flamboyant about their performances. Instead, what we have is an album that plays off of its charm. From a glance at the cover, you know that by listening to "In The Land of Grey and Pink", you'll be spending the next 40 or so minutes in a psychedelic dreamland, where wit and whimsy reign supreme. In this world, the music acts as a sort of blanket, keeping you warm and cozy in the rain. And the fabric that weaves its way into your heart? The warm, fuzzy organ sounds from David Sinclair and the mellow, nonchalant vocals singing of far away fairy tale lands and carefree excursions into fantasy.

In short, this is an album that prog fans should have no trouble getting into, and is somewhat of a fan favourite, but I wouldn't consider it a masterpiece, given the often repetitive musical accompaniments. 4 stars. Review by ALotOfBottle Prog Reviewer The roots of Caravan can be traced back to a Canterbury-based group The Wilde Flowers, which played art rock with strong influences of hard-bop. Most of future Caravan members had been in the band at one point or another. The drummer Richard Coughlan, bassist Richard Sinclair, and keyboardist David Sinclair (Richard Sinclair's cousin) founded a new band in 1968 and called it Caravan. The band's initial plan was to follow footsteps of Soft Machine. It is said that the four often sought suggestions from the more established Soft Machine and borrowed their gear, while they were busy touring United States with Jimi Hendrix. In October of the same year, they were signed to Verve records to record their self-titled debut album, released in January of 1969. The style of Caravan's debut owes a great deal to psychedelic rock.

The genre may have lost most of its freshness and piquancy by then, but its influence was very much present. Elements of jazz are expressed in rhythmical feel on most of the tracks, as well as modality. However, the album is really song-oriented. Phenomenal songwriting is what really sets this apart from the more improvisation-based Soft Machine debut. The pieces are emotion-filled and give the impression of being written with great care. Rarely does this album approach fast, lively or loud territories. The moods are rather soft and mellow, but kept in a psychedelic fashion, a little stoned and "cooked". Lyrically, the album explores some peaceful hippie themes, which correspond well with the smooth sound of the band. The song-oriented approach that Caravan has partly chosen becomes clear since the very first note coming from Pye Hastings' 12-string electric guitar. Although he rarely finds himself playing "epic" guitar solos, he sounds to be incredibly proficient in a role of a rhythm guitarist, laying down simple patterns. Hastings takes the lead vocals on the first half of the album. His voice is very gentle and delicate.

It pairs incredibly well with Richard Sinclair's vocals, who sings primarily on the other half of the album. His now legendary vocals are a bit goofy and wacky, but play a prominent role in Caravan's sound. Sinclair also handles bass guitar parts, quite competently I might add! His cousin, Dave Sinclair is the group's keyboardist. His Hammond organ provides a lush, dreamy sound, perfectly suited for the band's sound. His style owes a great deal to American soul music as well as Anglican music traditions. The great late Richard Coughlan is a fantastic drummer, finding himself comfortable in odd time signatures as well as use of multiple percussion instruments. A flautist Jimmy Hasting guests on one of the tracks. The album consists of eight tracks. These have a good diversity between them, but are kept in a rather similar feel. This creates an impression of a logical, consistent whole. One track such as "Ride" can have a little bit of an Indian influence, reminiscent of psychedelia, while the next piece, "Policeman", has more of a pop ballad-oriented sound to it, but in a very good taste.

The album opener, "Place Of My Own", one of Caravan's classics takes a simple theme and enriches it with sparkling jazz bits. "Magic Man" is another favorite from the band with Dave Sinclair's characteristic organ play. "Love Song With A Flute" is probably the jazziest of the tracks with a strong hard-bop influence. It also is the only track to feature a flautist, Jimmy Hastings. While numerous debuts of many of our favorite progressive rock bands might lack consistency, self-assurance or just plain skill, Caravan's self-titled debut is definitely the opposite. With a post-hippie escapist vision, this is a wonderful experience. Obviously, it is not flawless, but let's not forget that this is one of the albums pioneering the Canterbury sound. All in all, a very solid effort. Recommended! Review by DocMagnus At first, I had a hard time getting into this album. "Golf Girl" and "Love to Love You" were too light and whimsical for my tastes, and the other tracks lacked something in the way of drawing my attention.

After spending some time away from the album (and exploring some of the other popular Canterbury titles), I returned to find that my opinion had completely changed. Now, the album has creeped its way up my list and become one of my favorite albums of all time. The highlight of the album is, of course, the 22-minute epic "Nine Feet Underground". It's hard to call this anything but a masterpiece. For anyone faulting it for lacking in complexity, let me just say that it doesn't matter how many notes a band plays, all they have to do is play the right ones - and boy, does this band deliver. Richard Sinclair is absolutely top notch throughout the entire song; there isn't a moment that goes by where I'm not completely captivated by his bass, and his pairing with the extremely talented Richard Coughlan makes for a rhythm section that impresses from minute one. David Sinclair's keyboards dominate the song, but the solos never enter the realm of pointless noodling. The epic is divided into eight sections, , each distinct enough that the song never loses its momentum by staying in one place for too long. The rest of the songs on the album are mostly great.

Winter Wine and the title track are particularly impressive mid-length tracks, each with beautiful lyrics and typically impressive instrumentation. The only track that leaves me somewhat less impressed is "Love to Love You", which is too light and poppy for me and doesn't have much in the way of instrumentation that turns my head. Those looking for an improved version of this song should be happier with the version of the track on the "The World Is Yours" box set (it may be found elsewhere as well, that's just where I got it) titled "Love To Love You (BBC Session - Sounds Of The Seventies 11/03/71)". The bass has more muscle and gives the song enough oomph to satisfy my need to bob my head. That one slight miss can't knock this down from a 5-star album. It's not just a masterpiece of the Canterbury Scene, but one of the best Progressive Rock albums period - just give it a while to grow on you if you aren't impressed immediately.

Caravan | uDiscover uDiscoverMusic: discover more about the world’s greatest music Caravan For hundreds of years Canterbury has been a place of pilgrimage, but for one band it was the place from which they set out on a pilgrimage into Prog. The band was Caravan, and it all began back in 1968 when David Sinclair, Richard Sinclair, Pye Hastings and Richard Coughlan met - all four had been in the Wilde Flowers, contemporaries of Soft Machine and the two most famous bands in 'the 'Canterbury Scene'. Caravan signed to American label, Verve Records, not the expected route for a Prog band to take, but there's always been a strong hint of jazz in their music; music that is for thinkers, more than toe-tappers. After releasing their debut album in late 1968, simply called Caravan , they became a fixture on Britain's burgeoning underground scene. It was 1970 before they released their follow up, the oddly titled If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You and with Verve getting out of the rock and pop business and once again concentrating on jazz, Caravan had signed to Decca Records.

Decca, anxious to see their new signing have some success, released the title song of the album as a single and Caravan appeared on Top of the Pops, their first of three TV appearances on the flagship BBC show. Even a casual listen to this album shows they are no pop band, with tracks that include the fabulous 'Can't Be Long Now', a fourteen minute work out that set out their prog rock stall for all to hear, with David Sinclair's trademark keyboard sound and part-time member, Jimmy Hastings, Pye's brother's jazz tinged saxophone. 'Can't Be long Now' is actually a four song suite that includes 'For Richard' that became a standout song of their live set, as it still is today. In Another Land In 1971, Caravan signed to Decca's subsidiary label Deram to record their third album. In the music business there's a phrase, "the difficult third album", for Caravan it proved anything but.

In The Land of Grey and Pink , with its grey and pink Tolkienesque cover art that oozed Prog, the band produced a stunning album, full of majestic, sweeping, melodies, quirky lyrics and the obligatory, in those progtastic halcyon days, one side devoted to a continuous musical piece; in Caravan's case, the soaring, 'Nine Feet Underground'. This is one of the great Prog Rock albums and if you were looking for a place to start your journey into this magical and mystical music, look no further. It is full of accessible melodies and superb musicianship that combines both jazz and English classical music influences. Then David Sinclair left the band, the man who for some was the sound of Caravan briefly joined Matching Mole, then Hatfield and the North before returning to the band, but not before they recorded Waterloo Lily in 1972 with new keyboard player Steve Miller (not the Californian guitarist and bandleader though). With it's cover art taken from "The Tavern Scene" from A Rake's Progress by William Hogarth this is a much more jazz influenced album than any of their others, thanks to Miller.

Let not this minor detail put you off in any way, it is an album full of what Caravan has always done best, with Pye Hastings vocals and guitar to the fore. 'The Love In Your Eye' is the standout track and one that became a featured track for many years in concert. Night Shift Come 1973 and David Sinclair was back behind the keyboards for the provocatively entitled For Girls That Grow Plump in the Night ; it originally had a provocative cover too, as the pregnant girl was naked, before Deram insisted she cover up. By this time, bass playing Richard Sinclair had left and joining Hastings, David Sinclair and drummer Richard Coughlin was violinist and guitar player Geoffrey Richardson. The latter's viola can be heard on the album's opening track, the mighty 'Memory Lane Hugh/Headloss'. It's another of the band's regal and imposing numbers that remains a firm favourite for the Caravanista. The album closes with another extended track based around the theme, 'L' Auberge du Sanglier' that helps to make this a rival for In The Land of Grey and Pink as the best album among the band's fans.

A number of Britain's best contemporary jazz musicians are on the album, including, saxophonists Tony Coe, Harry Klein and Pete King, along with trumpeter Henry Lowther who among others played with John Mayall , Bryan Ferry, Jack Bruce and Talk, Talk. For their sixth studio album, the spooneristically entitled Cunning Stunts , the band were joined by a new bass player, Mike Wedgwood, who had been in the Overlanders and Curved Air. This was another album to feature a track taking up all of one side of the LP; the epic, 'The Dabsong Conshirtoe'. While proving to be less of a fan's favourite it did manage to make No.124 in theBillboard album charts and No.50 in the UK. A Life of Shows Much of their success was based on a very fulsome touring schedule and the year before Cunning Stunts came out they released Caravan and the New Symphonia (1974). From the same year, but not released until 2002, was Live at the Fairfield Halls, 1974.

In 2007 The Show of Our Lives - Caravan at the BBC 1968 - 1975 is evidence of their popularity as a 'live' band on the many BBC shows that featured sets by bands on numerous shows, including John Peel's Top Gear, the In Concert programme and their three Top of the Pops appearances. For their seventh studio release, Caravan were once again with David Sinclair and the record, Blind Dog at St Dunstans, despite becoming a minor hit on the UK album charts was not popular with traditional fans as it messed with the formula; gone was Prog, in was more pop sounding material. It also heralded the band disbanding for a couple of years before reforming in 1980, with Sinclair back on keyboards. In truth it marked the end of the band as an interesting and vital studio-recording outfit, despite four more releases. Nothing, however, could stop Caravan from being popular live attraction in the UK and especially in Continental Europe where they have always had a large following. There have been a dozen live albums released over the last 30 years, many of which feature the music from their glorious reign as one of Prog's finest band.

In 2010, to celebrate this era out came The World Is Yours - The Anthology (1968-1976) . It features their best recordings, some demos, live tracks and is an essential purchase, not just for Caravan fans but for anyone wanting to understand just a little bit more about what made Prog, and the Canterbury sound in particular, so appealing. Words - Richard Havers. Caravan · 2017 Tour Dates and Concert Tickets | Thrillcall Track Artist for New Show Alerts Caravan are an English band from the Canterbury area, founded by former Wilde Flowers members David Sinclair, Richard Sinclair, Pye Hastings and Richard Coughlan in 1968. The band have not achieved much commercial success, but are considered a key part ... Caravan are an English band from the Canterbury area, founded by former Wilde Flowers members David Sinclair, Richard Sinclair, Pye Hastings and Richard Coughlan in 1968. The band have not achieved much commercial success, but are considered a key part of the Canterbury scene, blending psychedelic rock and jazz to create a distinctive sound like their contemporaries Soft Machine.

The band were originally based in Whitstable, Kent, near Canterbury, but moved to London when they were briefly signed to Verve Records. After being dropped by Verve, the band signed to Decca Records, where they released their most critically acclaimed album, In the Land of Grey and Pink in 1971. David Sinclair left after the album's release and the band disintegrated the following year. Hastings and Coughlan added new members, notably viola player Geoffrey Richardson and continued as Caravan before splitting in 1978. The band reformed several times in the following decades, and Caravan still remains active as a live band in the 21st century, despite Coughlan's death in December 2013. History Early career The group's original members, David Sinclair, Richard Sinclair, Pye Hastings and Richard Coughlan had all been in the Canterbury based Wilde Flowers, albeit not at the same time. Richard Sinclair had been an early member, but left in September 1965 to study at college. Hastings had replaced Robert Wyatt as the group's singer and Coughlan as drummer in the band when Wyatt, who performed both roles, formed the Soft Machine.

David Sinclair joined the group in late 1966, but after future Soft Machine member Hugh Hopper left the group in June the following year, they began to run out of momentum and broke up in October 1967. Coughlan, Hastings and the two Sinclairs subsequently formed Caravan in 1968. "We all had the same goal" recalled Richard Sinclair, "to make our music, write it ourselves, and make a living from it." The band rented a house in Whitstable, Kent for sixth months, where they began to write and rehearse new material. They also borrowed the Soft Machine's PA for rehearsals while that band was on tour with Jimi Hendrix in the US, as Caravan did not have enough funds for their own equipment. They were forced to leave in June and ended up living in tents and rehearsing in a local church hall. By October, they had attracted the interest of music publicist Ian Ralfini, who signed them the American record label, Verve Records, and became the first British act they signed.

Verve subsequently released the band's debut LP, Caravan, later the same year, but a few months later moved out of the UK record business and dropped the band. After a series of gigs in London, including the Speakeasy Club, the band were introduced to Terry King, who became the group's first manager. David Hitchcock, who had been working in the art department of Decca Records, asked the company's president, Hugh Mendl to sign the band. They began recording their second album, If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You in September 1969, while continuing to gig on the university circuit, and appearing at festivals alongside Pink Floyd, Yes, The Nice and Soft Machine. Recording If I could... continued in February 1970. A particular highlight was the 14-minute track "For Richard", which showed the band's contrast in styles and jazz-rock influence. The album was released in August, alongside an appearance at the Plumpton Festival with Van Der Graaf Generator, Yes and Colosseum. The accompanying single "Hello Hello" helped them land an appearance on the TV show Top of the Pops, performing the album's title track.

In autumn 1970, Caravan began working on one of their most critically acclaimed albums, In the Land of Grey and Pink. The balance of songwriting changed from the previous two albums, with Richard Sinclair taking a more prominent role. His song, "Golf Girl" was originally written about his then girlfriend (and future wife), but the lyrics were rewritten in the final version.. The group decided to follow up "For Richard" with a suite of short sections of songs written by David Sinclair, that the rest of the band worked on and linked together to form a side-long track, "Nine Feet Underground". Although, the track was recorded in five separate stages and spliced together, the band performed the suite live as it was finally presented on the album, and it remained a popular track in their live set. The album was released in April 1971, and though it did not chart, it has remained in print ever since, and has been remastered for CD several times, notably a digital remaster in 2011 by Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson. "Nine Feet Underground" in particular was a regular fixture on late-night FM radio during the early 1970s.

Despite the critical success of In the Land of Grey and Pink, the group were disappointed by its lack of commercial success, believing that Decca were not promoting the band properly or investing enough money. In August 1971, David Sinclair accepted a job with former Soft Machine drummer Robert Wyatt's new band, Matching Mole. Reflecting on the decision to leave, Sinclair later said "I felt the whole thing was going a bit stagnant ... I wanted to play with other people, but had to accept that with Caravan it was either all or nothing." Hastings remembers that "Dave's departure was a serious blow." Line-up changes The three remaining members decided to continue as Caravan, and Richard Sinclair invited keyboardist Steve Miller to join the band. However, it was immediately apparent that the style of the band would be different. Sinclair and Miller wanted to perform more jazz-rock, while Hastings was frustrated that the previous style was being neglected, and that it was "virtually impossible" to get Miller to perform in David Sinclair's style. The band started recording a new album, Waterloo Lily in late 1971, which was the first use of orchestral instrumentation, arranged by Hastings and his brother, Jimmy, who had guested on previous albums.

The album was released in May 1972, but by this time, musical differences had come to a head, and after a gig with Genesis in July, the band split. Richard Sinclair later said, "It didn't quite work with Steve in the band because the music started to go a bit too loose for the way that Pye and Richard Coughlan played." Hastings and Coughlan decided to continue as Caravan, and the duo recruited viola player Geoffrey Richardson, bassist Stu Evans and keyboardist Derek Austin and toured extensively. This line-up did not make any recordings before Evans was replaced by John Perry and Dave Sinclair rejoined the group in 1973. The resulting album For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night was a major critical achievement and showed that the group could survive the loss of co-vocalist Richard Sinclair. Jimmy Hastings reprised his role as orchestrator along with Martyn Ford and John Bell, while the Soft Machine's Mike Ratledge contributed an instrumental piece, "Backwards" as part of a medley. The group followed this with a live album, Caravan and the New Symphonia, including orchestral arrangements by Ford and conducting by Simon Jeffes.

Perry left after the New Symphonia and was replaced by Mike Wedgwood for the album Cunning Stunts, which reached the top 50 in the UK and was a minor hit in the US, reaching number 124. It was the last album released on Decca, which preceded a number of other problems in the band. David Sinclair left after the album was recorded and was replaced by Jan Schelhaas, with the band's sound becoming more mainstream. The group signed to Miles Copeland's BTM Records and recorded Blind Dog at St. Dunstans which was another minor album hit, but by this point the group were out of step with the prevailing musical trends, and after a final album, Better by Far on Arista Records, the group split. Later years Caravan were largely dormant in the 1980s until a 1990 reunion, planned as a one-off for television, reinvigorated their career. The group continued to tour in the early 1990s, before Richard Sinclair left. He was replaced by Jim Leverton, while Richardson rejoined the band. This version of the group released The Battle of Hastings in 1995.

The group continued to play into the 21st century. They have also achieved steady sales and a fan following with the support of Stuart Maconie' "Freak Zone" show on BBC 6 Music. After performing at NEARFest in 2002, they released The Unauthorized Breakfast Item album in 2003, where David Sinclair was replaced by a returning Schelhaas. An archive collection of BBC sessions from 1968-1975, The Show of Our Lives was released in 2007. In 2010, Pye Hastings announced that the band had resumed activity in anticipation of a one-off concert recording at Metropolis Studios for ITV, which took place in December 2010. New material was written for a debut performance and the band was joined by Mark Walker on drums and percussion, as Richard Coughlan, whilst still a member of the band, was too ill to tour with the group. The DVD of this gig was released in May 2011 and the recording was shown on ITV as part of the Legends series.

In January 2013 the band completed a successful UK tour to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the album "For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night". This was followed later in the year by the announcement of a new album, Paradise Filter. The album was funded by a PledgeMusic campaign, scheduled for release on 24 February 2014. Hastings declared "now you can be part of the whole process by pledging to support this project". On 1 December 2013, founding member Coughlan died, having been in poor health for some years. His funeral took place in Canterbury on 20 December. A statement from the band stated "his unique style of playing and wonderful character will be sorely missed." Caravan are headlining the Rosfest festival in Pennsylvania from 2-4 May 2014 Musical style Caravan are considered a key example of the Canterbury scene genre. Their records generally indicate a jazz influence, and the group's lyrics have been described as whimsical and very "English", particularly during Richard Sinclair's tenure in the band. Following Sinclair's departure, the musical direction has been predominantly led by Hastings, who preferred a softer pop rock approach.

Though the group share a common history with Soft Machine, they have been considered more melodic and closer to folk music and frequently displaying a sense of humour. The group were predominantly album-oriented, but Hastings believes the group recorded enough straightforward pop that could have been hit singles if the record company had taken sufficient interest. Instrumentally, David Sinclair's fuzztone Hammond organ sound is a key ingredient of the early Caravan albums, and his playing is the dominant instrument on them. His musical palette subsequently expanded to include synthesizers. Jimmy Hastings' woodwind playing and orchestral arrangements have also been a regular feature in the bands music since its inception. Personnel

Question: Which underground British band had a hit album called Cunning Stunts
Answer: Caravan