Caravan "Cunning Stunts" 1975****

So this isn't really a random-selection review. I chose this album because I was recently in Canterbury on a short side trip from London. It's a beautiful medieval city, with a river running through it and plenty of excellent taverns and pubs. It's lively, too, thanks no doubt to the student population of the University of Kent. I noticed that many pubs hosted live music, mostly on Fridays and Saturdays, although we also caught a few bands on a Sunday at what is probably the town's most rock'n'roll bar, The Lady Luck. Usually, a visit to a new town is a chance for me to map out the local record-store situation for this blog. In this case, I was unlucky, as two of the four record stores (Canterbury Rock and Vinylstore Jr.) were closed on Sundays and Mondays—the very days of my visit. The third was a local branch of the HMV chain: rather large, with new vinyl and CDs, T shirts, books, and other items. A wide variety of books were on offer "2 for £9", also many LPs "3 for £66". Another shop, called Sounds, is situated at the main town road (9 St Peter's St) it sells mostly 2nd hand LPs (£10-30,a few offers for £5) as well as a few CDs and singles. They had an interesting selection of soul, jazz, and some dance 12', but I was more interestedvin buying something by one of the highly rated bands from the Canterbury scene. In this case, nothing caught my fancy. So, upon my return, I pulled out a bunch of CDs and LPs from this subgenre already in my collection and gave them another listen.

Caravan's Cunning Stunts stood out because of its Hipgnosis cover and its title. The band clearly intended a famous spoonerism, hoping that listeners would, amusingly and embarrassingly, mispronounce the title as "Stunning Cunts". For readers unfamiliar with the term, a spoonerism is a speech error in which consonants or syllables are inadvertently swapped between words, often producing a comic effect. The phenomenon is named after a certain William Archibald Spooner, an Oxford don and priest who was reputed to make such verbal slips. Discovering this sent me down an etymological rabbit hole. Where, I wondered, does the Greek equivalent, sardam, come from? As luck would have it, the answer involves a strikingly similar story: An actor named Madras was prone to the same kind of verbal mix-ups, prompting the public to immortalize his slips with an anagram of his name. Probably not the claim to fame he imagined when he went into show business. Back to the Canterbury scene: most people trace its beginnings to a mid-1960s group called The Wilde Flowers. Although their sound was not too different from that of other beat bands of the era, many of the members were more intellectually inclined, with a strong interest in jazz and a penchant for complex arrangements. These traits, combined with a distinctly British sense of whimsy, became the defining characteristics of what would later be known as the Canterbury scene. Of the two groups that emerged from the breakup of The Wilde Flowers, Soft Machine was the more adventurous and jazz-oriented, while Caravan leaned toward a more accessible, pop-focused sound. Some (i.e. prog purists) might argue that on Cunning Stunts is even a little too commercial, but I don't think anything essential was lost in the process. Opener "The Show of Our Lives" is a pleasant piece of orchestral soft rock, featuring well-played guitar solos and exquisite vocal harmonies reminiscent of Yes and perhaps even The Beatles. "Stuck in a Hole" is a short, upbeat tune highlighted by a Stevie Wonder-ish organ or Moog synthesizer solo. "Lover" is a heavily orchestrated ballad in the vein of the Moody Blues, or perhaps those solo Lennon tracks lavishly produced by Phil Spector. It segues into "No Backstage Pass", a beautiful and melodic song that recalls the soft psychedelia of Caravan's classic Land of Grey and Pink era. Hastings delivers a fine vocal performance, supported by tasteful violin work and a slightly heavier bass presence than on earlier albums. Bassist Mike Wedgwood takes over the lead vocals on the even funkier "Welcome the Day". Although it sounds nothing like classic Caravan, it remains one of my favourite tracks on the album: radio-friendly, soulful, and featuring excellent keyboard–violin interplay. Prog fans may dislike it, but side two offers plenty to satisfy their tastes. "Dabsong Conshirto" is one of those indulgent 18-minute song suites that progheads love so much. While it begins as another accessible soft-rock number—again probably featuring Wedgwood on lead vocals—it gradually develops into an extended Canterbury-style jazz-prog workout, showcasing superb violin, flute, keyboard, and ensemble playing. The musicianship throughout is consistently impressive. The album closes with the brief, humorous ragtime-style instrumental coda "The Fear and Loathing in Tollington Park". All in all, Cunning Stunts may not be Caravan's definitive statement, nor is it the most representative album of the Canterbury scene— I doubt that a typical Canterbury scene album exists, seeing as the term encompasses a remarkably diverse range of musical approaches. Nevertheless, it remains a highly enjoyable slice of mid-1970s progressive rock: melodic, expertly performed, and certainly considerably better than its middling reputation might suggest.

**** for The Show of Our Lives, Stuck in a Hole, No Backstage Pass, Welcome the Day, Dabsong Conshirto

*** for Lover, The Fear and Loathing in Tollington Park

Buzzcocks "Singles Going Steady" 1977-1979(rec) 1979(comp)*****

Over the last year, I've been lucky enough to catch some punk legends I loved as a teenager—and still do, for that matter. Last summer, it was The Undertones, The Damned, and the Sex Pistols. True, the Pistols without Johnny Rotten are a far cry from the original experience, but the new guy—I believe his name is Frank Carter—was enthusiastic and clearly determined to give the audience a good time. Let's face it: would you rather have a frontman who dives into the crowd and leads the audience in a chorus like a football chant, or a standoffish, sarcastic one? ("Ever get the feeling you've been cheated? Ha ha.") Then, last March, it was the Buzzcocks' turn at Haarlem's Patronaat. I would have loved to see them with original frontman Pete Shelley, but unfortunately we lost him some seven years ago. Rather than hiring a soundalike, guitarist Steve Diggle took over vocal duties as well. His voice is harsher, which—combined with the band's high-energy playing—resulted in a noisier, punkier sound than the Buzzcocks had in their prime. His voice was a much better fit for the band's newer, more classic rock-oriented material. We enjoyed that too, even though most of the audience had come to hear the classic 70's punk-pop singles. When we returned home, I went looking for my copy of Singles Going Steady. In my youth, I had played the vinyl to death; later, I bought the CD edition, which included a handful of bonus tracks, though none I remember with much fondness. Imagine my surprise when I couldn't find either. During the Great Vinyl Purge, plenty of albums that I also owned on CD found their way to second-hand shops, but where had the CD gone? Never mind—I just had to have this album, so I went online and ordered the 45th Anniversary vinyl edition through my local record store. After a month, they admitted defeat and refunded my money. In the end, I visited the shop in person and picked up the standard Domino reissue instead: the same remastering, but on plain black vinyl, with none of the bells and whistles. It still comes with a nice booklet and is mastered at half speed for improved sound quality. Audiophile punk—Who knew it would ever come to this?

The story of the Buzzcocks actually begins with the Sex Pistols. In February 1976, Bolton students Howard Devoto and Pete Shelley read the first description of a Sex Pistols gig in the music press, and felt they had to witness the band first hand. They travelled to London to catch them live, and immediately decided they'd form a band. They managed to persuade the Pistols to come to Manchester for a historic concert. Hardly anyone attended, but many of those who did went on to form bands themselves - and those include Joy Division, New Order, the Smiths, the Fall, Magazine, and, of course, the Buzzcocks. After an independently released EP, Devoto left to form Magazine, prompting Pete Shelley to step into the vocalist role and Steve Diggle to take over on guitar. The band's first single, "Orgasm Addict", was an ode to teenage compulsive masturbation. The influence of the Sex Pistols is evident, both in its sound and its provocative subject matter. The Buzzcocks would soon outgrow their mentors and forge a distinctive style of their own, one that traded sarcasm for romance and combined the melodic instincts of the Beatles with the speed and power of the Ramones. Singles Going Steady was originally conceived as an introduction to the band for the American market and was initially released only in the United States. Side One collects the A-sides of the band's first eight singles in chronological order, while Side Two gathers the corresponding B-sides. The result is one of the strongest singles compilations of the punk era. Every track on Side One is a punk-pop gem. Shelley's lyrics focus on difficult relationships, romantic frustration and unrequited love, while the music's relentless energy is balanced by his high-pitched, tremulous voice, which lends the songs an unexpected vulnerability. Their arguably greatest song, "Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've Fallen in Love With)?", perfectly blends sharp guitars, heartache and an unforgettable chorus. As was often the case with Shelley, the lyrics avoid specifying the gender of the object of affection, making the song more easily relateable. Morrissey would later use much the same trick with the Smiths. The emotional confusion and longing at the song's heart may be universal, but the title made even more sense to me when I later learned that Shelley was bisexual. Side One closes with "Harmony in My Head", another highlight. Written and sung by Diggle, it pairs an infectious melody with a slightly heavier, more stomping rhythm and soaring guitars. If Side Two, comprising the band's B-sides, is a little lighter on killer hooks, it makes up for it with a more adventurous sound. From the rude punk blast of "Oh Shit!" to "Something's Gone Wrong Again" and its (Stooges-inspired?) insistent one-note piano riff, to the relatively bright punk-pop of "Lipstick" and "Noise Annoys", the band displays a far greater stylistic range than the exquisitely crafted A-sides might suggest. They become even more experimental on the six-and-a-half-minute kraut-funk marathon "Why Can't I Touch It?", while "Autonomy" points towards a darker post-punk future, sounding closer to Magazine or Gang of Four than to the Ramones. Now, listening to the album again confirms my feeling that I needed to add this LP to my collection again, as soon as possible. Compilations are often afforded less importance than proper studio albums, but this is one of the exceptions. More than a collection of radio-friendly singles, it distils everything that made the Buzzcocks unique: punk's urgency tempered by vulnerability, youthful romantic confusion transformed into perfect pop songs, unforgettable melodies, and even a sense of experimentation for which the band is not always associated with. Seeing the Steve Diggle-led version of the band earlier this year made me realize that, in the space of just a few short years, the Buzzcocks built a remarkable songbook. Diggle is a very different singer from Pete Shelley, yet the songs lose none of their power in his hands. Partly because he clearly believes in them, but mainly because they are such brilliantly crafted pieces of songwriting. More than simply the distillation of the band's essence, Singles Going Steady is one of a dozen or so punk albums that no rock collection should be without.

***** for What Do I Get?, I Don't Mind, Love You More, Ever Fallen In Love?, Harmony In My Head, Noise Annoys, Something's Gone Wrong Again

**** for Orgasm Addict, Promises, Everybody's Happy Nowadays, What Ever Happened To?, Autonomy, Just Lust, Lipstick, Why Can't I Touch It?

*** for Oh Shit!

Mutantes "Live - Barbican Theatre, London, 2006" 2007****

Another band I never expected to see live, I discovered Os Mutantes around the turn of the millennium, when Luaka Bop released a compilation of their 1960s material. It received rave reviews, and after hearing it myself I couldn’t help but agree: this eclectic, whimsical and experimental yet often poppy mix sounded as exciting and unique as anything from the era. The band disbanded in the early 1970s, having achieved little recognition outside their native Brazil until the Luaka Bop compilation introduced them to a new international audience. A few years later their albums were reissued on CD — and eventually vinyl as well — while a partially reunited lineup celebrated the band’s 40th anniversary with a major London concert, documented on the CD/DVD release reviewed here. The following years brought sporadic new albums and live appearances by a version of the band led by original guitarist Sergio Dias. They rarely venture into Europe, so last year’s Amsterdam performance — their first Dutch show since 2016 — felt unmissable. They no longer wear outlandish costumes onstage, and, at 75, Sergio Dias isn't in great shape physically, singing and playing seated for most of the show, but his guitar work remained superb, with echoes of Hendrix and Santana throughout. The band alternated between proggy psychedelia and pure pop (e.g. "Baby"). The harmonies were as strong as ever, while Esméria Bulgari handled the lead vocals admirably. Rita Lee, of course, who left the band in 1972 and died in 2023 remains irreplaceable. The other great absentee was Sergio’s brother, Arnaldo Baptista: he has often struggled with mental health issues linked to his past excessive LSD use, and took his leave from the band, long ago.

He nevertheless can be heard on this live CD, alongside Dias, original drummer Dinho Leme, and guest singer Zélia Duncan. Esméria Bulgari was also present on this occasion, albeit only as a backing singer. As I mentioned earlier, Os Mutantes have always been a very peculiar band, drawing on everything from Beatlesy pop and bossa nova to ballads and psychedelic rock, all filtered through a lens of whimsy and anarchic humor not unlike that of the Bonzo Dog Band—while sounding nothing like them in practice. Such eclecticism often left them difficult to categorize. For many years they were mentioned—if at all—only as part of the Tropicália movement, which also included more celebrated Brazilian artists like Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, and Tom Zé. This was too restrictive, since all of those artists were closer to Brazilian musical traditions, whereas Os Mutantes explored a much wider range of styles. This live CD manages to encapsulate most of them, making it one of the best entry points into the band's music. The performances are uniformly strong, while the arrangements benefit from a fuller band and generally sound more polished than the original versions. Some listeners may miss the rough edges of the originals, but I believe very little is lost in the process. Opener "Don Quixote" is an impressive psychedelic mess, incorporating everything from an orchestral fanfare to the band's signature harmonies and Dias' electric-guitar outbursts. This is followed by "Virginia", a charming Beatlesque ballad. The pace then picks up with a pair of upbeat Latin rockers: "Cantor de Mambo"—reminiscent of Santana and featuring some first-rate electric guitar in this live rendition—and "El Justicero". Hilariously, Tony Blair and "Jorge" Bush are portrayed as Old West gunslingers in the song's intro. The mood changes once again with the exotic, chilled-out bossa nova of "Baby" and "I'm Sorry Baby", both sung in English. Later, "Dia 36" and "Ave Lucifer" drift by as stoned psychedelic ballads awash in vocal distortion and spaced-out effects, while "Fuga No. 11" and "Balada do Louco" evoke a dreamlike meeting point between Gilberto Gil and John Lennon. The acoustic "Le premier bonheur du jour" adds a Rennaissence flavor, while "I Feel a Little Spaced Out" (original Portuguese title was "Ando Meio Desligado") perfectly embodies the sound of The Summer of Love: Imagine throwing The Zombies, Jefferson Airplane, early Pink Floyd, and the soundtrack to Hair! into a blender and ending up with something surprisingly coherent. As the concert nears its end, Os Mutantes showcase their riotous carnivalesque side on "A Minha Menina" and "Bat Macumba" before bowing out with an ecstatic English-language rendition of "Panis et Circenses" that once again recalls The Beatles circa Sgt. Pepper. The above track listing corresponds to my own (UK) version of the album, which combines a single CD and DVD video. There is also a US double-CD edition that adds five songs but omits the visual content. Those tracks are reinstated on my DVD, which also includes a short documentary, video clips from the concert and rehearsals, and a photo gallery. The DVD offers both stereo and surround-sound audio options, as well as subtitles for the lyrics. To be honest, neither the video quality nor the surround mix is particularly impressive, which means I find myself returning to the CD far more often than the DVD. Now, I know that many fans may find Rita Lee's absence difficult to overlook, English translation of the lyrics somewhat incongruous, and the band's live sound a little too down-to-earth for their liking. For myself, I believe that Live In Barbican, 2006 successfully captures the eclecticism, humor, musicianship, and sense of adventure that made Os Mutantes so special in the first place. For newcomers, it serves as an ideal introduction; for existing fans, it's a rewarding celebration of this unique band. Having finally seen the band in concert, I can confirm that, sixty years on, the magic is still there.

***** for Cantor de Mambo, Baby, I Feel a Little Spaced Out

**** for Virginia, El justiciero, I'm Sorry Baby,  Dia 36, Fuga Nº II, Ave Lucifer, Balada do Louco, A Minha Menina, Bat Macumba, Panis et Circenses

*** for Don Quixote, Le Premier Bonheur du Jour