THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS

Let's continue with Caravan's eleventh record which was made thriteen years after the wonderful "Back to front" recording. In 1995 when I was 6 years old Caravan had return to their nice cover apperence and also the title "Battle of Hastings" is interesting. Of course all of you know that two of the Caravans are named Hastings. Yes here they're two; Pyes brother Jimmy is here too, playing a lot of wind and blow instruments. The cover picture shows scenes from the famous tapestry showing the Battle of Hastings. Here there's also Richard Coughlan (we remember him and mourn his recent death), Pye Hastings, Geoffrey Richardson and Dave Sinclair and Jim Leverton who plays bass and sings.

"The Battle of Hastings" is a well procuded an over all enjoyable album which carries on the spirit of Caravan through the nineties. I am a little sorry that many of the songs don't sound very much like Caravan. They're too ordinar rock songs. I think it's Dave Sinclairs piano solos that are too seldom here but there are some interesting songs, especially in the end of the record. "It's not real" where I don't think Pye sings is the very best song (8/10). I do like the vocals and even if the song is calm it has a forwardlooking rhytm. The short "Wendy wants another 6" mole" is also great, just as playful and happy a Caravan song should be(7/10) and the closer "I know why you're laughing" is a good rock song with a great synth solo(7/10).

Beside from these songs there are a lot of tracks that are okay or enjoyable but not so much above that. I like the happy starter "It's a sad, sad affair"(6/10) and "Cold as ice" starts slow and quite and becomes a very nice song too(6/10). "If it wasn't for your ego" is also playful and has a great synth solo.

Over all I like the well known easy adopted happy melodies and more leading keyboards. Perhaps I think these songs are recorded with too many instruments, Caravan should be more stripped. Well I should only review what I have heard and it was a decent record with perhaps five superior tracks that I do recommend. This record is a little better than "The Album" but not as good as "Better by far" or "Back to front". Three stars!