While there’s no shortage of CARAVAN‘s concert albums, most of these originated from a late era of the Canterbury legends’ existence, with only a few, not counting their BBC recordings, harking back to the first half of the ’70s. That’s why there’s always been a demand for the band’s onstage documents, and that’s why the ten-LP box set titled “The Shows Of Ours… Live” – which will see the light of day on August 22nd – is worth paying attention to. Whether the vinyl-only offering is worth paying a considerable amount of money for depends on one’s love for this ensemble, yet its presentation, as always with items issued by Madfish, looks impeccable.
Of course, the 60-page book and other printed materials are secondary to music, and the music feels alluring indeed – and important too, because the British collective broke up and reformed several times, coming back to life in 1980, 1990 and 1995, and it’s these crucial points that have been captured here. Whereas one platter is dedicated to the group’s 1976 show at Keele University, Paris tapes from 1980, revived from a bootleg, and Attleborough performances from 1990, previously part of another box set, span two longplays, with no less than three discs given to Diss concert from 1998 and two more comprising a 2001 outing from Wavendon. Not for everybody, but alluring.
LP 1 – Keele University – November 24th, 1976:
The Shows Of Ours… Live
Side 1:
1. Headloss
2. Here Am I
3. Chiefs & Indians
Side 2:
1. Nine Feet Underground
2. The Love In Your Eye
LP 2 – Bobino, Paris – December 1st, 1980 – Part 1:
Side 1:
1. Behind You
2. Heartbreaker
3. If I Could Do It All Over Again, I’d Do It All Over You
4. It’s Never Too Late
5. Clear Blue Sky
Side 2:
1. Piano Player
2. Corner Of Me Eye
3. Golden Mile
4. Bright Shiny Day
LP 3 – Bobino, Paris – December 1st, 1980 – Part 2:
Side 1:
1. Golf Girl
2. Nightmare
3. Keepin’ Up De Fences
Side 2:
1. Hoedown
2. Headloss
3. Same Old Blues Again
LP 4 – Old Buckenham High School, Attleborough – September 28th, 1990 – Part 1:
Side 1:
1. Behind You
2. Headloss
3. Golf Girl
4. Videos Of Hollywood
Side 2:
1. Nine Feet Underground
LP 5 – Old Buckenham High School, Attleborough – September 28th, 1990 – Part 2:
Side 1:
1. Winter Wine
2. In The Land Of Grey & Pink
3. Nightmare
Side 2:
1. For Richard
2. Place Of My Own
LP 6 – Park Hotel, Diss – May 23rd, 1998 – Part 1:
Side 1:
1. Hoedown
2. Memory Lain, Hugh
3. Headloss
Side 2:
1. Nine Feet Underground
LP 7 – Park Hotel, Diss – May 23rd, 1998 – Part 2:
Side 1:
1. It’s A Sad, Sad Affair
2. Somewhere In Your Heart
Side 2:
1. Travelling Ways
2. The Dog, The Dog, He’s At It Again
3. Medley – Where But For Caravan Would I ? / Oh Caroline / The Love In Your Eye / Backwards
LP 8 – Park Hotel, Diss – May 23rd, 1998 – Part 3:
Side 1:
1. Liar
2. For Richard
Side 2:
1. Golf Girl
2. If I Could Do It All Again, I’d Do It All Over You
3. Hoedown Encore
LP 9 – Stables Theatre, Wavendon – November 16th, 2001 – Part 1:
Side 1:
1. All The Way
2. Very Smelly Grubby Little Oik / Bobbing Wide
3. Liar
Side 2:
1. The Dog, The Dog, He’s At It Again
2. Nine Feet Underground
LP 10 – Stables Theatre, Wavendon – November 16th, 2001 – Part 2:
Side 1:
1. Medley –
The Dabsong Conshirtoe / All Aboard / Better By Far /
The Mad Dabsong / The Love In Your Eye / Backwards / A Hunting We Shall Go
2. Nowhere To Hide
Side 2:
1. Nightmare
2. I Know Why You’re Laughing
3. For Richard
The Shows Of Ours… Live
