This is the album which started my personal interest in Canterbury. This one turned me onto In the Land of Grey and Pink which, after a bit of research, made me pick up Soft Machine's Third and then the ball was rolling.
There was something about this album and the
place I was at both physically and mentally at the time of listening that, despite all it's feelgood and somewhat subtle nature, hit me like a brick. For a prog album from the 70s, I find it super accessible with some gorgeous pop hooks, but I guess it was the good naturedness of it which really made it stand out for me. It's like Caravan really want you to have a good time while listening to it, whether it's the first time you do it or the hundredth. Considering how avantgarde most of the scene is, that makes it a very good Canterbury entry album I think, particularly for those who like pop and rock from the 70s.
Which song is my favourite changes, but generally I like tracks 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7 the most. At the moment, I think I like the last clutter of songs (track) the most perhaps. They are :
- Track 7
- L'Auberge Du Sanglier
- A Hunting We Shall Go
- Pengola
- Backwards
- A Hunting Shall We Go (Reprise)
Something which is interesting if you look at that list of titles is Backwards which is a song also played by Soft Machine but not released by them at the time this album came out. Soft Machine's version was released later on the live album Noisette which was recorded in 1970.
So, these kind of things interest me and perhaps they interest you too so here's Soft Machine's version if you want a comparison.
