Caravan

You can hear this disc twice at once! Well, in one pass. Mono--the way they used to mix. Stereo--the way they came to mix. Lately, I've re-fallen in love with this time zone of music. For a while. You know--back before the Big Nonsense Radio and the Trillion Dollar Recording Contracts. This first Caravan record is quite quaint. A little trippy even. These are songs of endearing quality and though mixed a bit oddly, play around this house somewhat regularly. Place of My Own, Ride, Policeman--all good material leading up to everyone's fave--Love Song With Flute. Lovely harmonies, organ, beautiful flute, moving tempo--would sound great in a live set list today. Cecil Rons is a playful romp, Magic Man a lilting little tune in almost a Moody style. Grandmother's Lawn sounds like it was recorded in a gym. Saw many bands in the big gym in high school so it's familiar in that way. Where But For Caravan Would I? is the big nine-minute piece. Hearing it twice on this disc makes it even better. I prefer the stereo mix frankly. The purist mono thing never appealed to me that much--we were the New Happening Generation. Remember? Good for comparison I guess. Hi Fi stereo was the next big thing in my grandfather's Radio and TV Shop in the old hometown. These songs are accomplished, bright, agile, and creative. A good beginning to their long run of well-loved albums.

Not the best Caravan album but still pretty good. My fave is "For girls who grow plump..."

I would strongly recommend this LP to any ardent progressive rock listener. Especially if or after they have heard their other two earliest LPs-- If I Could Do It All Over Again and In The Land Of Grey and Pink. It is a hidden gem(as well as the aforementioned other two) that was well under-rated back in it's day as well as being ahead of it's time (alike the TV-series Star Trek). The wah-wah hooked up tonewheel organ of Dave Sinclair is one example of this, among other characteristics such as the reverberated and airy vocals of Pye Hastings and Richard Sinclair.This album marks Caravan at their most youthful and most distinquished sound. A must-have for any progrock connoisseur that has listened to earliest-period Pink Floyd(w/Sid Barrett at the forefront), and later-period Beatles. Caravan has been one of the very rare and hidden bands to help define the psychedelic contribution that the UK had brought to the psychedelic 60's.There is also a great "sing-a-long, and folk" flavor to this album that makes the songs simple to sing along with for those that are into basic, less complex dance-rock forms.

One of the first 'prog' albums released and certainly he first to use the term 'progressive' in the liner notes, this album is simply wonderful. Imagine a neutered Egg; not as tricky and technically brilliant, more psychedelic. If you know of Elmer Gantry's Opera, there you go. But this has all the hallmarks of the early Canterbury sound and it remains a vital and essential part of any prog-psych collection.

Not much bonus material (mainly, you get both the mono and stereo mixes of the album), but the band's debut is surprisingly consistent and engaging.

Good psychedelic debut from this great band- I would buy it alone for the song Policeman but I also like Grandma's Lawn - the lyrics are kind of funny yet sung to the music the song really works- if you're a fan of classic progressive rock this is a good CD to add to your collection

I searched all over for this cd after I had heard "Grey and Pink" and "If I could do it all again....", and I was in denial for a while about it being as good. Being released the same year as the first Soft Machine album, I was expecting "Caravan" to be an equally creatively explosive affair. However, after time I realized that this was a band that had not yet figured out what they were doing (much like the first two yes albums). I burned a copy before selling the original just for "Magic Man" and "Place of my own", for me the two shining spots on this disc. I'm not a sound engineer, so I don't get off on the stero and mono versions included on the album. Why listen to mono? Why? "In the land of Grey and Pink" and "If I could do it all over again, I'd do it all over you" are the only Caravan albums you need, in my opinion. Overall, my score is average at best.

always loved this album since i bought it on vinyl back in the 60's. they are one of the best least known groups i know of. exceptional musicians and song writers.