The Album (Caravan album)
The Album is an album released in 1980 by Caravan.[2] It was recorded at Farmyard Studios, Little Chalfont, Bucksinghamshire in July 1980.[3]
| The Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Original UK vinyl cover | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 31 October 1980 | |||
| Recorded | July 1980 | |||
| Studio | Farmyard Studios, Little Chalfont, Bucks. | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock, Canterbury scene | |||
| Length | 43:41 | |||
| Label | Kingdom | |||
| Caravan chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
Background and recording
After a year of inaction followed by Caravan being dropped from Decca, Caravan reformed with a line up of Pye Hastings, Geoff Richardson, Dave Sinclair, Richard Sinclair and Richard Coughlan. After attempting to record a live album, Richard Sinclair dropped out of the line up and was replaced by Dek Messecar. The group decided to scrap the live album when it was learned that a studio album could be recorded with the same budget.[4]
Members Dave Sinclair and Geoff Richardson contributed to songwriting duties alongside main songwriter Pye Hastings. The material moved in the direction of shorter songs and more mainstream instrumentation than previous albums.[5]
The only promotional work undertaken was an appearance on French television to promote the "Heartbreaker" single release in France. Caravan's performance was interrupted by the news of the failed assassination attempt of John Paul II in Rome.[6]
Track listing
- Side one
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Heartbreaker" | Pye Hastings | 3:38 |
| 2. | "Corner of Me Eye" | Geoff Richardson | 3:39 |
| 3. | "Watcha Gonna Tell Me" | Dave Sinclair | 5:48 |
| 4. | "Piano Player" | John Murphy, Dave Sinclair | 5:23 |
| 5. | "Make Yourself at Home" | Dave Sinclair | 3:27 |
- Side two
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Golden Mile" | Jim Atkinson | 3:11 |
| 2. | "Bright Shiny Day" | Pye Hastings | 6:19 |
| 3. | "Clear Blue Sky" | Geoff Richardson | 6:25 |
| 4. | "Keepin' Up De Fences" | Pye Hastings | 5:21 |
- Bonus tracks on Eclectic remaster (2004)
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Heartbreaker (single version)" | 3:40 |
| 2. | "It's Never Too Late" | 6:24 |
Personnel
- Caravan
- Pye Hastings – vocals, guitar
- Geoff Richardson – guitar, viola, flute, vocals
- Dave Sinclair – organ, piano, electric piano, synthesizer
- Dek Messecar – bass guitar, vocals
- Richard Coughlan – drums
- Additional personnel
- Stephen W. Tayler – engineer, mixing
- Ian Morais – engineer, mixing
- Terry King – production co-ordinator
- Releases information
- LP Kingdom CDKVL 9003 (1980)
- CD Eclectic 1011 (2004 remaster)
See also
References
- "Caravan - The Album (1980) | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-05-21.
- "Caravan - The Album (1980) music reviews and MP3". ProgArchives.com. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
- "Caravan - The Album (1980) (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
- https://www.calyx-canterbury.fr/caravan/index.html
- Powell 2004, p. 2.
- Powell 2004, p. 6.