CAMEL

At the height of the progressive rock effervescence, Camel released their first album of the same name in 1973, and thus began their musical adventure as one of the bands that, although they did not reach the levels of popularity of Yes, Genesis or similar legends, managed with their particular style, which combines elements of blues, jazz and rock, to make a place for themselves and be considered a cult band and a reference of the genre.

The musical proposal of "Camel", in spite of having a somewhat raw and still to be polished sound, surprises with an uncommon solidity for a debut album, being guided by the intensity of Andy Latimer's electric guitars and the constant counterpoint with Peter Bardens' dynamic keyboards, as in the opening "Slow Yourself Down", or the lively "Separation", as well as by the construction of powerful instrumental walls in complicity with Doug Ferguson's bass and Andy Ward's jazzy drums, in the intricate and sublime "Arubaluba".

On the other hand, Camel also show their skills with the more laid-back tracks, such as the Pinkfloydian "Mystic Queen", with a development and chorus that could well be part of the marathon "Echoes", or the crystalline opening arpeggios of Latimer's acoustic guitar on the anxious "Never Let Go", one of the album's best.

The remastered 2002 edition includes an interesting extended live version of "Homage to the God of Light", a track from Bardens' solo album "The Answer".

At the time "Camel" was not very well received and went unnoticed, and the band was even forced to change record labels, but the passing of time has positioned it in a place more in keeping with its value.

Very good

3.5/4 stars