RARE ORIG 1969 FIRST LP CARAVAN PSYCH PROG CANTERBURY Psychedelic HAMMOND
$
91
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Description
ORIGINAL FIRST PRESS
SCARCE '69 COLLECTIBLE PSYCH PROG 1st ALBUM
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= CARAVAN =
..|/\|...............................................|/\|.. USA - VERVE / FORCAST - RECORDS - FTS 3066
Scarce Verve/Forcast label USA pressing from '69. Seldom ever seen, expensive as a result and far far better than other and later Lp's by Caravan... this was their psychedelic phase before going full blown progressive / Canterbury sound ...
The very first Caravan features psychedelic flavors with progressive edges
What you get here is much more closely related to Pink Floyd's debut, the legendary "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn", than to the monumental second and third albums of the Canterbury band. Caravan's debut is much more interesting that it is usually credited for. Their take on psychedelia is highly original and entertaining, and the members of the band, in spite of their youth, are more than capable as musicians and songwriters.
The album's opener, "A Place of My Own", released as a single, attracted quite a lot of attention at the time. It's both endearing and highly infectious, sung by Pye Hastings in a slightly more uncertain voice than usual, with great organ work by Dave Sinclair. The keyboardist is possibly the real star of this album, as his trademark organ makes the overall sound fuller and richer, as well as adding complexity and interest to the compositions. His contribution to the closing track, the 9-minute "Where but for Caravan Would I?", the album's most convincing stab at fully-fledged prog, is outstanding, the sinuous sound of the organ weaving in and out of the vocal interludes sung by Pye Hastings and Richard Sinclair. The latter's presence is more restrained than in the two following albums, which of course is a pity. He sings lead in the Beatles-flavoured "Policeman" and the distinctly Syd Barrett-ish "Grandma's Lawn", backed up by cousin Dave's haunting organ - a slightly disturbing song with weird lyrics, further enhanced by Richard's smooth delivery. His best vocal performance, though, comes towards the end of "Where but for Caravan Would I", where his voice achieves that velvety tone that we find so irresistible.
The sinister, almost discordant "Cecil Rons", another track haunted by the ghost of Syd Barrett (both vocalists, especially the usually soft, mild-mannered Hastings, are utterly unrecognizable!) is probably the most uncharacteristic of the band's output. On the other hand, the romantic "Love Song with Flute" (the latter superbly played by Jimmy Hastings) is almost classic Caravan, beautifully sung by Pye - possibly his best vocal performance on the album.
In spite of the poor production, "Caravan" shows quite clearly that the band had potential in spades. Their music would get different, as it did.This album is endearingly homespun and deserves recognition of its own for being a gem of late '60s psychedelic prog.
Place of my own (4:01)
Ride (3:42)
Policeman (2:44)
Love song with flute (4:10)
Cecil runs (4:07)
Magic man (4:03)
Grandma's lawn (3:25)
Where but for Caravan would I be (9:01)
....
CONDITION: The cover: rated: STRONG VG+ light wear, light previous visual use, still a collection item especially as hard to find and sought after that it is ... there is a tiny delete drill at top left ...no split seams, no writing, strong original colors ...
The vinyl: Rated: STRONG VG+ very shiny both sides, a few random light scuffs, so will play way better than grade in mostly excellent zones. Heard mild surface in a couple of areas but noting overpowering and again, most plays excellent ... both Verve Forcast labels are clean A cool addition to anyone's music library!
SEE: SELLERS OTher items for similar cool sounds for "head" people... EFFICIENT/CAREFUL GRADING All imperfections are noted both cover & record NOTE: All Items backed by money back guarantee! IF you have a problem PLEASE let us solve for you BEFORE leaving ANY negative feedback. Thanks! GRADING SCALE: M, M-, EX, VG++,VG+, VG, VG- M Completely clean, no marks M- Carefully used, looks clean, plays clean, shiny gloss, no marks EX Faint scuff or superficial mark, near M-, high gloss, plays clean VG++ Glossy with minimal scuffing or light mark playing very nice, clean VG+ a bit more scuff or markls still plays well with very minimal surface at worse VG more marks/scratches only minor, nothing deep, no loud clicks or pops this grade is abused by many, VG here does not mean "trashed" VG- surface noise present, will not have skips or jumps ALL PAYMENTS SHOULD BE MADE WITHIN 5 DAYS Of AUCTIONS END BIDDERS PLEASE = Do Not Bid If You Are Not Serious About Following Through The Transaction! ALL ITEMS GUARANTEED FOR WINNING BID - LESS SHIPPING!
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