Label: Madfish
Release date: 8. 10. 2021
Production: Caravan
Album length: 50.04 min
Genre: Progressive Rock / Canterbury Scene
Rating: 9.0/10
Caravan, alongside Soft Machine and Gong, are among the most revered representatives of the so-called Canterbury scene, and they etched themselves into the pantheon of prog rock immortals with the cult album »In the Land of Grey and Pink« (1971). Now they’re back with a new studio effort. »It’s None of Your Business«, which fans have waited a full seven years for, follows »Paradise Filter« (2013).
The wait was worth it. In the meantime, Caravan lost longtime bassist Jim Leverton and gained his replacement Lee Pomeroy (whose career so far includes work with a whole string of big-name music icons like It Bites, Rick Wakeman, Steve Hackett, Jeff Lyne’s ELO and Yes, and, bizarre but true, Take That). With »It’s None of Your Business« they’ve made their most interesting album in the last thirty years, one that at times even recalls their best days of the seventies.
The arrival of Pomeroy, who is by a wide margin the youngest member of this long-lived English band alongside drummer Mark Walker, has creatively rejuvenated a trio of prog rock veterans: singer/guitarist Pye Hastings, who is also the only original member, guitarist/violinist/violist Geoffrey Richardson and keyboardist Jan Schelhaas. Once again, longtime buddy Jimmy Hastings guests on a few tracks on flute and saxophone. This ‘infusion’ of youthful energy clearly did wonders for the creative process behind this album, which outshines in every respect the fairly average (by Caravan standards, anyway) predecessor »Paradise Filter«.
Besides the excellent production, what grabs you on the very first listen to »It’s None of Your Business« is that Caravan stay true to their unique approach to progressive rock. Despite often complex and majestic symphonic arrangements, it keeps the melodic structure of the individual pieces intact and is packed with that trademark English humor.
Pye Hastings is without a doubt one of the most overlooked songwriters and lyricists around, and in that respect he belongs in the same league of exceptional composers and wordsmiths as his Canterbury contemporaries Robert Wyatt and the late Kevin Ayers. Ever since Richard Sinclair left, Pye has always favored melodic structure over jazzy ‘complicating’ in Caravan’s music, and he has stressed more than once that with different promotion Caravan would surely have had quite a few pop-rock hits in their past. Despite the untapped commercial potential, they had the best feel for melodic arrangements and catchy choruses of any band on the Canterbury scene. Pye’s voice has thinned out over the years and can’t reach the high lines it once did, but his cheerful, upbeat tone of voice remains untouched.
Even the opener »Down From London« will convince longtime fans that Caravan are staying true to their recognizable musical heritage. The song’s strongly melodic structure is laced with playful symphonic arrangements, topped off ‘with a cherry on top’ by a fiery guitar solo. »Wishing You Were Here« picks up the rhythmic pace after a slow intro and also features a few jazzy elements, while Pye’s lyrics carry that characteristic humor that has been entertaining us for more than fifty years.
The title track is among the best moments on the album, even though the chorus makes it painfully clear how much Pye’s voice has thinned out over the past decade. The brilliant instrumental section, fully on par with those from the first half of the seventies, will convince even the most reserved prog rock fans that Caravan are still very much alive in 2021 and more inspired than many a modern prog rocker. The combination of mighty string passages and a variety of keyboards creates thrilling orchestral arrangements, while Caravan haven’t had rhythm lines this refreshing in quite a while.
»Ready Or Not« is marked by festive symphonic flourishes and a melancholic mood, with an almost fatalistic-sounding chorus. The acoustic-leaning »Spare A Thought« puts the emphasis on violin and guest flute, which means it’s loaded with folk rock elements. If Pye’s voice hadn’t been slightly gnawed at by the ‘teeth of time’, this track would sound like it was made in the first half of the seventies.
»Every Precious Little Thing« is a decidedly cheerful track built on exuberant symphonic arrangements and the warm sound of Hammond organs, while Pye’s lyrics once again prove why some call Caravan the most English band of the Canterbury scene. »If I Was to Fly«, which also came out as a single (no surprise, given its very melodic chorus, acoustic leanings and rhythmic simplicity), is the least interesting moment on the album, though it’s far from coming off badly.
The last three tracks make for an exceptionally strong finale and are the main reason this album as a whole turned out so well, and more interesting than both of its studio predecessors. With its sudden tempo changes, fiery guitar-and-keyboard passages and folk rock flute arrangements, »I’ll Reach Out For You« comes very close to the definition of a classic Caravan prog rock epic from the seventies. The instrumental sections in between will thrill every prog rock gourmet. »There Is You« is a wistful ballad marked by fragile piano passages, nostalgic string arrangements and Pye’s melancholic vocal performance. The closing instrumental »Luna’s Tuna«, steeped in stirring string arrangements, bathes in the kind of melancholic-nostalgic atmosphere that only Caravan can conjure up.
With »It’s None of Your Business«, Caravan have proven that even among the pioneers of progressive rock there are still those who, despite most of the band members being well past seventy, can create a studio achievement worthy of admiration. Truth be told, after the relatively average »Paradise Filter«, a lot of Caravan fans weren’t expecting much from »It’s None of Your Business«, especially since the accompanying single »If I Was to Fly« didn’t reflect the album’s overall quality. Plenty of their musical peers, led by Yes, who also put out a new studio album in 2021, could learn a thing or two from Caravan about how you can still create something fresh and interesting even when the band has only one original member left, or none at all.
Author: Peter “Dr. ProgRock” Podbrežnik
Tracklist:
1. Down from London (4:03)
2. Wishing You Were Here (3:55)
3. It’s None of Your Business (9:40)
4. Ready or Not (4:45)
5. Spare a Thought (4:06)
6. Every Precious Little Thing (4:25)
7. If I Was to Fly (3:23)
8. I’ll Reach Out for You (8:07)
9. There Is You (4:26)
10. Luna’s Tuna (3:14)
Lineup:
Pye Hastings – guitar, vocals
Geoffrey Richardson – viola, mandolin, guitar
Jan Schelhaas – keyboards
Mark Walker – drums
Guest musicians:
Lee Pomeroy – bass guitar
Jimmy Hastings – flute
