CARAVAN
Oct 1968 Reissued 2002
Verve Forecast (Decca) 8829522
Generally regarded as one of the best debut albums by a band and oft quoted as a 'classic' in articles about psychaedelic music. Still raw, there is nevetheless a magic here. 'Place of My Own' is a superb track, punctuated by a wonderful keyboard solo. The reissue features the mono recording as well as the stereo version. The bonus track is the single version of Hello Hello. This was discovered too late to put on the reissue of the second album, so is included here.

IF I COULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN I'D DO IT ALL OVER YOU
Sept 1970 Reissued 2001 Decca 8829682
The band are really coming together, best illustrated by the hypnotic 'For Richard', a favourite at live gigs. 'Hello Hello' (originally titled 'Clipping a Hedge') creates a stir when played at live gigs, possibly as Geoffrey Richardson plays  'shears' on stage! The single 'If I....' reached 28 on the charts including an appearance on Top of the Pops (Yes!). The reissue includes four bonus tracks- early versions of tracks already on the original album, other than the great song, 'A Day in the Life of Maurice Haylett'

LAND OF GREY AND PINK
Sept 1971 Reissued 2001 Deram 8829832
Described as 'virtually faultless', this album shows the band at the peak of its powers, with strong songwriting from Richard Sinclair and the wonderful '9 Feet Underground' written by Dave Sinclair. This version includes five fascinating bonus tracks, including the excellent 'never before released' 'I Don't Know Its Name'.

GREEN BOTTLES FOR MARJORIE
First released 2002.
This live recording consists of material laid down for the BBC between December 1968 and April 1972, spanning Caravan's first three studio albums. The original BBC tapes were lost and this CD contains copies of those tapes. However the sound quality is more than adequate. You will not find these live versions elsewhere. What is even more special is that it includes two versions of Feelin' Reelin' Squealin' recorded 3 years apart and in addition this song is not available on any other Caravan album, live or studio.

This limited edition is no longer available.

WATERLOO LILY
May 1972 Reissued 2001 Deram 8829822
Steve Miller replaced Dave Sinclair, but his jazzier style was not over popular with the fans. Nevertheless there are songs to savour including Waterloo Lily, Aristocracy and the live favourite, Love in Your Eye. There was disagreement over the direction the band should take, with Richard Sinclair departing soon afterwards. The reissue features four tracks which have never before seen the light of day: two are clearly demos interesting in that they give an insight into songs at the earliest stage, while the others are tunes that just didn't make the cut.

FOR GIRLS THAT GROW PLUMP IN THE NIGHT
Oct 1972 Reissued 2001 Deram 8829802.
This marks a return to form and how! Every song is strong- Pye Hastings at his best. 'Memory Lain, Hugh' and 'Headloss' knock the listener back with their energy and dynamism- and stunning keyboard solo. The quality continues throughout. The addition of Geoffrey Richardson and the return of Dave Sinclair creates a powerful force. The tracks on this latest reissue are particularly fascinating as they include four tracks by the ill- fated line up which included Derek Austin on keyboard and Stu Evans on bass. It was originally assumed that no recordings of this line up existed They are very different to the eventual versions that appeared on FGTGP and are really worth a listen. No vocals had been added to them at this stage.

CARAVAN AND THE NEW SYMPHONIA
April 1974 Reissued 2001 Deram 8829692
This live experiment with an orchestra paid off but not without its hairy moments. The new tracks shine brightest- Mirror for the Day and Virgin on the Ridiculous. A top 30 Album. This version includes four tracks not put onto the original release.

CUNNING STUNTS
July 1975 Reissued 2001 Deram 8829812
Not such a strong album but a bigger seller than most. Features the lengthy and appealing 'Dabsong Conshirtoe' by Dave Sinclair, as well as the unusual but hypnotic 'Show of Our Lives'. Three additional tracks are included on this re-release.

BLIND DOG AT ST DUNSTANS
April 1976 Reissued 1996
HTD CD 60
The keyboard of Jan Schelhaas brings a different feel to an album which has a heavier, funky emphasis. Some good tracks, especially, 'All the Way'.

BETTER BY FAR
August 1977. Reissued on Eclectic Discs ECLCD 1018
Released at last in 2005. This is an underated album, although the female backing vocals -not present on other releases- are not to everyone's taste. Has a more commercial slant, but still contains elements of Caravan's quirky trademarks relating to time signatures and lyrics. This was a last push for wider acceptance with production by Tony Visconti. The wonderful 'Nightmare', still played live, is the standout track, but 'Last Unicorn' runs it close.

THE ALBUM
Nov 1980 on Kingdom CDKVL 9003. Reissued on Eclectic Discs  ECLCD 1011 in 2004
The decision was taken to relaunch the band after a sabbatical. 'The Album' marked the return of Dave Sinclair and Geoffrey Richardson. Although less highly rated it includes some strong material including Piano Player from the pen of Dave Sinclair and Keepin' up De Fences by Pye. The reissue includes the single version of Heartbreaker, backed by the previously unavailable 'It's Never Too Late' 

BACK TO FRONT
July 1982 Reissued on Kingdom CDKVS 5011. Most recent version on Eclectic ECLCD 1010 issued in 2004
The album marked a reunion of the original lineup augmented by Mel Collins on saxes and flutes. Songs are written by individuals with little opportunity for other band members to have an effect on the final product. Nevertheless there is lots to please the ear, and standout tracks are Back to Herne Bay Front, Videos of Hollywood and Proper Job (Richard Coughlan's first contribution on part of the vocal)
ALSO: Canterbury Collection was an album released with tracks from both the Kingdom Albums plus the track Never Too Late which was a B Side to the single Heartbreaker.

LIVE 1990
Issued 1992 Demon Records (Code 90)
Recorded for the ITV Bedrock Series. A storming set by the boys: a joy to hear them back, especially the talented Richard Sinclair, the driving force behind the reunion.

RADIO 1 LIVE IN CONCERT BBC 1975
Issued 1991 Windsong WINCD 003
Covers 4 songs from the 1970's. Recorded around the time of Cunning Stunts.

COOL WATER
1994 HTD CD 18
These are the long lost recordings from late 1977, plus some earlier material with Pye accompanied by Gordon Giltrap's backing band! A mixed bag this but worth a listen.

BATTLE OF HASTINGS
1995 HTD CD 41
A great return with many tracks featuring the trademark features of the band. Many such as Liar, I Know Why You're Laughing and Travelling Ways have become favourites at live gigs. This cover shows the Japanese import and features an extra track Chance of a Lifetime. (Canyon International PCCY 00832)

BATTLE OF HASTINGS
American Import TRACD 311

This is the cover for the American Import on Transatlantic

ALL OVER YOU
1996 HTDCD 57

This is a remake of earlier classics but features a 1990's feel with tape loops and other bits of wizardry from Julian Hastings.

ALL OVER YOU
Reissue
A reissue of the above with a cover which makes clear who the band are! Includes another version of 'If I Could.....' + Be Alright / Chance of a Lifetime

LIVE: CANTERBURY COMES TO LONDON
1997 HTD CD 79

Features the guitar work of Doug Boyle. A fine album.

LIVE IN HOLLAND - BACK ON THE TRACKS
Issued 1998. Limited edition reissue 2005
A live double album available directly from Jasper Smit www.cocacamp.nl   All profits go to the band, so a worthy cause! The quality is excellent. Many different tracks to the 'Canterbury Comes to London' CD.

SONGS FOR OBLIVION FISHERMEN
1998 Hux Records HUX 002

BBC Live sessions from 1970 to 1974. Excellent stuff!

ETHER WAY
1998
HUX 013

BBC Live from 1975 to 1977. Well worth a listen.

SURPRISE SUPPLIES
1999 HTD CD 96
This is taken from a high quality bootleg by a Japanese fan Yutaka Masuda.......a concert in the US? Features the 'Blind Dog' line up. Surprisingly good quality- well done HTD.

ALL OVER YOU TOO
1999
HTD CD 102

A much harder edged remake of more Caravan classics: less Dave Sinclair and more Doug Boyle.

SHOW OF OUR LIVES
Reissued 1998 Mooncrest CREST 036 Z
Basically a compilation of live tracks, recorded we know not where or when. Some inspired playing, but less than satisfactory recording quality. Another album by Mooncrest entitled 'Travelling Man' features a mixture of tracks from Cool Water and Battle of Hastings.

HEADLOSS
1999
Delta 47007
A mixture of material culled from All Over You, B of H, Cool Water and the Live album Canterbury Comes to London.

THE HTD YEARS
2000 HTD CD114
Basically a compilation from the HTD albums, the interest is provided by the inclusion of previously unreleased live tracks from the Astoria concert, 'Canterbury Comes to London' (see above)

WHERE BUT FOR CARAVAN WOULD I?
2000 Decca S24 755-2
This excellent 2CD set gives the perfect 'best of' for the Decca years. There are some extended/ alternative versions of Caravan favourites as well as a delightful, and previously unavailable song: 'A Day in the Life of Maurice Haylett', which pays homage to the band's long standing sound engineer.

THE UNAUTHORISED BREAKFAST ITEM
2003 Eclectic Discs ECLCD 1001/2
Musical disagreements surfaced during the recording sessions, with keyboardist Dave Sinclair leaving part way through and Jan Schelhaas drafted in as a permanent replacement. As many of the tracks originally intended for the album were written by Dave (these later surfaced on his solo albums 'Full Circle' and 'Into the Sun'), Pye Hastings had to come up with a number of songs within the space of a few days. The fact that he managed it and with material of such quality is a testament to his writing skills and ability to deliver under pressure. Dave Sinclair's 'Nowhere to Hide' is certainly a very strong track, but the popularity at live gigs of 'Revenge', 'Unauthorised Breakfast Item', 'Smoking Gun' and 'Head Above the Clouds' indicates that this is an album of quality. Doug Boyle's guitar work is a revelation, but never overpowering the wonderful trademark keyboard sound. The original limited edition included an extra CD with live performances of four of the tracks.

Apparently this is also available on vinyl from www.radioactiverecords.com