Caravan - 2025 - The Shows Of Ours… Live

(10xLP Box Set; Madfish)






















There is an argument to be had that it is pointless spending countless hours listening to albums and writing about them, but I do like to think my scribblings have been useful to some to discover bands and music they would to otherwise have come across, but there are certainly some reviews which are somewhat more pointless than others, and this is one of them. The reason for that is not regarding the quality of the music or the information provided, but rather that this is a 10-disc set and consequently the only people likely to purchase this are those who already love Caravan. Consequently, this review is aimed at them.

I have seen one review where the critic was bemoaning some of the material included, and that other songs were not there, but what we have are great sound quality recordings of four different concerts, namely Keele University 1976, Bobino 1980, Diss 1998 and Wavendon 2001. Yes, this does mean we get multiple versions of some songs (mind you, I’ve always loved “Golf Girl” so that isn’t an issue, and who can have too many takes on “Nine Feet Underground”?) but recorded with different line-ups over a 25-year period. I have a firm rule that I never write about something until I have listened to absolutely everything, and what we have here are 64 tracks with a total playing time of more than seven hours, and the first time I worked through it I listened to it in just two sessions and I felt I was being taken to a totally different world.

It is not just the music which is a delight here, as Sid Smith has provided a wonderful extensive essay, including interviews from many of the key players, and the 60-page booklet also contains loads of photos, posters, concert tickets and so much more. It certainly is an interesting read, and something I thoroughly enjoyed investigating while listening. The production quality is excellent, and I fully agree with including the first half of “Nine Feet Underground” (it is explained that the soundboard recording misses the second half), as this was one of the few times the band performed with two keyboard players in Dave Sinclair and Jan Schelhaas. 

For fans of Caravan this is an essential release, a wonderful exploration through some live sets of one of our most influential bands, still going strong after all these years. 

Kev Rowland, September 2025

Links:
https://officialcaravan.co.uk/
https://madfishmusic.com/

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