IN THE LAND OF GREY AND PINK

Being one of the first albums i bought in my life, "In the Land of Grey and Pink" is pretty hard for me to try to review objectively, but seeing as how many seem to have given the same rating that i am about to give, it seems that i was onto something after all.

The absolutely biggest draw of both "In the land.." and it's predecessor is, in my opinion, the talents of keyboardist David Sinclair. It is not likely that anyone used to Keith Emerson or Rick Wakeman will raise their eybrows on account of his speed, but if you're a fan of the fuzz organ, then this album is a goldmine. Caravan is not only about Dave's soloing, however, there is great playing provided by all band members, drummer Richard Coughlan and bassist/vocalist Richard Sinclair provide an extremely tight rythm section, and while Pye Hastings isn't the most prominent guitar player, there's certainly nothing to complain about.

I am not a big Jazz fan, and to give an album 5 stars purely on account on impeccable musicianship would be very uncharacteristic of me, so there must be something more to it, right? Well, this is a very happy album (that seems to be the the common denominator for all Canterbury-style albums, they are fun and happy) and plays like a perfect soundtrack for any sunny day when the whole world seems to smile at you.

If i were to review "In the land of grey and pink" objectively, i would probably take away one star on account of the centerpiece track "nine feet underground" lacking direction and musical inspiration in parts, dragging on for too long in the same groove. But music is not science, and ever since i learned to fully appreciate the song, it's managed to send me to musical heaven every single time i've listened to it.

Not to forget, of course, is the superb artwork which is just one of the finest album covers i've ever seen, and really adds to the overall feel of the album.

As with most albums that one might consider masterpieces, "In the Land of Grey and Pink" is not completely flawless. "Golf girl", while certainly not a bad song, somehow feels a bit clumsy and "blunt" compared to the rest of the album, which flows faultlessly from start to finish. I i could, i would have replaced "Golf Girl" with the track "Frozen rose", whch appears under the name "I don't know its name (alias the word)" on the superb Decca/Deram remaster of the album. So be sure to pick that up, if you're planning on getting the album.

Don't listen to this album with the hopes of learning what the meaning behind "it all" is, or that all your problems will go away forever. It may not be as deep lyrically as "Thick as a brick" or revolutionary like "in the court of the crimson king", but it is an incredibly, incredibly enjoyable album, and it will give you many hours of musical bliss if you open your ears, and have a weakness for fuzzy organs. (And don't we all love a fuzzy organ...)