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topographicbroadways 
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Joined: May 20 2010
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 Topic: Caravan after Waterloo Lily
Posted: May 21 2010 at 05:05 |
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i own the first four caravan albums and love all of them but have no idea what they sounded like after richard sinclair and steve miller left. Is it worth a listen or should i just stick with the albums i already have?
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someone_else
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Posted: May 21 2010 at 05:16 |
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Judging by the tracks that I have heard from it, For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night is worth many a listen. Cunning Stunts is worth a try. Speaking for myself, I like this album, even if it is not a masterpiece like In the Land of Grey and Pink.
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topographicbroadways
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Joined: May 20 2010
Location: Australia
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Posted: May 21 2010 at 05:18 |
 someone_else wrote:
Judging by the tracks that I have heard from it, For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night is worth many a listen. Cunning Stunts is worth a try. Speaking for myself, I like this album, even if it is not a masterpiece like In the Land of Grey and Pink. |
thanks i shall definitely check out some of these albums
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fuxi
Prog Reviewer
Joined: March 08 2006
Location: United Kingdom
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Posted: May 21 2010 at 05:22 |
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Personally, I have a weak spot for BETTER BY FAR, which generally gets a "thumbs down" from reviewers, since much of it is pure pop. However, it contains one of Caravan's best ever instrumentals (The Last Unicorn) and one of their most haunting songs (Nightmare). Both pieces are easily on the same level as most earlier Caravan highlights. They can also be found (in excellent performances) on the BBC live album ETHER WAY, which gives you a first-rate overview of Caravan in the second half of the 1970s. Perhaps ETHER WAY is the best place for you to start. (For more information on BETTER BY FAR, just take a look at my review of the album!)
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fuxi
Prog Reviewer
Joined: March 08 2006
Location: United Kingdom
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Posted: May 21 2010 at 05:26 |
someone_else wrote:
Judging by the tracks that I have heard from it, For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night is worth many a listen. Cunning Stunts is worth a try. Speaking for myself, I like this album, even if it is not a masterpiece like In the Land of Grey and Pink. |
Oops, I didn't realise GIRLS WHO GROW PLUMP counted as well! Now that's a true Caravan masterpiece, which I love as much as GREY AND PINK! By the way, CARAVAN LIVE AT FAIRFIELD HALLS (which features material from PLUMP, among other things) is probably the Greatest (relatively) Unknown Prog Live Album of the 1970s. Geoff Richardson's electric viola solos in particular are just... electrifying!
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topographicbroadways
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Joined: May 20 2010
Location: Australia
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Points: 5575
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Posted: May 21 2010 at 05:28 |
fuxi wrote:
someone_else wrote:
Judging by the tracks that I have heard from it, For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night is worth many a listen. Cunning Stunts is worth a try. Speaking for myself, I like this album, even if it is not a masterpiece like In the Land of Grey and Pink. |
Oops, I didn't realise GIRLS WHO GROW PLUMP counted as well! Now that's a true Caravan masterpiece, which I love as much as GREY AND PINK! By the way, CARAVAN LIVE AT FAIRFIELD HALLS (which features material from PLUMP, among other things) is probably the Greatest (relatively) Unknown Prog Live Album of the 1970s. Geoff Richardson's electric viola solos in particular are just... electrifying! |
thanks live albums i always find are a good place too start
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Froth
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Joined: November 19 2005
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Posted: May 21 2010 at 05:55 |
After Richard Sinclair left, the band was never quite the same in my opinion (Waterloo Lily is certainly my favourite Caravan record) though i dont think they ever made a bad record. They were a great band and they became a different sort of great band.
'...Plump in the night' is brilliant and anyone who likes caravan should aquire it.
'Cunning Stunts' has its moments though really a step in the wrong direction
'Blind dogs at st Dunstans' is another gem and deserves so much more praise than it gets
'Better by far' i havent heard in its entirity though judging by Feelin' Alright, it sound hugley enjoyable.
Both 'the Album' and 'Back to Front' are somewhat sub-par however they still have caravan's unmistakeable sincerity and songwriting.
For me Caravan were always a great pop group which is why, when they moved in a more commercial direction they were so much more successful than their progressive piers (i'd rather listen to 'Back to Front' over 'The single Factor' anyday)
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topographicbroadways
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Joined: May 20 2010
Location: Australia
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Posted: May 21 2010 at 05:59 |
Froth wrote:
After Richard Sinclair left, the band was never quite the same in my opinion (Waterloo Lily is certainly my favourite Caravan record) though i dont think they ever made a bad record. They were a great band and they became a different sort of great band.
'...Plump in the night' is brilliant and anyone who likes caravan should aquire it.
'Cunning Stunts' has its moments though really a step in the wrong direction
'Blind dogs at st Dunstans' is another gem and deserves so much more praise than it gets
'Better by far' i havent heard in its entirity though judging by Feelin' Alright, it sound hugley enjoyable.
Both 'the Album' and 'Back to Front' are somewhat sub-par however they still have caravan's unmistakeable sincerity and songwriting.
For me Caravan were always a great pop group which is why, when they moved in a more commercial direction they were so much more successful than their progressive piers (i'd rather listen to 'Back to Front' over 'The single Factor' anyday)
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caravan are certainly my favourite canterbury scene band , but i do enjoy the guitar oriented sound of camel, and National Health made for an interesting supergroup
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Cesar Inca
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Posted: May 21 2010 at 09:09 |
I believe that CARAVAN made quite a monster album in "For Grils...", which in fact I like more than I like "Waterloo" even if the relevant role of Sinclair's bass playing was missing. It was after the live album with the New Symphonia that the band failed to make overall interesting albums, all of them being irregular and inconsistenty in varying degrees.
Kind regards.
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moshkito
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Joined: January 04 2007
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Posted: May 21 2010 at 19:40 |
Hi,
"For Girls ... " is one of the best albums ever, and should be in the top ten prog, without reservations. The album right after, specially "The New Synfonia" is by far one of the very best orchestrated material of a band's music that you will EVER find. And the remastered version has stuff that the album was missing. It's worth getting it, as it clarifies their music so well, and also shows what kind of talented musicians you are working with ... totally top knotch.
I like "Cunning Stunts" a lot and also enjoy "Blind Dog ... " quite a bit, although many people seem to like reverting back to their earlier material. I like "For Richard" but I also like the Dabshirt Conshirtoe.
Sometimes, I think that by the time that Cunning Stunts came out, they had their sound and material down a bit better and if it had pop music leanings, it was ok. Actually it always had some bits and pieces of that in a few smaller songs, but all in all, where you see these folks shine is in the massive compositional ability and style that they put this together with. I kinda think that "For Girls" is their pinacle.
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Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
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PROGMONSTER2008
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Posted: May 21 2010 at 20:59 |
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I love Grey and Pink and quite like Waterloo lily. I have the ramastered versions with the quality bonus tracks. I'm not sure what the fuss is about in regards to Plump though. I only think it has one strong full length song which is 'It's Alright'. I think Plump really suffers in regards to melody with Richard gone. Memory Lain is cool but I find the 2nd half of the song(Headloss) to be a bit cheesy and commecial. I like Hoedown, but don't really care for Suprise, Thlu or The dog. I find them pretty bland musically. They are ok but nothing exciting. Don't think pye was much of a melody producer until about 1975 where he improved. L'auberge starts of nicely but goes on a fair bit also. I quite like Stunts, Blind dog, The album and Back to front. These 4 albums are quite cool. But Plump is very overrated imo
Edited by PROGMONSTER2008 - May 21 2010 at 22:23
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Chris S
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Posted: May 21 2010 at 21:18 |
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Battle Of Hastings, Better By far and Blind Dogs.... stand out, but Caravan is such a good band even the much later release like The Unauthorised Breakfast is worth having in your collection. The underlying jazz even evident in their debut has always been present and Pye's voice after all these years is still the same. In many respects IMO the best Canterbury band around.
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mark kraken
Forum Groupie
Joined: November 04 2009
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Posted: May 22 2010 at 12:23 |
Caravan, Great Canterbury Band all of there albums are great the one I keep falling for is BLIND DOG AT ST DUNSTANS. its the the best of there later period after Girls Go Plump.
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boo boo
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Joined: June 28 2005
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Points: 905
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Posted: May 22 2010 at 12:55 |
I probably like Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night more than In the Land of Grey and Pink personally. Though they're both masterpieces of Canterbury.
John G. Perry is no Richard Sinclair on bass but he's no Sid Vicious either, he's really damn good.
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UndercoverBoy
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Location: Tulsa, OK, U.S.
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Posted: May 22 2010 at 13:05 |
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For Girls is the only post-Sinclair album I have, and it's great. Not as good as If Could Do it All Over Again or Grey and Pink, but still a great Canterbury nevertheless.
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geoffbarra
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Joined: September 25 2007
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Posted: May 22 2010 at 21:23 |
< ="-" ="text/; =utf-8"> < name="GENERATOR" ="Office.org 3.0 Win32">< ="text/">
Fuxi
Really pleased to hear
(read) that some one else also appreciates "Better By Far"
For me this is the best album - (my absolute favourite band) - Caravan
ever made.
And if the music on this album is considered "Pop"
- then it's probably the BEST Pop ever recorded!
I think I
have virtually every album and DVD that Caravan has made - and I was
in the audience at the Fairfield Halls Live Concert - (a truly
magical evening - I swear I can hear my voice yelling out on the
album)
I have grown up with Caravan and throughout my life
they have been responsible for more 'goose-bumps and 'tingly' moments
than any other band - and for any lover of Prog they are (surely?)
among the very top elite of the genre.
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Without Prog - where would wise men be...?
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pied piper
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Joined: May 19 2010
Location: Italy
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Posted: May 25 2010 at 04:16 |
I had to say that "Cunning stunts" was the first Caravan album I purchased with no idea of their sound. I liked "Show of our lives" and the suite on the other side, but I disliked the songs written by Pye. Then I bought an anthology and that was another matter!
Well, apart from "Grey & Pink" and after "Lily", which I don't love to the most, I like "Plump", a big part of "Stunts", "Blind Dog", and, believe it or not, a big part of "The Album" too (Sinclair's compositions, of course). But my favourite "post-Golden age" Caravan's album is "Back to front"! Probably because of Richard's return, I suppose. Well, this album has ugly songs in it, but also some jewels, such as "Back to Herne Bay", "AA MAn", "Proper job", "Sally", "Videos of Hollywood"... yes, I vote this album.
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PROGMONSTER2008
Forum Senior Member
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Posted: May 25 2010 at 05:12 |
pied piper wrote:
I had to say that "Cunning stunts" was the first Caravan album I purchased with no idea of their sound. I liked "Show of our lives" and the suite on the other side, but I disliked the songs written by Pye. Then I bought an anthology and that was another matter!
Well, apart from "Grey & Pink" and after "Lily", which I don't love to the most, I like "Plump", a big part of "Stunts", "Blind Dog", and, believe it or not, a big part of "The Album" too (Sinclair's compositions, of course). But my favourite "post-Golden age" Caravan's album is "Back to front"! Probably because of Richard's return, I suppose. Well, this album has ugly songs in it, but also some jewels, such as "Back to Herne Bay", "AA MAn", "Proper job", "Sally", "Videos of Hollywood"... yes, I vote this album. |
We have similar thoughts. The Album is my 2nd fave Caravan album behind Grey and Pink(remaster-alias the word is a classic bonus track). Love the first four songs on The Album and most of the other songs are cool too including the bonus track called It's never to late. Stunts is very good. Show of our lives and No backstage pass are great. Stuck in a hole is a cool tune too and most of the Comsirto is very cool. Even the little acoustic at the end is cool. Blind dog has 4 or 5 very good tunes. Back to front has a mix of great and average songs. I love Proper job and Videos of hollywood. I also enjoy All aboard and Hernebay front. I actually find Plump and All over you to be the weakest albums except for Better by far which the bands only blande album from 1970-1982.
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Norman Kiddie
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Posted: May 25 2010 at 11:35 |
 When Pye Hastings took over lead vocals at Caravan it gave them a new lease of life. Most of the polls
would try and tell you that In In The Land Of Grey And Pink is the ultimate Caraven album. At one time I would have agreed but for me by far the strongest Caravan album is ` For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night´. A real gem. Look into it.
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Caravan after Waterloo Lily
