Blind Dog at St. Dunstans

Infobox Album |
Name = Blind Dog at St. Dunstan's
Type = Album
Artist = Caravan


Released = 1976
Genre = Progressive rock
(Canterbury Scene)
Length = 46:20
Label = Repatoire 4501
Original Label = Arista 4088
Producer = David Hitchcock
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|1.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fzfpxqq5ldke link]
* ProgArchives.com Rating|3.4|5 [http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=3107 link]
Last album = Cunning Stunts
(1975)
This album = "Blind Dog at St. Dunstan's"
(1976)
Next album = "Better By Far"
(1977)

Canterbury Scene rock band Caravan released "Blind Dog at St. Dunstan's" in 1976, their 7th studio album.

This album has a lighter feel than Caravan's previous releases, shifting toward shorter 'poppier' songs. This is in part because Pye Hastings became the major force on the album, writing and singing on 8 out of 9 songs and also because Jan Schelhaas replaced Dave Sinclair on keyboards, moving away from lengthy organ-based instrumentals toward piano and synthesizer.

This new-style sound brought varying reviews. It contains ‘’excellent sophisticated pop music’’ according to [http://calyx.club.fr/caravan/index.html Calx - The Canterbury Web Site'] and it was rated 3.4 out of 5 by the public in the [http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=3115 Prog Archives] . However, [http://wm06.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fzfpxqq5ldke Allmusic.com] described it as "'A major turn for the worse'",

Album Cover and title

The cover art and title bring together several elements relating to Canterbury.

[http://www.saintdunstan.org.uk/section/24 St Dunstan] was Archbishop of Canterbury and patron saint of the blind, after whom a [http://www.st-dunstans.org.uk/ home for the blind] was named.The title comes from a Noel Coward explanation to a child for why one dog had mounted another: one dog was blind and the other was pushing him to St. Dunstan's. At the end of the song "Jack and Jill" can be heard two speaking voices amongst dogs barking:

First voice: "What are those two doggies dog doing over there?"Second voice "Well, the doggie in front is blind and his friend behind is pushing him all the way to St Dunstan's"

The album cover shows St. Dunstan’s Street leading to the old West Gate in Canterbury. Members of Caravan used to frequent the pubs near the St Dunstan area. The cover notes gives special thanks to Noel Coward.

Track listing

# Here Am I (6:19)
# Chiefs and Indians (5:13)
# A Very Smelly, Grubby Little Oik (4:15)
# Bobbing Wide (1:30)
# Come on Back (4:50)
# Oik (reprise) (2:26)
# Jack and Jill (6:26)
# Can You Hear Me? (6:17)
# All the Way (with John Wayne's single-handed liberation of Paris) (9:03)

All Songs composed by Pye Hastings, except track 2, composed by Mike Wedgewood.

=Personnel=

Band Members

* Pye Hastings – electic and acoustic guitar, vocals
* Richard Coughlan – drums
* Jan Schelhaas – keyboards
* Mike Wedgewood – bass guitar, congas, vocals
* Geoffery Richardson – viola, electric guitar, flute, night-shift whistle

Other Personnel

* Jimmy Hastings – flute, alto & tenor Sax, clarinet
* David Hitchcock – producer
* Chanter Sisters - backing vocals

Credits

Lead vocals on all songs by Pye Hastings, except track 2, by Mike Wedgewood.

Here Am I - lead guitar - P HastingsChiefs and Indians - lead guitar - RichardsonBobbing Wide - flutes - RichardsonCome On Back - lead guitar & flute - Richardson; tenor sax and clarinet - J HastingsOik (reprise) - lead guitar & flute - Richardson; tenor sax and clarinet - J HastingsJack and Jill - lead guitar - P HastingsAll the Way (with John Wayne's single-handed liberation of Paris) - flute, alto sax - J Hastings

=Live recordings=
Surprise Supplies (later renamed "Here Am I") is a live album featuring all the 'Blind Dog at St. Dunstan's' songs, except for "Jack and Jill", recorded at a concert of 4th May 1976.

The next day, 5th May, Caravan played on the John Peel show for BBC radio, recordings of this show appear on the 1998 release 'Ether Way: BBC Sessions, 1975-1977', these are : "All The Way, A Very Smelly Grubby Little Oik / Bobbing Wide / Come On Back / Grubby Oik Reprise".

=References=cite web
last = Foss
first = Richard
title = Allmusic: Blind Dog at St. Dunstan's
url=http://wm06.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fzfpxqq5ldke
accessdate = 2007-07-15

cite web
last =
first =
title = Calyx, the Canterbury website
url=http://calyx.club.fr/caravan/index.html
accessdate = 2007-07-15

cite web
last = Eric
first = Grey
title = Where But For Caravan Would I? No. 6
url=http://www.caravan-info.co.uk/fanzine/uploads/fanzine6-sep1977.pdf
accessdate = 2007-07-15

cite web
last = Eric
first = Grey
title = Where But For Caravan Would I? No. 16
url=http://www.caravan-info.co.uk/fanzine/uploads/fanzine16-feb2003.pdf
accessdate = 2007-07-15

Sleeve notes: CD, "Blind Dog at St Dunstan's"