WATERLOO LILY

After two masterpieces, the fourth Caravan's album shows the evidence of the descending quality of the band. David Sinclair is gone with his keyboards and this is the first issue. It means that the acid sounds and the soft psychedelic ambient are replaced by jazzy atmospheres. Not bad, really, but surely different.

The album is opened by the title track, that's probably the best thing here. It's a song which maintains a connection to the previous albums. As If I Could Do and Golf Girl it has the odd signature and the "glam"ish melody. It's longer that the two predecessors because it includes the excellent Richard Sinclair's bass riff. What is missed is the acid sound of David's keyboards. Steve Miller's piano is very good but it's a different thing.

"Nothing at All" respect its title. A jazz bass base that goes on without any highlight. This is the same kind of stuff that Sting has made after the Police have disbanded. I don't skip this track usually, but it's nothing special.

A short Caravan song, then. "Song and Signs" comes from the poppy side of Caravan. Nice piano also here. It's like they were on a crossroad, choosing if going on the jazzy or the poppy side.

"Aristocracy" is a follow-up to the only average track of In The Land Of Grey And Pink: Love to Love You. Nothing more than nice.

Now comes the reason why I rate this album three solid stars and unfortunately is too few for the fourth. It's half an epic for it's abundant 10 minutes, but it's not at the level of things like Winter Wine, For Richard or Nine Feet Underground. "The Love in Your Eye" is a good long song, progressive enough. Good but not a masterpiece. However it would deserve to stay in a Caravan's Best Of. It's also one of the few moments featuring Jimmy Hastings' flute.

"The World Is Yours" is another pop song that I think is misplaced. Good as filler it shouldn't be an album closer, but this is regardless its quality. It's just my opinion. I'm a bit negative because Waterloo Lily follows two of my favourite albums ever, but it's not a bad album on its own. Good but non-essential.