4 September : If I Could Do It All Over Again

The only time I saw Caravan was at Edinburgh University Student’s Union on their Into The Eighties tour in 1980. There were only about 30 of us and the band played a full show plus, iirc, an encore too. If I Could Do It All Over Again I’d Do It All Over You was their second album.

In the run of albums through 1970, this is one that catches the ear for its musicianship and for its newness. Sure it sounds a bit like early Soft Machine, but that’s only to be expected. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t also sound ‘of its time’. That isn’t a criticism as such.

The opening track isn’t much more than vamping around a repetitive riff, but it opens out after that. On the third track As I Feel I Die, I was reminded a little of The Beatles’ She’s Leaving Home, though, as befits a Canterbury band, without any scouse-ness. When it takes off, though, we’re in different territory and we also encounter the thing that sounds most dated and irritating–David Sinclair’s distorted organ sound when playing lead, which is only barely compensated for by some lovely piano work elsewhere.

Genre diehards routinely refer to ‘jazz’ influences on Caravan, but I don’t think that’s true at all. When they deploy a sax, it is more ‘lounge jazz’ than John Coltrane. There is a very British sensibility about it, reminiscent at times of Pink Floyd’s first couple of albums. ‘Pastoral’ is a cliche, but it is also valid, even though they can rock out with the best of them. I can’t pinpoint what’s on my mind, but I think it’s to do with the way they construct melodies–the sensibilities behind them, their choice of scales and moods: whatever it is, it isn’t jazz. There were points where, to my surprise, they also reminded me of the Grateful Dead, but with Jerry Garcia’s guitar replaced by a flute.

Richard Coughlan’s drumming is notable throughout.

I like this album. It isn’t the kind of thing I would play often, but I wouldn’t turn it off if it came up on shuffle. Well, I might if I got fed up with that bloody organ sound.

I listened on Spotify and it’s on YouTube too.