Four Prog Rock Milestones By Caravan Head To 180 Gram Vinyl
The releases further acknowledge Caravan’s importance in developing the progressive and experimental style that became known as the Canterbury Sound.
Following UMC/Decca’s 6 September release of the Caravan box set An Anthology (The Decca/Deram Years 1970-75), four of their classic albums during that era are to be released as 180 gram black vinyl editions. The progressive rock pioneers will have If I Could Do It All Over Again, I’d Do It All Over You (1970), In the Land of Grey and Pink (1971), Waterloo Lily (1972) and For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night (1973) reissued on 1 November. Each will feature a gatefold sleeve.
As Decca’s 90th anniversary celebrations continue, the releases further acknowledge Caravan’s importance as progenitors of the progressive and experimental style that became known as the Canterbury Sound. They arrived on the label, after releasing their debut album on Verve, with 1970’s If I Could Do It All Over Again, I’d Do It All Over You. Its commercial edge brought radio play for its title song and a spot on BBC Television’s flagship pop show Top Of The Pops.
The subsequent albums to be reissued expanded both their musical horizons and their reputation. Their third LP, In The Land of Grey and Pink, was named among the 50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone, who noted that it evoked “a Middle Earth sunset, with the music wavering between medieval folk melodies and jazz-savvy musos.”
Waterloo Lily was made after the departure of co-founder and keyboard player David Sinclair, with the arrival of Steve Miller as his replacement leading to a jazzier style than earlier records. For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night was Caravan’s fifth album and successfully blended their complex musical structures with their trademark humour.
The individual vinyl releases complement the nine-CD box set, which features gatefold digipacks with original album art and a 44-page book charting Caravan’s history.
If I Could Do It All Over Again, I’d Do It All Over You, In the Land of Grey and Pink, Waterloo Lily and For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night are reissued on 180 gram vinyl on 1 November. Pre-order them here.