Nirvana – The Show Must Go On: The Complete Collection (12CD Deluxe Box Set, Madfish Records)
Hi, Phil here from Now Spinning Magazine, and this time we’re diving into a band that can cause a little confusion. This is Nirvana, but not the Seattle grunge icons of the 1990s. This is the original UK band, a pioneering psychedelic pop/progressive duo from the late 1960s.
Madfish Records have just released The Show Must Go On – The Complete Collection, a stunning 12CD deluxe box set that gathers together everything the band ever recorded, along with a beautifully put-together 88-page hardback book.
A Brief History of Nirvana (the UK Psychedelic Band)
Formed in London in 1966, Nirvana was the brainchild of Patrick Campbell-Lyons, an Irish musician and former member of the R&B group Second Thoughts, and Alex Spyropoulos, a Greek-born musician and songwriter. Together, they crafted a unique sound blending baroque pop, psychedelia, orchestral arrangements, and conceptual storytelling.
Their debut, The Story of Simon Simopath (1967), is often cited as one of the first concept albums, pre-dating The Pretty Things’ S.F. Sorrow and The Who’s Tommy. They followed it with All of Us (1968), which included their best-known track, “Rainbow Chaser”, a genuine psychedelic classic. Later albums like Dedicated to Markos III (1969), Local Anaesthetic (1971), and Songs of Love and Praise (1972) saw them push further into progressive and orchestral territory, though commercial success eluded them.
Despite modest sales, Nirvana became cult heroes. Their music influenced the progressive pop movement and still resonates with fans of Island Records, Vertigo, and Harvest-era experimental rock.
Inside the Box
Madfish have once again gone above and beyond. The box set includes:
All of the band’s studio albums, newly remastered
Both mono and stereo versions of the early records
Three bonus discs of demos, outtakes, and rarities (many previously unreleased)
An 88-page hardback coffee-table book with interviews, unseen photographs, essays, and archive material
Stunning reproduction of original sleeves, presented in deluxe mini-LP gatefold packaging
All housed in a sturdy lift-off lid box
Madfish are renowned for treating even niche artists with the same care they would a household name. They track down original photographers, interview band members, and unearth details that most labels might skip. This box is no exception—it’s exhaustive, definitive, and utterly fan-focused.
Highlights
The Story of Simon Simopath: Short but visionary, a fascinating early concept album available in both mono and stereo.
All of Us (1968): Features “Rainbow Chaser”, the track that introduced many to the band via Island Records compilations.
Local Anaesthetic (1971): A proggy two-track experiment split into multi-part movements—an adventurous and underrated gem.
Songs of Love and Praise (1972): A revelation for me, featuring re-recordings of earlier tracks alongside new material, full of warmth and imagination.
The bonus discs are crammed with treasures—outtakes, soundtrack material like The Touchables, collaborations, and curios that map the full creative arc of Campbell-Lyons and Spyropoulos.
Final Thoughts
This is exactly why I love what Madfish do. They treat music history with the respect it deserves, regardless of commercial profile. For fans of late ’60s psychedelic pop, early progressive rock, or anyone fascinated by the Island Records era, this set is a joy.
It’s limited, of course, and once gone, that will be it. But what a way to experience the complete journey of one of the UK’s most overlooked yet groundbreaking bands.
If your only exposure to Nirvana is Nevermind and Seattle, this box will open a door to a very different world—where psychedelia, orchestras, and pop ambition collided in the late ’60s.
Verdict: A lovingly assembled, definitive archive that shows just how forward-thinking Patrick Campbell-Lyons and Alex Spyropoulos really were.
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
Hi Phil
Many thanks for the review, was hoping NSM would do this as here is another box set that puts me in a ( pleasant ) quandary !
I have the double cd that you mentioned and the earlier single cd re issues ( Simopath includes mono and stereo) together with the wonderful Snapper 6 LP set including a signed photograph – this leaves probably 3cds worth of music out of the 12 issued here that I haven’t heard .It maybe that the hardback book swings it as the LP book is soft back albeit with extensive content
Oh my poor wallet
Regards