IF I COULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN, I'D DO IT ALL OVER YOU

I gave the seminal and fundamental 1970 year "OSCAR" of best releases to Gracious "s/t" (see review) and VDGG "H to he...". 1970 is a crucial year as styles were being created. Thanks to P.A. I checked this 1970 CARAVAN. To me, to a development of prog genre context, " If I could do..." is not a very significant album. I know it's an important album, but my ratings are considering innovative - ground break prog rock (take "in the court of Crimson King" as parameter). Emotions, taste, mood etc. affects us to rate, so forgive me for different point of view, anyway see why I choose the "oscar" :

GENESIS "Tresspass" (4 ****); YES "Time and a word" (2 **); VAN DER GRAAF " H to hE who am I..." (5 *****); GRACIOUS "S/T" (5 *****); PINK FLOYD "Atom Heart mother" (2 **) ironically, I guess this was the selling top chart of 1970; JETHRO TULL "benefit" (3 ***) I must listen it again !; ELP "s/t debut" (3 ***1/2 stars); KC "in the wake of poseidon" (3 ***); GENTLE GIANT "S/T debut" (3 ***) the first track "The Giant" is wonderful and pay the record that overall is uneven - I'm triying to be not biased as GG is my favorite band; CURVED AIR " air conditioning" (2 **); EGG "S/T" 3 (***1/2 stars); MARSUPILAMI "S/T" 3 (*** 1/2 stars) WOW album; WEB " I spider" (3 *** 1/2 stars) INCREDIBLE album; VDGG "the least we can do..." (4 ****) ; CARAVAN "If I could do it all over?" (3 ***).

1970 progre related albums : ATOMIC ROOSTER "death walks..." 4 ****; BJH "S/T debut" 4 **** (this and the next are fantastic); DEEP PURPLE "in rock" 5 ***** ( a ground break record); TRAFFIC " Joe Barleycom must die" 4 ****; SUPERTRAMP "S/T debut" 3 *** 1/2 stars (amazing, as the next 1971 "undebely stamped is very weak *1/2).

Of course this 1970 prog albums list is uncompleted, it's missing SOFT MACHINE "third" (I don't remember the album so well to form opinion), RENAISSANCE, JADE WARRIOR, THE NICE (I had the live double 1969, it was very disappointing at the time, so I traded it more than 20 years ago and stopped with THE NICE), BEGGARS OPERA "act one" , STRAWBS "dragonfly," CRESSIDA "S/T", etc. I did not had the chance to listen.

In "If I could do..." Sinclair Canterbury organ solos are the most remarkable in prog innovative aspects found in "with an ear... " and "For Richard" tracks. The other tracks are cool but more in a psychedelic and song context.

In a prog Conterbury context I consider EGG "s/t" more relevant to prog genre elaboration, principally if you consider the two 1969 single compact EGG compositions "Seven is a jolly good time" and "You are all princess" (Deran label catalogue number DM269) that are very prog (Stravinsky was a particular influence according to "See for miles" vinyl edition liner notes).Wish me, EGG remained in this catchy vein instead of changing to a more experimental music with "civil surface". Otherwise, I know that the 1971 "nine feet underground" from Caravan album "in the land of grey and pink" is a fantastic and very important composition (source for Camel) in prog innovative aspect.