If I could do it all again... I'd do it over Caravan
Caravan were amongst a handful of bands that typified the Canterbury sound of the early 70s (Soft Machine, Hatfield & The North etc). Whimsical progressive rock with a slice of jazz and a very English feel to it probably sums up the sound of Caravan in full flow and whilst I realise that description may put some people off straight away it really shouldn't!
Possibly Caravan's best release, "In The Land Of Grey & Pink" has had the re-release treatment several times before and recent releases have come with bonus tracks but this 40th anniversary release tops them all with the inclusion of some stereo remixes from Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson and a good collection of songs taken from BBC sessions 'Sounds of the Seventies' and John Peel's Sunday Concert show, both from 1971.
Beneath the often amusing lyrics and the precise vocals is a band of excellent musicians that just draw you into their world and keep you there with a continual blend of finely crafted songs. Every time you listen to this cd you will hear something different going on in the mix. The original album stands up well to the rigours of time; the production is solid and the song writing displays a band at the peak of their creativity. To my ears at least they were always far more accessible than Soft Machine and nowhere near as self indulgent as Hatfield and The North. There is a very honest feel about Caravan that makes you warm to them and coupled with some really fantastic melodies it's hard not to like them or to listen to them without a wry smile on your face!
'Golf Girl' remains a nailed on prog classic, yes it's quite ridiculous but it's up there with any of Mr Barrett's output as a classic symbol of English eccentricity and it has the added bonus of being incredibly catchy! The eight sections of 'Nine Feet Underground' (which originally made up side two of the vinyl release) are just a masterclass in 70s prog, keyboard heavy with rolling bass lines and jazz tinged guitars it's guaranteed to get the head bobbing or the foot tapping. The whole album is both musically impressive and charming and if you only ever own one Caravan album it should be this one.
It's hard to listen to Wilson's stereo mixes in isolation and pick out what's different, you really need to go back and check out the original version first and then compare and contrast. After doing this you will notice that the stereo mix breathes new life into tracks like 'Aristocracy', it gives them a much fuller feel whilst enhancing clarity and everything just seems more involved in the mix. I'll leave it up to you to decide whether this is how the band intended them to be heard or not! Of most interest from the bonus tracks are the BBC session tracks, the sound quality is noticeably poorer but by no means bad and if anything it enhances the feel of the recordings and gives it a really authentic 70s feel. 'Feelin, Reelin', Squealin' from John Peel's Sunday Concert is a crazy nine and a half minutes that veers into Gong territory and proves beyond doubt that Caravan could easily cut it in the live environment as well as the studio.
Is it worth buying if you already have a copy of an earlier release? I'd have to say yes, there is enough on hear in the way of unique bonus tracks to make it worthwhile. I could live without Wilson's stereo remixes (good though they are) but coupled with the session and concert tracks they make a nice set of extras that are worth shelling out for. If you don't already have this album then do yourself a favour and get it, it'll open your ears to a whole world of sounds you never knew existed!