In The Land Of Grey And Pink

Caravan’s third album sports a fine cover illustration from Anne Marie Anderson; on the turntable, the album steps up a notch from the group’s previous efforts. Richard Sinclair’s affable (and perennial favorite) “Golf Girl” kicks off; its concise pop, Caravan-style, while “Love To Love You (And Tonight Pigs Will Fly)” offers more of the same. David Hitchcock’s production and the band’s instrumentation are immaculate, while the melodies and lighthearted subject matter are, again, typically Canterbury. Next, “Winter Wine” presents a mini-version of what the second side has to offer: the sprawling “Nine Feet Underground.” Caravan’s entrant into the album-side-long compositions is nonpareil. Conceived by Dave Sinclair as an entity, the eight sections flow together seamlessly, hypnotically propelled through the 20-minute piece by the laid-back Richards Coughlan/Sinclair rhythm section. From the opening riff until the last note, there is little debate that Sinclair’s Hammond organ steals the show. Continually shifting and changing tone, Sinclair carries the melody on each section with pure simplicity, always resting on the tonic. Hastings’s guitar may be down in the mix, but his melancholic voice is the icing on the track. It remains one of the finest moments of not only Caravan’s history, but of progressive rock in general. The album failed to chart but remained in Decca’s catalog for years, eventually earning a gold record. Caravan continued a hectic touring schedule; however, change was just around the corner. Dave Sinclair left the band in August to join Robert Wyatt’s Matching Mole.