For Girls Who Grow Plump - CARAVAN***

Memory Lain Hugh/Headloss/Hoedown/Surprise Surprise/C'Thlu Thlu/The Dog The Dog He's At It Again/Be All Right-Chance Of A Lifetime/L'Auberge Du Sanglier-A Hunting We Shall Go-Pengola-Backwards-A Hunting We Shall Go (Reprise)

Like many progressive bands from the Canterbury scene Caravan enjoyed a cult following. For Girls Who Grow Plump saw them moving in a slightly more mainstream direction.

“Not the best Caravan album due to the fact that it is a bit uneven. The high points are wonderful to be sure. Unfortunately, the two long extended pieces are a mixed bag of inspired moments interspersed with tedium.”

“A number of line-up changes following Waterloo Lily would see Caravan's musical style changing direction. This time around, they're trying to fuse their whimsical Canterbury sound with a more mainstream friendly musical approach, a project which after several albums would result in the band's prog audience drifting away and no mainstream audience coming in to replace them. Here, however, the compromise between the conventional and the experimental is perfectly judged.”

“A very similar prog flavoured semi-commercial rock sound to their previous release, but this one incorporates extensive use of electric violin, and moderate use of brass. Some tracks have a mild country flavour, while others are typically (for them) long suites.”

“This is one of those great marriages of straightforward pop songs with a prog approach, possibly best exemplified in the stomping Memory Lain Hugh and melodic beauty of The Dog The Dog He's At It Again. The only track here that really sounds like you might expect is the closing medley, a blazing tour de force of the distinctive Canterbury sound Caravan specialized in.”

“Caravan going for a glam, harder rock sound which reminds me of Emerson Lake and Palmer, but not in a good way. However The Dog The Dog He's At It Again recalls the fine pop tunes they created previous to this one. This sounds OK but it doesn't seem to have the spirit behind it their first three LPs.”

“Caravan were one of those bands to which detractors loved to attach the deprecating art-rock label. In this case it means an ever-evolving style that wove together a strong underpinning of rock with tinges of jazz, a slight flavouring of the psychedelic era, and the faintest hint of classical chord structures.”