4 out of 5

Label: Pitch-a-Tent

Producer: CVB

Oddly, or given that it’s CVB, perhaps not oddly, this collection / cut-and-paste project of demos and live cuts and alternate takes – in revealing sides of the group that we’ve seriously never heard before – ends up being one of their most accessible releases, despite it not having a clear single or lacking the sense of flow that’s been important in most of their albums.  Only toward the end of the disc does it start to become notable as an outtake-y compilation, and that’s really only because we’re allowed a long free-form medley that includes Hava Nagila and sounds like the wandering live improv mash-up that it probably was.  It’s fun and appreciated, but stalls the impressive stitching together that Lowery and whomever else worked on to bring this massive range of styles together.  But be warned – if you go in looking for ‘Matchstick Men’ or ‘Lassie,’ you’re going to be purposefully chased away by the electro bleeps-and-bloops intro of ‘Broadcasting Live…’  Instead of this being a lark, however, it’s a beacon that the album flows around, little pieces of it fading in and out when a transition is needed, so what seems, perhaps, off-putting at first ends up being the necessary tying-together ingredient that all demo comps should include.  While ‘Long Live’ certainly can work for new listeners, it is, of course, most rewarding for followers.  Almost all of the songs are either twists on earlier work or take pieces from them, but what’s most impressive is how fresh these tracks sound in the different contexts.  Camper certainly started in college rock slacker territory and quickly grew to encompass a hippie jam-style vibe, two attributes which translate well to a live setting.  So the fact that the live snippets sound solid isn’t surprising, but I’ve never heard a live record before where the audience appreciation felt like a necessary part of the song.  There’s some impossible balance between noodling and playing that the band nails here, and so you can totally, cheesily, feel it right along with the crowd when they start to cheer.  Elsewhere, the pieced together sequencing makes a Zappa cover of ‘Brain Police’ incredibly awesome, and the ‘Bernice’ riff re-worked for ‘Klondike’ shows how much Lowery’s voice has morphed from California lazy to beautiful weathered folkster, the track itself morphing into something like a lost Black Heart Procession song.

I picked this disc up at a Cracker concert before CVB made their official return.  I’ll admit I didn’t really appreciate it at the time.  Because I was looking for more ‘Lassie.’  But now, with some more music history and patience tucked into ma’ ears, I’ll say something awesomely awesome like ‘Long Live Camper Van Beethoven’ indeed.