of expressing my own opinion on this magnificent release from one of my all-time favourite bands.
"The Show of Our Lives" captures some sterling performances by a band who - in spite of the frequent
line-up changes - were at the peak of their creativity and musicianship, and is therefore worth every
one of the 21 euros I spent on it.
CD One starts with a couple of songs from Caravan's charming debut album, and features an
interesting, 9-minute-plus version of Soft Machine's hit "Feelin', Reelin', Squeelin'". All these
songs clearly show how the legendary 'Canterbury Sound' took its cue from psychedelia before moving
into a more complex, challenging, jazz-tinged territory. Unlike the Softs, though, Caravan never
lost sight of their pop roots, and effortlessly blended ambitious compositions with melody and
accessibility. This CD contains both sides of the band - the poppier gems like the delightful Hello
Hello or the quirky "In the Land of Grey and Pink", and the longer, more intricate tracks, powered
by David Sinclair's trademark organ sound, such as "Nine Feet Underground" or "As I Feel I Die".
Unfortunately, one of the band's best songs ever (and my personal favourite) has been omitted from
this compilation, which is a great pity: I'm referring to "Winter Wine", one of Richard Sinclair's
finest lyrical and vocal moments. If I had to nitpick, I'd say that there are not enough tracks
featuring Richard S.'s fluid, elegant bass lines and inimitable voice - just listen to his
performance on "...Grey and Pink" or at the end of "Nine Feet Underground", and swoon in delight!
Caravan did weather his loss by releasing the magnificent "For Girls Who Grow Plump" in the Night
(their last great album, in my humble opinion), but never did as well in the vocal department, as is
rather evident in most of the tracks on CD Two.
The second CD opens with the upbeat, light-hearted "Memory Lain Hugh/Headloss", and includes songs
up to 1975's "Cunning Stunts". In spite of Richard Sinclair's departure, the band's instrumental
power remained intact, and the addition of Geoff Richardson's viola proved to be a definite asset to
their sound, as shown by the superb version of their classic "For Richard" (recorded in 1974), as
well as two later masterpieces such as "A Hunting We Shall Go" (one of my all-time favourite
instrumentals, and one of the highlights of the record) and the 15-minute-plus "The Dabsong
Conshirtoe", with its energetic, driving finale.
To my mind, Caravan represent the triumph of songwriting at its best as opposed to the technical
brilliance for its own sake which is so widespread in 'modern' prog. As this compilations proves,
they could do 15-minute epics as well as 3-minute catchy, flawlessly crafted pop songs - something
not many other bands of the Seventies could pull off equally well. "The Show of Our Lives" is a must
for fans of the Canterbury sound, and a great introduction to the band for those who haven't yet had
the pleasure of listening to them. All in all, a more than worthy addition to any prog record
collection.
