In the Land of Grey and Pink

In the Land of Grey and Pink is the third album by English progressive rock band Caravan, released in April 1971 on Deram Records. It was produced by David Hitchcock and was the last album to feature the original lineup of Richard Coughlan, Pye Hastings, Richard Sinclair and Dave Sinclair until 1982's Back to Front.

The album was written and recorded during late 1970 and early 1971, and featured more material from Richard Sinclair. Hastings, who had been the main songwriter on the previous two releases, contributed only one track. Instrumentally, the music is dominated by David Sinclair's keyboard solos, and side two is taken up by a 22-minute suite of songs, "Nine Feet Underground". The cover features a Tolkien-influenced painting.

The album was critically well received but was not a chart success, which led to frustration within the band and David Sinclair's departure. Nevertheless, it has remained in print and sold steadily, and been recommended by critics as a good introduction to the

During the sessions at Air Studios, the band recorded a rough version of "Aristocracy", but it was shelved and re-recorded the following year for the next album, Waterloo Lily.^[5] The title was suggested by Richard Sinclair; the "land of grey and pink" refers to the band's home county of Kent. He came up with the phrase after looking at the sky at sunset during rehearsals at Graveney early in the band's career.^[10]

Release and reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[11]

The album was released on 8 April 1971 and featured a Tolkien influenced cover, drawn by Anne Marie Anderson.^[9] It did not chart in the UK, but sold steadily throughout the 1970s, remaining in print, with "Nine Feet Underground" becoming a popular track on late-night FM radio.^[9][4] The group became frustrated with their lack of commercial success, which they blamed on Decca's lack of promotion. In August 1971, David Sinclair accepted an offer to join former Soft Machine drummer and vocalist Robert Wyatt in a new band, Matching Mole.^[12]

The album was reissued in 2001 on CD with bonus tracks, including early takes of "Winter Wine" and "Golf Girl" at Decca Studios.^[13] A new edition of the album, remixed in both stereo and 5.1 surround sound by British musician and producer Steven Wilson was released on two CDs and a DVD to coincide with its 40th anniversary in 2011. As well as the original album, the reissue included outtakes, BBC Radio sessions, and a television performance on the German music show Beat-Club.^[11] The album was also available in a limited edition of 500 copies on 180g vinyl, remastered by Pascal Byrne.^[14] It was reissued on vinyl in Canada in September 2014.^[15] Extended remixes of "Golf Girl" and "Love to Love You" were included in the 2000 anthology, Where but for Caravan Would I?.^[16][17]

Rolling Stone listed the album as No. 34 on their list of 50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time, saying it evoked "a Middle Earth sunset, with the music wavering between medieval folk melodies and jazz-savvy musos".^[18] According to AllMusic reviewer Dave Thompson, the album is "one of the most beloved, and eccentric prog albums of them all" and "probably Caravan's finest hour".^[11] He also said that "Nine Feet Underground" was "the most for the dynamic chemistry that blended the band together"^[19] and that "Golf Girl" "emerges as the kind of song that remains stuck in your head for days after you hear it, no matter how many more records you play immediately after".^[16] Progressive rock author Stephen Lambe has said that "Nine Feet Underground" is "not just the archetypal Caravan piece but a symbol of a whole movement."^[20] Marco Rossi, writing in Record Collector said "Canterbury Scene initiates are strongly advised to start here."^[21] In the Q and Mojo Classic Special Edition Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, the album came No. 19 in its list of "40 Cosmic Rock Albums".^[22] Mojo also said In the Land of Grey and Pink was "the quintessential Canterbury album".^[6]

The band look favourably on the album. Hastings later said the group "began to peak in many ways" and praised in particular David Sinclair's playing and Hitchcock's production skills.^[9] Caravan continue to perform songs from In the Land of Grey and Pink in their live repertoire, particularly "Nine Feet Underground"^[5] and "Golf Girl".^[23]

Track listing

All songs by Richard Coughlan, Pye Hastings, Dave Sinclair and Richard Sinclair (except "Aristocracy", by Coughlan, Hastings and Richard Sinclair).^[13]

Side One

Side Two

Personnel

Caravan

• Richard Sinclair – bass guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
• Pye Hastings – electric guitars, acoustic guitar, vocals
• Dave Sinclair – Hammond organ, piano, Mellotron, harmony vocals
• Richard Coughlan – drums and percussion

Additional personnel

• Jimmy Hastings – flute, tenor sax, piccolo
• Dave Grinsted – cannon, bell and wind^[13]
• John Beecham – trombone on "Golf Girl"^[24]

Production

• David Hitchcock – production
• Dave Grinsted – engineering
• John Punter – engineering
• Derek Varnals – engineering
• Julian Hastings – production for bonus material on 2001 CD reissue.^[13]

Release information

Cover versions

"Golf Girl" was covered by Nigel Planer (in his guise as hippy Neil from The Young Ones) on his album Neil's Heavy Concept Album, and featured a cameo from Dawn French as a policewoman. Annie Whitehead played the song's trombone part as arranged on In the Land of Grey and Pink and longtime Caravan collaborator Jimmy Hastings played on the album.^[9][26] The song was also covered by German band M. Walking on the Water.^[27]

References

Citations