Caravan – Cunning Stunts

930

5 Stars

Audio CD (paid link)

Released in 1975, Cunning Stunts was Caravan’s sixth album and contained all their trademarks. Beautiful compositions, dexterous musicianship, a relaxed atmosphere, and plenty of ribald humour.

The band’s use of Spoonerisms was well known in the rock fraternity, and the album title caused many a giggle behind the bike sheds at schools across the world.

Caravan had already released albums called ‘If I Could Do It All Over Again I’d Do It All Over You’ (1970) and ‘For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night’’ (1973). So the title of this album would’ve hardly raised an eyebrow in the world-weary Decca Records Boardroom. Don’t forget, Decca had given the Rolling Stones their first recording contract, so were well used to the ways of rock’n’roll.

They formed out of the ashes of the Wilde Flowers, the band credited with starting the genre of rock music known as the Canterbury Sound.

Three of the ex Wilde Flowers were in Caravan for this album. Ever-present lead guitarist, lead vocalist and songwriter Pye Hastings, the magnificent drumming of Richard Coughlan, and keyboard player, songwriter David Sinclair who had already left the band once only to rejoin again and then leave again after this album.

Geoffrey Richardson, viola, guitar, and flute, was now well established in the band where he remains to this day alongside Pye Hastings. Geoff Richardson’s spoons solos were not to be missed in the live set. (Viola! Flute! Spoons and even a night shift whistle? “Oh, very Rock’n’Roll!” I can hear Secretary Bubbles muttering into his Jack Daniels).

Mike Wedgewood (yes, of the Wedgewood pottery family) was the new boy on bass guitar on this album and was to stick around for a couple of years before moving on.

Cunning Stunts was well received by the press and dented the charts on both sides of the Atlantic.

*David Sinclair, keyboard wizard and songwriter extraordinaire.*

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The writing for this album was shared out between the band members, although Dave Sinclair contributed the eighteen-minute epic the ‘Dabsong Conshirtoe‘ (no, not a spelling mistake!) co-written with John Murphy, which is a wonderful piece dominating the album in fine style. Such a great saga, it’s a shame Dave Sinclair did not stick around longer to turn it into a live classic as many others had in the Caravan catalogue and still are. After Dave Sinclair left, the ‘Dabsong Conshirtoe’ got rather filed away. But it is kept for prosperity right here.

There are also some shorter songs on the album, notably album opener ‘The Show Of Our Lives’ which was also released in edited version as a single therefore garnering Caravan plenty of radio time.

Mike Wedgewood contributed two songs, both slotting into the Canterbury Sound, and Mike Wedgewood’s voice added another string to their bow.

‘No Backstage Pass’ speaks for itself.

‘The Fear and Loathing in Tollington Park’ is an amusing little instrumental track to see out the album proper, put together by Geoff Richardson.

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Caravan were a well-respected band. But whilst other bands would turn up to gigs on the back of a Harley Davison, swigging whisky, screaming and yelling before getting up on stage, turn the volume up to deafening and trashing the place, before roaring off immediately after the gig in management limos, Caravan would gently decamp from their humble transit van, get a cup of tea, shake out their hand made cigarettes, taking it easy, before, during and after playing, talking to their fans at leisure. Sometimes it’s not the good guys who win.

But Caravan are still going today, doing summer festivals, small tours and new albums when the desire reaches them.

Cunning Stunts has been given the remastering treatment with bonus tracks added on, including a magnificent version of another Caravan epic, ‘For Richard’ recorded live at Fairfield Hall, Croydon in 1974. This now gives you over an hour of Caravan’s Canterbury Sound for your buck.