In the Land of Grey and Pink [IMPORT]

Caravan

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 24, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 1971
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Eclectic Discs
• ASIN: B000NIIUKQ
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #332,185 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
For many aficionados of the creative rock music that surfaced in the heady days of the late 60's / early 70's, the bands who surfaced from the English provincial city of Canterbury produced some of the most consistently interesting music of that period. Of all the groups to emerge from the so-called "Canterbury Scene" (the existence of which many of its main protagonists deny), none were quite so original and so enduring as Caravan.

In The Land of Grey & Pink was released to an unsuspecting world in 1971, appearing in Europe and Japan on Decca's progressive rock label Deram and in the USA on London Records The album packaging was the most lavish to grace a Caravan release to date, being the inaugural release in Deram's "deluxe" series. It featured a striking Tolkien-esque illustration and opened in a gatefold to reveal a glorious picture silhouette of the band larking around, marching single file in a field. Overall both the music within and the album sleeve created a stunning impression.

A unique fusion of folk, jazz and rock; the album came to be regarded as one of Caravan's finest hours. Taking up a whole side of vinyl and chosen to close the album, the Nine Feet Underground suite provided a worthy successor to For Richard, proving to be one of the most popular tracks on the album and a concert favourite. It is often regarded as the seminal Caravan album and is in MOJO's bible top 500 albums of all time. This new Eclectic definitive version is remastered and comes housed in digipak format.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic, June 26, 2000

By	A. C. H. Bergh - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: In the Land of Grey and Pink (Audio CD)

Idiosyncrasy. Remember that? The raw virtuosity of King Crimson, the literacy of early Genesis, the sheer emotional intensity of Van der Graaf Generator? (Not to mention the pseudo-artistic but fun pyrotechnics of ELP and the sympathetic but occasionally over-the-top ramblings of Yes!)

Well, there were other bands as well. Equally unique, in many ways equally wonderful, but somehow never as successful or enduring. Gentle Giant's one, and Caravan's another.

Caravan's music is difficult to describe to the newcomer. It's unique. Terms like whimsical, magical and quintessentially British come to mind, but none of those really capture the essence. What does, then?

Well, Pooh. And Alice. And that curiously heroic Hobbit, Bilbo. All those hopeless British traits, melancholy and longing and mild self-deprecation, caught up in one. And beautiful music, sculptured by organ (the old-fashioned kind, Hammond), accentuated by synchronous guitar and interspersed with flute, occasional saxophone and determinedly simple, but often wonderful lyrics. And all of this, spiced, obviously, by a pinch of the era: the early 70's.

That, at least, is what Caravan's like on In the Land Of Grey And Pink. And because of this, Grey and Pink is Caravan's best album by far. They'd already produced the extraordinarily titled If I Could It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You (Caravan was never a group to eschew curious titles!) and that's the next one you'll want to get, if you like Grey And Pink. After that, things unfortunately go downhill, though there's enough to enjoy if, by now, you're Caravanserai'd.

This is one of my favourite albums of all time. I keep returning to it, as the years go by. It's a classic.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite album of all-time - after 27 years!, November 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: In the Land of Grey and Pink (Audio CD)

This is far and away the best Caravan album, mixing the succinct 3-minute pop nugget with upbeat extended improvisational pieces. They dispense with the meandering spaciness of earlier albums and patch together hook after hook into songs where every minute is indispensable songcraft. Richard Sinclair on keyboards is the centerpiece of the sound - the free-form middle-section of Winter Wine where he soars over top the pop-jazz bottom layer can still give me goosebumps after uncountable listenings. David Sinclair on bass is the secret weapon you don't notice at first, but he is always nimbly dancing around the melody while providing a constant thinking-man's groove. Richard Couglan on drums is solid and inventive - not as out-front as, say, Phil Collins on early Genesis, but every bit his equal in keeping the sound upbeat and interesting. Pye Hastings is in there somewhere on guitar - its a tribute to him that he blends in so well. You can skip Golf Girl (I often do) and begin with Winter Wine - the best song ever made (that's Ever, folks), where they take you to an Olde English tavern with dancing maids and troubadours and drink that muddles your senses. Then on to Love to love you (and pigs might fly) - the aforementioned pop nugget that first brought Caravan into my life. And the title track then takes you down a syncopated path courtesy of Richard Sinclair's basswork and David Sinclair even gets in some succinct soloing that soars with the best. Then side two is one long song which is really several short songs pasted together into a (gasp!) rock-opera-ish extravaganza. The song, Nine Feet Underground, actually works as a whole, going from glorious pop hit to jazz-interlude to yearning poetry to anthemic proto-riffs - if you listen to it at the proper volume you will be spent when it is done. The closest I've come to duplicating the experience of this album (believe me I've tried) is a few other tracks by Caravan (on Waterloo lily and If I could do it all over again I'd do it all over you) and some Camel - especially Rain Dances and Echoes, but nothing else really does it. It's a one-of-a-kind album that inhabits it's own category - nobody else makes 'em like this.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Probably Caravan's best work, December 25, 2000

By	Gavin Wilson - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: In the Land of Grey and Pink (Audio CD)

Track five is the one to test whether you will like Caravan -- the extended 'Nine Feet Underground'. New listeners may need to take some time getting used to this folk-tinged, organ-centred rock -- just don't forget that this album was released in April 1971! Caravan never made a better record after this.