FOR GIRLS WHO GROW PLUMP IN THE NIGHT

"For girls who grow plump in the night" from 1973 is Caravan's fifth studio record and of the cover I guess the music appeals to your dreams(and not just girls'). I see this record as a successfull attempt to do harder music with the same progressivity and catchy melodies as before. The sound of Caravan a la 73 is rich because of many instruments. Aside the group Caravan (Richard Coughlan, Pye Hastings, David Sinclair, Geoff Richardson and John G Perry) they took help from twelve guest musicians and an orchestra. This music is so well performed and produced. And Caravan was such an original band I think only was posible in the 70s. Catchy melodies as a bubble gum pop band mixed with symphonic passages and hard rock, jazz and unnamable sounds was a perfect progressive being named Caravan.

What I have hard to understand is the next album, Cunning stunts' low rating, because I think these albums are rather similar, which in this case is good. This album featured three 10/10 songs and four 7-8/10 songs so my rating will be a solid four and a record I absolutely will continue explore. The opener "Memory Lain, Hugh / Hedloss" (10/10) is one of the best. It has both the rock style and the soft Canterburian style(here represented of great flute solo). A clever and rather perfect bit of music. "Hoedown"(7/10) is a typical 60s rock song. It is enjoyable and nice and also contains a whirling viola. "Surprise, surprise" (8/10) is a feel good track with happy vocals in choir and a taste of country and pop. "C'thlu Thlu"(10/10) is a marvelous track which is weird in its variety. Starting with dark bass as in heavy metal and changing to very happy, folk rock and flaunting in organ solo it's a perfect weird progressive AND approachable track. I would say the same about "The dog, the dog, He's at it again" (10/10) which is so happy and light, and alos bright. After hearing that song I want to say: More Caravan to the people!. "Be allright, Chance of a lifetime"(8/10) is most of all a medley of a pretty pure hard rock song a la Deep Purple or Uriah Heep in "Be allright", that is good but not very insteresting and the other part of the song is closer to ordinary Caravan sound. Finaly we have the song "L'Auberge Du Sauglier / A Hunting we shall go/ Pengola / Backwards/ A Hunting we shall go(reprise)" which is an instrumental piece which starts classical and becomes very symphonic in the end. It's an enjoyable time but not the epic I would have liked to hear as the closer of this great record.

I have much to say to praise Caravan. Soft guitar and vocals, naive great keyboards and a fantastic attitude. This was not very far from perfection and sure it's one of the band's best efforts.