Caravan – CARAVAN***

A Place Of My Own/Ride/Policeman/Love Song With Flute/Cecil Rons/Magic Man/Grandma’s Lawn/Where But For Caravan Would I Be

Self titled debut album from the Canterbury progressive jazz rock group Caravan. They became quite popular in several European countries but their commercial success back home in Britain was very limited.

“There was a burgeoning musical scene in Canterbury in the psychedelic era of the later sixties, which included Caravan. Their self titled first album was in some ways groundbreaking in that it captured the whimsical and exploratory moods of the times.”

“With its echoing organ backgrounds, Caravan's debut album is easily dated to the late 1960s. With only one long track, it has a different slant to everything the band subsequently did, though the gentle, English accented vocals are easily identifiable. A Place Of My Own is a straightforward, instantly memorable song, and Ride with its funny, trotting rhythm is both memorable and more indicative of the band's ingenuity. Love Song With Flute is another beauty but, while there are no bad tracks on the album, there are moments of blandness.”

“Caravan's debut is an insubstantial slab of psychedelia, with little in common with their far superior later albums. Indeed if the band did not transform into a popular prog band it is probable that this album would be lost in the depths of time. The main problem with the album is the boredom it induces. It certainly is the product of its time - slow pop-rockers awash with soft drums and lengthy organ solos are the order of the day. None of the songs are particularly bad, but with a few exceptions, they are all completely unmemorable.”

“Their eponymous debut isn't a lot like their later work. Despite the tag of progressive rock, the prog elements on this are probably overshadowed by the far more obvious psychedelic sounds and textures. Thankfully, one thing that is the same is the way the band just gel together perfectly along with creative songwriting. What also stands out is the organ playing. They just wouldn't be the same without the amazingly fluid, psychedelic texture of distorted organ.”

“Great debut album, it contains some fine songwriting, a touch of psychedelia, some good old British humour and above all great melodies.”