I see what you did there! Cunning Stunts indeed. When the term Prog is uttered in musical discussions far and wide, this is what you automatically think of. The Canterbury sound was a quintessential part of the Prog movement with bands like Gong, Soft Machine, and Caravan themselves. I heard the word twee used when talking about Caravan, and that is a bit harsh as they are lot more than that. Led by the incomparable Pye Hastings on vocals and guitar, they never quite reached the heights that were expected of them. Even so, Cunning Stunts is a fine representation of what they were all about.
Side 1 is basically six differing songs, and the whole of Side 2 is the Dabsong Conshirtoe split into 6 parts. The Show Of Our Lives starts off the album and is a pleasant ramble through the English countryside, at least that’s how it feels . Stuck In A Hole and Lover casually saunter past and are very relaxing. Welcome The Day reminds me of Pink Floyd and is a decent tune and side closer. The Fear And Loathing In Tollington Park Rag is almost funky, which is quite unexpected as it differs greatly from everything else on offer here. Over to Side 2 to the aforementioned epic that takes up the whole side, and is a grandiose piece that you would expect from a band of this ilk. Lots of synths, brass section, weird lyrics and heavier sections slotted in to create atmos.
Not a bad album, and fans of this era of Prog would probably lap it up.
6.5/10 from The Grooveman.
