Caravan – The Shows Of Ours… Live (Madfish, 2025)
This mammoth vinyl boxed set of live recordings from Caravan spans nearly four decades and serves as a chronicle of the band’s musical evolution, lineup changes, and enduring relationship with their fans. Caravan is closely associated with the “Canterbury Scene” and is known for its distinctively English sound and melodic sensibility.
Some Caravan’ early songs offered simple, melodic English folk-pop creations. Like other early progressive rock groups, the band evolved by introducing and amalgamating rock, blues, western classical music elements and jazz. As a result, Caravan became one of the finest early progressive rock bands in the UK. As the Shows Of Ours… Live set shows, Caravan was not a static ensemble, but a fluid collective that maintained its identity through adaptation. However, as other progressive acts changed, Caravan turned to simpler, radio friendly pop in the early 1980s.
Volume 1 presents a concert at Keele University in 1976. Caravan was at its prime and featured keyboards and violin prominently in the form of extended solos and dazzling interplay. It is relatively short and incomplete. Some tracks were not recorded in their entirety. It was sourced from Jan Schelhaas’s tapes and limited to a single LP. Side One skims Blind Dog At St. Dunstans with modest results. Side Two features the progressive rock classic “Nine Feet Underground” but the tape cuts at about eleven minutes. Nevertheless, a complete “The Love In Your Eye” should satisfy Caravan fans.
On Volumes 2 and 3, made at Bobino in 1980 in Paris, Caravan took a pop detour. If you enjoy progressive rock era Caravan, stay away from these discs.
With Volumes 4 and 5, recorded at Old Buckenham High School in 1990, Caravan redeemed itself. They returned to its classic lineup and delivered excellent versions of its most cherished classics, specially the 19-minute “Nine Feet underground,” “Winter Wine,” “Nightmare,” and “For Richard.” The highlights for me in these tracks are the extended synth solos and beautiful flute work.
Volumes 6 to 8 were captured in 1998 at Park Hotel, Diss. Caravan sounds fabulous with the mix of inventive synths, excellent electric guitar and virtuosic violin. There is a mix of memorable progressive rock material and less appealing songs. Highlights here are “9 Feet Underground,” “Medley,” and the outstanding version of “For Richard” with charming dual vocals and exquisite violin.
Lastly, Volumes 9 and 10 were recorded at Stables Theatre in Wavendon in 2001. Yet again, a mix of sing along pop leaning and progressive material. The highlights are the finely crafted versions of “Nine Feet Underground,” “Medley,” and “For Richard.”
The liner notes include archival recollections from Pye Hastings, Dave Sinclair, Geoffrey Richardson, and others. They trace Caravan’s journey from early gigs and formative influences, such as The Wilde Flowers and Soft Machine, through periods of experimentation, internal tensions, and musical reinvention.
Musicians: Pye Hastings on guitar and vocals; Richard Coughlan on drums and percussion; Dave Sinclair on keyboards and vocals (all discs except Disc 1 Side 1); Geoffrey Richardson on guitar, viola, and backing vocals (Discs 1–3, 6–10); Jan Schelhaas on keyboards (Disc 1); Mike Wedgwood on bass, congas, vocals, and backing vocals (Disc 1); Dek Messecar on bass and backing vocals (Discs 2 & 3); Jimmy Hastings on flute and saxophone (Discs 4 & 5); Richard Sinclair on bass and vocals (Discs 4 & 5); Jim Leverton on bass and vocals (Discs 6–10); Doug Boyle on guitar (Discs 6–10).
Track Listing
Disc 1: Keele University, 24th November 1976
Side 1
- Headloss (4:54)
- Here Am I (6:13)
- Chiefs & Indians (5:48)
Side 2 - Nine Feet Underground (11:15)
- The Love in Your Eye (14:07)
Time – 42:09
Disc 2: Bobino, Paris, 1st December 1980
Side 1
- Behind You (5:46)
- Heartbreaker (3:32)
- If I Could Do It All Over Again, I’d Do It All Over You (3:24)
- It’s Never Too Late (6:32)
- Clear Blue Sky (6:18)
Side 2 - Piano Player (5:17)
- Corner of Me Eye (3:28)
- Golden Mile (5:27)
- Bright Shiny Day (6:12)
Time – 46:01
Disc 3: Bobino, Paris, 1st December 1980
Side 1
- Golf Girl (5:53)
- Nightmare (9:58)
- Keepin’ Up De Fences (7:12)
Side 2 - Hoedown (6:30)
- Headloss (5:35)
- Same Old Blues Again (6:42)
Time – 41:53
Disc 4: Old Buckenham High School, Attleborough, 28th September 1990
Side 1
- Behind You (5:30)
- Headloss (4:52)
- Golf Girl (5:52)
- Videos of Hollywood (6:37)
Side 2 - Nine Feet Underground (19:50)
Time – 42:39
Disc 5: Old Buckenham High School, Attleborough, 28th September 1990
Side 1
- Winter Wine (8:53)
- In The Land Of Grey & Pink (4:46)
- Nightmare (9:13)
Side 2 - For Richard (15:28)
- Place Of My Own (5:02)
Time – 43:21
Disc 6: Park Hotel, Diss, 23rd May 1998
Side 1
- Hoedown (3:51)
- Memory Lain, Hugh (4:58)
- Headloss (4:55)
Side 2 - Nine Feet Underground (18:03)
Time – 31:50
Disc 7: Park Hotel, Diss, 23rd May 1998
Side 1
- It’s a Sad, Sad Affair (9:24)
- Somewhere in Your Heart (12:04)
Side 2 - Travelling Ways (4:01)
- The Dog, the Dog, He’s At It Again (6:53)
- Medley (Where but for Caravan Would I? / O Caroline / The Love in Your Eye / Backwards) (13:07)
Time – 45:33
Disc 8: Park Hotel, Diss, 23rd May 1998
Side 1
- Liar (6:46)
- For Richard (11:19)
Side 2 - Golf Girl (6:53)
- If I Could Do It All Again, I’d Do It All Over You (3:38)
- Hoedown Encore (4:32)
Time – 33:11
Disc 9: Stables Theatre, Wavendon, 16th November 2001
Side 1
- All the Way (4:04)
- A Very Smelly, Grubby Little Oik / Bobbing Wide (8:02)
- Liar (6:45)
Side 2 - The Dog, the Dog, He’s At It Again (6:26)
- Nine Feet Underground (18:43)
Time – 44:02
Disc 10: Stables Theatre, Wavendon, 16th November 2001
Side 1
- Medley (The Dabsong Conshirtoe / All Aboard / Better by Far / The Mad Dabsong / The Love in Your Eye / Backwards / A Hunting We Shall Go) (16:05)
- Nowhere to Hide (9:12)
Side 2 - Nightmare (8:45)
- I Know Why You’re Laughing (5:36)
- For Richard (12:07)
Time – 51:48
Total Time – 7:02:53