Caravan-Waterloo Lily (1972)

Caravan's fourth album, "Waterloo Lily", was the last in which the band truly captured the classic sound of the early 1970s. This work brings together on a single disc great musicianship, excellent vocals, incredibly complex themes, and expansive musical development. Caravan was historically one of the most influential bands that defined the Canterbury sound with grand jazz-rock sequences enveloped in their spectacular instrumentation, and "Waterloo Lily" is undoubtedly one of their greatest contributions to the progressive rock style, with a pure redefinition of their creative aspects that gives the listener a clear sense of experiencing a grand musical adventure. However, this album is brimming with dynamism due to the fusion of progressive rock with jazz, stemming from the inclusion of a new keyboardist, Steve Miller. Miller was a fundamental part of that jazz sound with his harmonies and electric piano solos, and he had replaced the more melodic and progressive David Sinclair. An album showcasing fluid guitars, complex and effective bass lines with a touch of improvisation, and, as previously mentioned, a lively jazz piano that at times takes center stage. The LP opens with the playful jazz-rock track "Waterloo Lily", one of the band's most emblematic songs, followed by the suite "Nothing At All", an expansive fusion piece where Miller's piano shines. The solid and powerful "Aristocracy", and the phenomenal and progressive "The Love In Your Eye" are undoubtedly among Pye Hastings' greatest contributions to Caravan's repertoire, where each band member has ample space to shine, with Hastings' guitar and Miller's electric piano being particularly memorable. This extraordinary album concludes with the catchy pop track "The World Is Yours", which, surprisingly, was not released as a single. However, despite the album's enormous quality, it was panned by the band's most purist fans, who considered it too jazzy and far removed from the group's original roots. From then on, the band would undertake their subsequent work with the departure of Richard Sinclair and Steve Miller, two key members whose absence would have repercussions on the following album, "For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night". Under Pye Hastings' direction, this album saw them return to their melodic sound, characteristic of their earlier work, and adopt a more progressive style, though still subtly distancing themselves from the initial spirit of the Canterbury sound.