IN THE LAND OF GREY AND PINK

When it comes to albums that capture the imagination, "In The Land Of Grey And Pink" (1971), the third work by the British Canterbury prog band Caravan, truly takes the crown. Both the fairy-tale album cover and the music itself are creations to lose yourself in constantly. The illustration by Anne Marie Anderson on the cover shows a piece of the two-toned land. For over fifty years, this image has represented the lightness of the music. Think of it as a surrealistic blend of works by Pieck and Tolkien, emerging in a musical fusion of jazzy elements with a psychedelic layer of prog and pop infused with a lot of humor. The sound of the tracks undeniably contributes to the airy character of the music. Of course, everything starts with the compositions and their execution, but the transparent production that David Hitchcock gave the record elevates the music to something magical. For me, my old edition has so much charm that I want nothing to do with the later polished versions. Long live my faded cover.

At that time, Caravan still had the strong lineup of their previous two albums. Who wouldn't want to listen to Richard Sinclair's clear voice, and his driving bass playing is a must as well. Alongside Sinclair, guitarist Pye Hastings also provides vocals. Not on a grand scale, but certainly beautiful. His musical input as a guitarist mainly consists of tight and subtle chords. In my opinion, the standout of the album is keyboardist David Sinclair. He frequently engages with his fuzzy organ, which leaves a brilliant mark on the album. Drummer Richard Coughlan completes the regular lineup with rousing grooves and tasteful rolls. Besides these four creatives, guest musician Jimmy Hastings adds the finishing touches to the music in many places with his flute and saxophone. What you hear is truly remarkable.

That "In The Land Of Grey And Pink" contains only five tracks is indicative of the band's members' independence, who primarily want to define their own playing field. The album has four tracks on side A, while side B is entirely devoted to the epic Nine Feet Underground. Like the Genesis album "Foxtrot" (1972) and the Yes classic "Close To The Edge" (1972), "In The Land Of Grey And Pink" has helped set the standard within progressive rock. It's amusing that people today consider a five-minute track to be 'long'; for me, we only start talking when a track exceeds fifteen minutes.

The album starts convincingly with the infectious Golf Girl. Richard Sinclair's singing immediately gives that pleasant feeling that makes the record so special. Notable here is also the theme that slide trombonist John Beecham lets resound throughout the track. For me, this is a very familiar sound, as my father played the instrument as well. Golf Girl is an unadulterated Caravan pop song, and that's the impressive part: the band manages to keep every track within their own framework, whether it's a short song or a progressive epic, Caravan always remains themselves. There's a passage with wonderful organ play, and Jimmy Hastings' flute adds that typical layer of frivolity. The subsequent Winter Wine, also sung by Sinclair, aligns most with the fairy-tale nature of the cover. The captivating track develops from grey-pink to pink-grey. In other words: from calm folk to lush keyboard passages and then even more beauty, you are entranced by the music. Winter Wine was initially an instrumental track with wordless vocals, which somewhat explains the strong solo section. Next comes Love To Love You (and Tonight Pigs Will Fly) written and sung by Pye Hastings. This mid-tempo song may be slightly less lush than the other tracks on "In The Land Of Grey And Pink," but it fits seamlessly. Side A concludes with the lyrically amusing title track. This mid-tempo track perfectly aligns with the band's motto: life is too short to be sad. A few times, Richard Sinclair has to bend deep to pick up his low vocal notes. The track can handle this André van Duin-like fun well.

After these fine four tracks, you get the same kind of music on side B, but with more depth. The over 22-minute Nine Feet Underground is more intense, thrilling, and musically captivating. The album side-filling track has a certain restraint that bursts open in the spicy, riff-oriented final part 100% Proof. From the first part Nigel Blows A Tune, you are placed in a comfortable position from which you are never torn away. Let yourself drift on the unique keyboard work of David Sinclair, who is also the composer of this masterful piece. Jimmy Hastings' tenor sax solo also adds distinction to the piece, leading into the second part Love's A Friend. This is one of the two vocal parts of Nine Feet Underground. It's particularly refreshing to hear Pye Hastings as a singer here, and Richard Sinclair's vocal contribution later in the track also deserves praise. As mentioned, there's a lot of focus on instrumental sections. The middle part of the epic consists of four relatively short instrumental pieces that together provide swinging, restrained, humorous, and psychedelic atmospheres. If the epic comes across as a noble patchwork, I can assure you that musically there's no sign of that. Thanks to the good arrangement work and the clever production, it's enjoyable until the last chord fades away.

I always like to keep my final conclusion short and to the point: it's good to dwell in the land of grey and pink.

Orginally posted on www.progenrock.com