The World Is Yours (Caravan, 1972)

Taken from "Waterloo Lily" album, this is undoubtely one of the best prog ballads ever and a blooming flower into Canterbury musical garden. Caravan mix the acoustic set with a soft vocal performance, conjuring up a spring smelling track, a true love song, including all the I love yous one can imagine.

Caravan: all is so Seventies in this picture!

Still, the original way the band wrap up their gift and the never too sweet sound we enjoy is true Canterbury prog, full of warm guitars and also featuring a misty mix and a folk inspiration. True, this is a catchy song, not so far from the best pop songs from the early Seventies, but if all of them were as good as this one, well, I'd listen pop music 24 hours a day!

Where but for Caravan Would I? (Caravan, 1968)

Listening today the first album by Caravan can be highly instructive, as we litterally see the Canterbury sound coming to light and gradually acquire its recognizable features. No doubt, the closing song "Where but for Caravan Would I?" is the most accomplished effort hitherward. It's not just the expanded duration time (some 9 minutes... not bad for a 1968 song!), more than this, the song has very interesting instrumental parts driven by the organ and pleasant vocal lines.

The beginning of an extraordinary career... 

Roughly divided into three sections, this song in an early attempt  Jazzy and even dissonant passages forecast some of the most known Caravan's features to come. The tempo and mood variations can be slightly naive, but they always come in the right place. The dawn of prog...

The Love in Your Eye (Caravan, 1972)

Coming from the "Waterloo Lily" album, this song has both an orchestral and jazzy mood, being a diversified suite in four movements: "To Catch Me A Brother", "Subsultus", "Debouchement" and "Tibury Kecks". As always with Canterbury bands, you couldn't find one prominent style here: you got them all. Sure, there are some passages I better like: the flute solo in "Subsultus", for example, but all the details cooperate to the big picture, a tricky and colourful one, I daresay.

"Waterloo Lily" was the fourth studio album by Caravan.

All the instruments find their way to the foreground sooner or later and all the tempos come in in time. The sung parts are like islands in a fluid, unpredictable, instrumental river. Nonetheless, this track is pleasant and fully enjoyable to all listeners (well, almost all). The jazzy taste is always supported by a very British sense of humour and it seems to me like Uncle Sam and Queen Victoria going on very well. A strange but peaceful coexistence... that's what we need nowadays, isn't it?

Nine Feet Underground (Caravan, 1971)

If I had to single out one track as the most representative one of the so called Canterbury Sound, I'd likely choose this one, taken from the masterpiece album "In The Land of Grey And Pink". Mind you, this isn't just because it is a long eight-part suitre (and anyone knows I like suites), no, it's the lush, eclectic, warming and brilliant architecture of this song that always captures my attention. Take those gentle and slightly jazz keyboards, for example. They seem to come from a distance, maybe from nine feet underground, and still they are so neat and strong that each time I listen to them, I'd ask for more.

Caravan during the early '70s. Canterbury rules.

The rare sung sections are somewhat linked to the beat-blues era and the choral harmonies always come in to add a '70s smell to these vocal flowers. And the guitars are rich ,nd flushing. Now a special mention for the tempo changes. These ones are particularly dynamic during the central sections, including some supernatural effects - the scary "Make it 76" - and an assortment of keyboard and guitar solos. I don't need to recommend such a famous track, of course, perhaps I can suggest one more listening... just in case.

Winter Wine (Caravan, 1971)

Taken from the wonderful album "In The Land of  Grey And Pink", here's an old fashioned prog and folk rock song from the group leading the Canterbury scene, a sip of eccentric and soooo british music. I especially like the warm and light vocals, but also the instrumental passages and the imaginative choirs. The melody is plain and well found and the lyrics perfectly fit the framework.

Do you remember this nice cover?

I know Caravan created more adventurous songs and suites, more structured tracks and richer melodies during their career, but this song always made me think of Old England greens, cottages and afternoon teas. With a scent of Flower Power to finish the picture.