BLIND DOG AT ST. DUNSTANS

Caravan

Canterbury Scene

3.30 | 305 ratings

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octopus-4
Special Collaborator
RIO/Avant/Zeuhl,Neo & Post/Math Teams

No more Sinclairs....

At least David was replaced by Jan Schelhaas who later will join Camel and is a very good keyboardist, but the sound is no longer the same. This is a pop album whose songs are a bit too noisy for this band.

"Here I Am" is just glam rock for the first half, until Geoff Richardson's viola starts a second half more in line with Caravan's standards.

"Chiefs And Indians" is a good song. It starts mellow then goes uptime and jazzy. It's only that the sounds are no longer that mix of dreamy and acid that was characteristic of the first albums. It sounds like American disco-funky in the brass arrangements and in the vocals even if the musical themes are still in Caravan's style and for this reason very good.

"A Very Smelly Grabby Little Oik" seems a reprise of "Stuck in a Hole". Recycled stuff, but it's effectively a sort of short suite which ends with Oik Reprise. "Come On Back", in particular is one of the best songs of the album even being the most pop oriented. Pop can be good sometimes.

"Jack And Jill" sounds like they are trying to copy themselves. It too appears already listened. The funky bass is remarkable but it gives me the impression that the creativity of this band is going to a dead end.

"Can You Hear Me?" is on the same line, jazzy in the chords, funky in the rhythm and with falsetto vocals. Not a bad track also this, but it doesn't light any led in my mind.

"All the way" opens promising. Jan's keyboard is dreamy and subtle. The song develops as expected and the result is very close to what Camel will do later on Rain Dances and on Breathless. This song is the reason why I'm rating 3 stars an album that in its entirety would probably deserve just two.

Just an advise: this is not the right album for who wants to start with Caravan.

octopus-4 | 3/5 | 2011-4-4

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