CAMEL

Camel's debut album doesn't get reviews as shining as its successors, but I still think it's an extraordinarily strong debut. If the compositions aren't quite as tight as those on Mirage or The Snow Goose, they're certainly most of the way there, and by and large the band has its own distinctive identity from the very beginning apart from the occasional spot where Andy Latimer comes over all Steve Hackett (and that isn't *such* a bad thing, is it?). The recent CD remaster adds an entirely useless single edit of Never Let Go and a gorgeous rarity - Homage to the God of Light, a Peter Bardens solo track expanded into a full-group workout. It's not on the top tier of Camel albums, but second-tier Camel is still head and shoulders above most of the competition.