Canaan “Canaan” 1973 UK Dovetail records Xian Acid Psych Folk Prog
Formed in 1970, Canaan were, particularly in the early ‘70s, one of England’s leading gospel-rock bands, whose musical style reflected that of the early albums by the Eagles and similar American country rock harmony groups. Their debut album is now a significant collector’s item. Sometimes described as a poor-man’s Eagles, but with some fairly good cuts including Follow Me, this was produced by John Pantry, with John assisting on keyboards and Mick Wade filling in on drums.
The second album, Out Of The Wilderness, was produced by Gordon Miller, with Gordon Miller on drums, and various other session musicians and backing singers, including B.J. Cole making a lovely contribution on pedal steel guitar.
Of the two, Canaan was the more consistent, polished production, presenting the band much as they sounded live, but with some subtle enhancements. Out Of The Wilderness was more ambitious in its sound, using elements new to the band such as pedal steel guitar, piano, strings and female backing singers, but was a somewhat more patchy production overall.
Both Dovetail and Myrrh, were religious/Christian music labels.
The band, who came from genteel coastal town of Lytham St. Annes (a bit south of Blackpool), performed primarily in the North-West, with occasional forays further afield. Their line-up remained unchanged until 1977, when Nigel Stewart joined on drums, the band having been without a drummer until then (session drummers were used on the records). In 1979 the band split into the Gus Eyre Band (later New Citizens Band) and Portrait. …
If you’re tired of those country rock homogenized Eagles clones that proliferated in the ’70s you need to check out the British group Canaan. These four guys bring a refreshing progressive element to the genre that is often lacking in their American counterparts. ‘They Call Me A Rock And Roll Gypsy’ is the opening rocker that sets the stage for the spirited optimistic tone felt throughout the album. Gus Eyre’s guitar work (frequently fuzzed) really cooks — ‘Follow Me’ and ‘Lonely Man’ both have acid leads, while ‘Mr. Jones’ and ‘Jesus Revolution’ heavily utilize the reverb effect. Slide guitar can be found on the later, as well as on ‘Seek First The Kingdom’ and ‘Place Of My Dreams’. Harmonica graces a few songs, including ‘Seventeen’. The seven-minute ‘Death Gave Way — Trilogy’ closes the album with more lively guitar action. Bob Fraser’s lead vocals suit the style well, while the group harmonies often attain a Moody Blues-like depth. Producer John Pantry’s periodic organ and string synthesizer fits in perfectly. One of the top Dovetail releases. (The Archivist by Ken Scott, 4th Edition). …..
