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Caravan
Caravan

(MGM/Verve, 1968)

Lush debut by Canterbury’s prime exponents of Aquarian prog-pop

Caravan

This week is 1968 Week on MOJO, and every Disc Of The Day will reflect that theme.

It’s not just the lyrical reference to Soft Machine on the track Magic Man that links Caravan to their fellow freaky hometown prog adventurers. Indeed, the four-piece of Pye Hastings (guitar/ vocals), Dave Sinclair (keyboards), Richard Sinclair (bass/ vocals) and Richard Coughlan (drums) had played with Kevin Ayers and Robert Wyatt in pre-Softs combo The Wilde Flowers before forming their own group in early ’68. While Wyatt, Ayers, Daevid Allen and Mike Ratledge embraced a more chaotic approach, Caravan retained a certain sonic politesse which pervades this melodically astute debut album. Opener Place Of My Own is a perfect post-acid anthem, Sinclair’s B3 providing an atmospheric groove alongside hazy pop dynamics and Hastings’ pastoral soul vocals. The album’s languid beauty is further emphasized by the finger-cymbal intro of Ride prior to the track’s movement into beat-ier territory; Policeman sits somewhere between Revolver-era Beatles and early Deep Purple; the blasting Cecil Rons echoes Floyd’s Arnold Layne; and while Love Song With Flute exemplifies Caravan’s lack of Softs-esque mysticism, Where But For Caravan Would I? brings the eight track set to a nine-minute, Hammond-soaked, mind-melting finale. While Caravan would embark on further expansive musical adventures, 40 years on this debut remains a blissful introduction to a band whose repertoire is ripe for rediscovery by the ever-growing prog-mod crowd.

Phil Alexander

Posted by Danny_Eccleston at 6:00 AM GMT 05/03/2008

Further Listening

The Soft Machine – Volume One (ABC/Probe, 1968)

Deep Purple – Shades Of Deep Purple (Harvest, 1968)

Caravan – If I Could Do It All Over Again (Decca, 1969)


What’s YOUR favourite 1968 album? Enlighten us below...

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Caravan

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  • A great year indeed. White Album, Ladyland, Sailor, Beggar's Banquet? Could go on forever...

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