STATIONARY TRAVELLER

While the preceding Camel album, "A Single Factor", was an attempt to produce a hit single, Stationary Traveller is Camel's last studio album of the 80's, a concept album, about the social and physical division of Berlin. The songs relate to refugees, loss of freedom, struggle and escapade. This album sounds just like an Alan Parsons album, maybe because of the people involved on the album.

1. Pressure Points - 4,5/5

2. Refugee - 3,5/5

3. Vopos - has a nice intro, but gets tiresome in the end. 3,5/5

4. Cloak and Dagger Man - 3/5

5. Stationary Traveller - Beautiful and powerful, great instrumental work. 5/5

6. West Berlin - 4,5/5

7. Fingertips - Mel Collins does add some nice sax parts. Awesome! 5/5

8. Missing - 3/5

9. After Words - 3,5 /5

10. Long Goodbyes - is one of the most beautiful pieces of Camel ever recorded. Andy Latimer's lead guitar work at the end of 'Goodbyes' sounds as if he were stepping to the edge of the planet and pealing off some interstellar paean to the cosmos. Breathtakingly beautiful but scalding at the same time! 5/5

Final Note : This album has the pop edge of all that made Alan Parsons Project so succcessful but also has the dark, brooding sensibility of a Pink Floyd project. But this is no derivitive band by any means! Camel is Camel!

4,5+3,5+3,5+3+5+4,5+5+3+3,5+5 = 40,5

40,5 : 10 = 4,05

Excellent addition to any prog music collection

Curiosity: Until the band's revival in 1992,Latimer was unable to release more albums in the UK due to lack of interest, and was involved in unpleasant law suits. So Latimer migrated to the US and formed his own music label, Camel Productions, under which he released Camel's next studio albums, among other releases.