Haircut 100 - Pelican West 40: The 4-CD Celebration Edition (1982/2023)

Following my original purchase of the LP in the summer of 1982, I subsequently bought Pelican West Plus (1992) then the Deluxe Edition (2016). There's also a 2011 live recording on CD as well as a 1982 live recording from The Roxy in New York City available for download. Yeah, I'm a fan of the thing - some of us still put it in the running for "the happiest album that ever existed." Since I've already gushed about this album on the above mentioned posts, I'll just deal with specifics new to this reissue. I've always considered this one to be a "summer album" so it arrived just in the Nick of time.

Everything has been packaged into a 7" square hardcover book which includes sleeves for each CD along with the 44 page book mentioned in the pictured hype sticker. For more information, check out this handy unpacking video:

The hype sticker also mentions a "limited edition signed print." I'm underwhelmed with that:

More like a "limited edition initialed card." Ah well, let's check out the book. Much better! We're treated to a well-edited oral history of the band from 1977-83, lots of great photos, and detailed credits. All offered up in the pinstriped artistic feel of the original album.

Tracks:
CD 1: Pelican West (52 minutes)

1. Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) - 3:07
2. Love Plus One - 3:34
3. Lemon Firebrigade - 3:56
4. Marine Boy - 3:30
5. Milk Film - 2:58
6. Kingsize (You're My Little Steam Whistle) - 4:25
7. Fantastic Day - 3:15
8. Baked Beans - 4:04
9. Snow Girl - 2:57
10. Love's Got Me In Triangles - 3:38
11. Surprise Me Again - 3:20
12. Calling Captain Autumn - 4:05
13. Nobody's Fool - 4:14
14. October Is Orange (Day 1 & 2) - 4:19

The first 12 tracks are the original Pelican West tracks from 1982. Nobody's Fool b/w October Is Orange (Day 1 & 2) was a single-only release in late '82 which peaked at #9 on the UK charts.


CD 2: Pelican Plus (78 minutes)

1. Boat Party (7” version) - 3:51
2. Ski Club - 3:36
3. Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) (12” version) - 6:29
4. Love Plus One (12” version) - 5:39
5. Fantastic Day (12” version) - 4:18
6. Calling Captain Autumn (Special Extended Version) - 4:36
7. Boat Party (12” version) - 5:34
8. Marine Boy (12” Version) - 4:51
9. Ski Club Of Great Britain - 5:54
10. Love's Got Me In Triangles (Extended Version) - 5:11
11. Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) (Extended Remix) - 7:09
12. Fantastic Day (Live) - 4:18
13. Calling Captain Autumn (Extended Remix) - 6:03
14. Nobody's Fool (12” Version) - 4:59
15. October Is Orange (Day 1 & 2) (12” Version) - 5:10

All tracks on the above two CDs are available on the 2016 Deluxe Edition from Cherry Pop.


CD 3: Junction Box – The Unfinished Tracks (40 minutes)

1. I Believe In Sundays - 3:43
2. Maytime Moments (Instrumental) - 3:36
3. Cheek to Cheek (Instrumental) - 3:46
4. Hayley's Heart (Guide Vocal) - 2:09
5. A Blue Hat for a Blue Day (Instrumental) - 3:40
6. Coming Home (Instrumental) - 3:10
7. Brookfield Girl - 3:09
8. Sunny Boy, Sunny Girl - 4:04
9. Club Boy at Sea - 3:41
10. Steam Bus Junction (Instrumental) - 4:42
11. Whistle Down the Wind - 3:39

Bootleg files of these tracks have long circulated among fans (including myself) under the title of "Half-Baked: The Lost Album." It's nice to see them have an official release and to own a physical copy. (Note: there was once a physical CD-R copy of the bootleg for sale, but by the time I found out about it, that mess had rightfully been shut down by the powers that be.) Nevertheless, they are mostly incomplete demos and not very interesting beyond a few listens. The exception is track 7, Brookfield Girl, which is a fully-formed, fantastic piece of pop music. Several tracks (5, 9, 11, and parts of 6) would end up on Nick Heyward's 1983 Arista release, North Of A Miracle.


CD 4: Haircut 100% Live! Hammersmith Odeon Spring 1982 (Recorded March 31 & April 1, 1982. 61 minutes)

1. Low Rider - 5:56
2. Baked Beans - 4:00
3. Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) - 2:56
4. Calling Captain Autumn - 4:01
5. Milk Film - 2:40
6. Snow Girl - 3:15
7. Lemon Fire Brigade - 3:44
8. Fantastic Day - 4:04
9. Love's Got Me In Triangles - 3:14
10. Love Plus One - 4:47
11. Kingsize (You're My Little Steam Whistle) - 4:40
12. Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) (Long) - 6:58
13. Calling Captain Autumn - 3:38
14. Love Plus One (Encore) - 6:54

Yes, they open with a War cover and it ain't bad. And three songs are so good, they played 'em twice! Track 8, Fantastic Day, seems to be the same live recording as track 12 from the second disc. Other than that one track, I don't believe the other tracks have ever been released or bootlegged. If they have, I've not seen them.


Looking forward to the 50th Anniversary Edition in 2032!

Previously revisited for the blog:
Live At The IndigO2 28th Jan 2011 (2011)
The Greatest Hits of Nick Heyward & Haircut 100 (1996)
The Best of Nick Heyward & Haircut 100 (1989)
Paint and Paint (1984)
Pelican West (1982)