WATERLOO LILY

Although there is undeniably a little bit of jazz in temporary keyboard player Steve Miller's performance on this album, I think it's possible to overemphasise the jazz influence this time around. The music on Waterloo Lily is still very recognisably caravan - Pye Hastings and Richard Sinclair's vocals are as distinctive as they ever were, the dirty jokes are still very much present and correct, and musically speaking we're still at the lighter, more approachable end of Canterbury territory.

Still, there's no denying that it isn't quite as iconic as its two predecessors. Steve Miller's playing might not drive the band into full-on fusion territory, but it is still an odd fit for the band's sound. It's not jarring enough to spoil the album, but it is distracting enough to stop it being amongst the best of the best of Caravan's material. It's not the first Caravan album I'd recommend to people interested in the group's work, but I'd very strongly recommend it to anyone who'd already experienced and enjoyed classic Caravan material.