NUDE

With Nude, Camel moved into the 1980's with a wonderfully sophisticated set, containing beautiful sounding songs, taking full advantage, as with their better selling peers, of improved production techniques that had become available to the serious song writers and performers. I am one of those long term prog fans who rather welcomed this. I always liked my music to sound, well, sumptuous and full, and this album certainly delivers on that score.

The album is a concept one, not based upon life models, as the title suggests, but, rather, the fascinating phenomena of Japanese soldiers who either did not know, or refused to believe, that the war had come to an end, and carried on fighting in the most inhospitable places, sometimes for many years.

That this album was finished was, in itself, a story of dedication and fight, given drummer Andy Ward's chronic battle with depression and attempted suicide. It was to be his final album with the band.

Keyboard duties are taken by Latimer (assisted by Duncan Mackay), and a very fine job he does as well. His voice is as wonderful, deep, and feeling as ever, and there is a very real texture to the whole work.

This is an album I always enjoy revisiting. Indeed, Camel are a band who continue to provide listening pleasure, in whatever era or phase.

For those of you unfamiliar with the band's catalogue, or who are relatively new, owing to youth, to the delights of the classic English symphonic progressive rock bands, you could do a whole lot worse than an introduction to this fine band than this fine album.

It has it all. The trademark Camel instrumental passages, which never fail to keep your attention, and, mark my words, Latimer is one of the finest exponents of the electric guitar we have produced, dreamy tracks with rich vocal textures, overall symphonic layers, combined with a wonderful use of our favourite prog woodwind instruments, namely flute, and the marvellous Mel Collins, he of Crimson fame, on saxophone.

Come on in. The music is fine.

Four stars for an album which really should get far more attention than it does.