The Official Caravan Thread
 

For those of you who don't know Caravan, they're an english band from the Canterbury area. If you know british psychedelia/prog/avant history, you'll know that the Canterbury Scene is it's own movement that gave birth to many peculiar bands like Soft Machine, Gong, National Health, Camel and Hatfield and the North. A very wide variety makes the canterbury sound kinda hard to pin down, but it started roughly as a sort of jazzy psychedelia that picked up prog and other influences into the 70s. The one proto Canterbury band formed back in '64 was the "Wilde Flowers". This band broke up in 1967 and while some of the members formed Soft Machine, ex-Wilde Flowers members David Sinclair, Richard Sinclair, Pye Hastings and Richard Coughlan would go on to form Caravan. While Soft Machine and many others would go down the less accessible road of extended jazzy jams and avant-garde influences, Caravan would take folk-jazz-influenced psychedelia and over time move it in a more pop/rock direction.

As a result, Caravan may be the best entry point into Canterbury there is. They're fairly accessible and thoroughly charming. During an interview for the prog rock briannia documentary, Richard Coughlan said they were writing songs outside in the sun and living off girlfriends. They also tried to be as british as they could and listening to Caravan, some of those beautiful Canterbury landscapes and warm summer days infuse the music. They often wrote about things they loved like drugs (sometimes cleverly disguised in the lyrics as "tea") and sex, although always subtle and tongue in cheek rather than obvious and vulgar.

Their earlier albums before they descend into a more pure pop/rock direction are the most appreciated. Their widely regarded masterpiece is the 1971 "In the Land of Grey and Pink" which is often regarded as the quintessential Cantebury album.

Here I've listed their discography with links to on-site album reviews if they exist. I'll also give you spotify links

Their studio discography goes as follows :

• Caravan (1968) - On site Reviews : http://www.musicbanter.com/album-rev...tml#post976576
• If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You (1970) - On site Reviews : http://www.musicbanter.com/album-rev...tml#post978297
• In the Land of Grey and Pink (1971) - On site Reviews : http://www.musicbanter.com/album-rev...tml#post978595
• Waterloo Lily (1972) - On site Reviews : http://www.musicbanter.com/album-rev...tml#post979041
• For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night (1973) - On site Reviews : http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...tml#post731982 / http://www.musicbanter.com/album-rev...tml#post979507
• Cunning Stunts (1975) - On site Reviews : http://www.musicbanter.com/album-rev...tml#post979599
• Blind Dog at St. Dunstans (1976) - On site Reviews : http://www.musicbanter.com/album-rev...tml#post981457
• Better by Far (1977) - On site Reviews : http://www.musicbanter.com/album-rev...tml#post985521
• The Album (1980)
• Back to Front (1982)
• Cool Water (1994) - On site Reviews : http://www.musicbanter.com/album-rev...tml#post985726
• Battle of Hastings (1995)
• The Unauthorized Breakfast Item (2004)

Their live discography goes like this :

• Caravan and the New Symphonia (1974)
• Live 1990 (1992)
• Radio One Live in Concert BBC 1975 (1991)
• Live in Holland: Back on the Tracks (1998)
• Ether Way (1998)
• Show of Our Lives (1998)
• Live: Canterbury Comes to London (1999)
• Surprise Supplies (1999)
• Green Bottles for Marjorie: The Lost BBC Sessions (2002)
• Live at Fairfield Halls, 1974 (2002)
• The Show of Our Lives - Caravan at the BBC 1968-1975 (2007) - Listen to it on : Spotify

So what's your favourite Caravan album? I love In the Land of Grey and Pink, but my favourite is 1973 album For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night. It's a bit rockier than their previous albums and is like the perfect mix of prog and pop/rock.

Here's a vid of the most famous song from that album, "The Dog, The Dog, It's at It Again"!

I sense a Comus Says: Go Caravanning for Seven Days thread coming on soon. Great band.

I only have "In the land of grey and pink" and I have heard a few songs of the other albums (5 or 6) and I must say I was very excited by the album. The almost 23 minute long title track was an epic... Unlike a few of the other prog bands albums that I have got lately, this I took a liking too straight away which was a suprise.

Holy **** what an awesome idea :D If you do it, I'll listen to them as well and try and keep up with the Caravan marathon!

By title track, I guess you mean "nine feet underground" :D Yeah, Grey and Pink is certainly a good album and I love the english folky feel of it. I also agree regarding accessibility .. Caravan was one of the bands (perhaps the band) that got me into prog actually. :)

Caravan are definitely choice, and the first band anyone should look up if trying to get into Canterbury.

On a personal note, I feel 'If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You' is a underrated work. :thumb:

Same, but I've only heard one or two other tracks on top of that.

Sometimes when I listen to the title track off the land of grey and pink, I pick up the guitar and sing/play along .. great cheesy fun. :p

And it's rather simple to play too!

Those interested in Caravan should check out Dotoar's discograpy review thread!

http://www.musicbanter.com/album-rev...-reviewed.html

Yeah, you did! :beer:

I love Caravan! Great organ driven, whimsically proggy band.:)

In The Land of Grey and Pink is probably their best and most well known album. Winter Wine is My favorite off that one.

I love this band. Such an under-appreciated prog group from the 70s. I'd argue In the Land of Grey and Pink is just as good as anything Genesis or Camel put out.

And more acessible. :D

Looking at the poll, though, I definetly get the feeling most people only ever listen to In the Land of Grey and Pink.

Caravan are a seriously kick-ass band.

These guys are great. Both them and Soft Machine are wonderful.

I think we need to do some Caravanning in the prog & fusion album club eventually :)

edit :

By the way, have anyone here ever heard "The Unauthorized Breakfast Item"? I haven't, so I'd be curious to hear what it's like or how it compares to their earlier stuff.

Their debut album (which is what I voted for in this poll) would be a good choice for the album club. I'm sure everyone has heard In the Land of Grey and Pink (which is kind of obvious by just looking at the poll). I love Canterbury bands. Henry Cow is my favorite one so far.

^I'm not sure I'd consider their debut a prog album, though. In simple terms and not detailing finer details like jazz influence, I roughly consider Caravan to develop like this musically; First psychedelic rock, then prog rock, then pop. My favourite is "For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night" which would definetly fit the club because it's pretty much smack in their prog period.

Then add that one in. I'm a jazz/psychedelic nut so I'd pick their debut, but you're right about For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night being a more progressive album. Is there any chance you can include it into the current vote or are we going to wait until next time?

I won't add it to the current poll (so it won't get a chance to be next week's album), but I'll make sure it's included in next week's poll :)

Do you have any idea where I could download that album? Mediafire, etc.

It's "plump" and not bump there, Mr. Canterbury :p:

I spent a week trying to remember the name of this caravan song

"With an ear to the ground you can make it / Martinian / Only cox / Reprise"

Somehow it kept evading play on shuffle. That's one of my favourites I'd say. Caravan is good music man, good for chilling out, have a smoke, have a nap. Easy going, top band.

I've only heard one song off it: Head Above The Clouds. I think Caravan are much better live than on record. I have a few boots and some of their recorded stuff and I always go back to the live boots. The sound is much more dynamic. On record they sound very easy-listening, to me anyway.

I'd have loved to hear 'Nine Feet Underground' live at some point, but I dunno if there's any footage from the early 70's of them performing it. :(

I have several boolegs from recent years and Nine Feet Underground is amazing live. There's a great one from the Baja Prog Festival, Mexico 2005, where they just absolutely kill it!!:bringit::D

This is only the last 10:00 of it, from a different show though.

Listening to In the Land of Grey and Pink today and what a delightful album it is. The first side contains the typical whimsical Canterbury sound of Caravan and the b-side the stunning 22 min "Nine Feet Underground" I now rate this song as one of the great prog epics.

Nine Feet Underground - YouTube

The 40th year anniversary release of In the Land of Grey and Pink was released in May earlier this year. Turned out to be this year's most exciting release for me.

(No, I'm not musically up to date :p:)

I'm really warming up to their second album If I Could Do it All Over Again......... album. what are your favourite Caravan albums in order?

Oh man, I don't typically mentally order them at all, but I guess the top ones would be something like this :

For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night
In the Land of Grey and Pink
If I could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You
Caravan
Cunning Stunts
Blind Dog at St. Dunstans
Waterloo Lily

To be honest, I'm confused as to how to arrange the last three there and I guess I could do it different on a different day. I'll say that I don't mind so much the "west coast" ish sound Caravan adopted after Plump Girls.

Plump Girls was the last brilliant album by them in my opinion, but they still put out some nice songs here and there.

I agree with the order of your first three picks, but I was never much of a fan of the debut album, I always thought the singing let down the album. As for the other picks need to listen to them again.

I really, really need to listen to this band more. I only know In the Land of Grey and Pink right now. Reading through this thread I think I'm going to start with For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night.

Let us know how that goes :)