FOR GIRLS WHO GROW PLUMP IN THE NIGHT

Caravan keeps surprising me every time I pick up a new album and this one is no exception. There´s been a bit of a change in the lineup since Richard Sinclair left to form Hatfield and the North. I really enjoyed Richard´s voice on the previous Caravan albums but here Pye Hastings has solely taken over the lead singer role. This is very much his album in many respects.

The music is typical Caravan even though For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night seems to have this extra positive vibe. The songs are excellent each and every one of them and if you have the CD version there´s even an extra track called Derek's Long Thing which is a really nice jam. Songs like Memory Lain, Hugh / Headloss, C'thlu thlu and The dog, the dog, he's at it again are essential songs in the Caravan discography, the latter even with some pretty explicit lyrics. Just great fun. A little like Genesis Counting Out Time which has a similar theme.

The ending instrumental on the original album is also a very exciting song. It starts out with a great instrumental interplay with nice melodies and ends with a symphonic blast with an orchestra. Great prog rock indeed.

The sound quality is really high throughout the whole album as usual with Caravan albums.

For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night is almost a masterpiece in my ears, but it lacks that last thing I can´t quite point out, so it will be a big 4 star rating from me. As I understand from most reviews this would be the last really great Caravan album, but I will still be looking forward to hearing the successor to this one and judge for myself. This one was definitely worth my time and I will listen to this over and over again for the next many years.