Caravan: Rate the first five albums.

[PROGMONSTER]

Grey and pink
Blind dog
The album
Cunning stunts
Waterloo

If I could and Plump don't make my top 5

[Progbear]

1. FGWGPITN
2. IICDIAOAIDIAOY
3. ITLGOP
4. WL
5. 1st

Though, as with the HC ranking, these are all very close. The debut is a bit formative and there’s some embarrassingly dated, hippie-ish stuff on all of the first three but the basic building blocks of what made Caravan Caravan were present from the very start. My preference for For Girls probably stems a bit from nostalgia (it was, after all, my first taste of them) but I also thing that it’s a) a really strong set of songs from start to finish and b) the most fully realized iteration of their vision of Third Stream jazz meets folk-rock. Martyn Ford’s orchestral arrangements, especially on the “Backwards” section of “A Hunting We Shall Go,” are nothing short of brilliant, and enhance the compositions a great deal. The same goes to “The Love in Your Eye,” off of the underrated Waterloo Lily. Fie on those revisionist types who say stupid things like “it would have sounded better with a Mellotron.”

I don’t really have a problem with Stephen Miller’s bluesier, electric-piano-based playing on WL. It’s arguably not as “Canterbury” as Dave’s fuzz-organ, but I liked that the band weren’t afraid to shake things up and experiment with their sound a bit. I am rather glad Miller just stuck around for the one album, as I don’t think I could have handled his style as a regular element of their sound (contrast with Geoff Richardson’s viola, which I think complemented the band’s sound beautifully).

[SteveSly]

I only have 4 of them, but I would go:

1. Land Of The Grey And Pink: Still their all-time classic IMO.
2. For Girls That Grow Plump In The Night: I like the heavier rock approach on this one.
3. If I Could Do It Again…..: Another really strong one.
4. First Album: My least favorite of the 4, but it certainly has it’s moments.

[bigjohnwayne]

1. If I could Do It All Over Again I'd Do It All Over you
2. In the Land of Grey and Pink
3. For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night
4. Waterloo Lily
5. s/t


Like a few folks, I almost feel bad putting Waterloo Lily at number 4, because I think its very underrated. But that top 3 is unimpeachable!

(Back to Front from the early 80s is pretty great too)

[yesstiles]

1. tie - "Grey and Pink," "Waterloo Lily," "Girls Grow Plump"
4. "If I Could Do It"
5. "S/T"

[JJ88]

I don’t really have a problem with Stephen Miller’s bluesier, electric-piano-based playing on WL. It’s arguably not as “Canterbury” as Dave’s fuzz-organ, but I liked that the band weren’t afraid to shake things up and experiment with their sound a bit. I am rather glad Miller just stuck around for the one album, as I don’t think I could have handled his style as a regular element of their sound (contrast with Geoff Richardson’s viola, which I think complemented the band’s sound beautifully).

I don't have any issue with Miller's playing per se, but it did cause a shift in musical direction. It's less unified than almost any other album they made, IMHO.

[calyx]

1. If I could Do It All Over Again I'd Do It All Over you
2. In the Land of Grey and Pink
3. For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night
4. Waterloo Lily
5. s/t

Same here.

[supersister]

1 If I Could as good as in the Land of grey
3 for girls
4 waterloo lily
5 same

[Scrotum Scissor]

ItLoG&P
Plump
Caravan
All Over You
Lily

All are good, some great.