STATIONARY TRAVELLER

Andy Latimer is here the only one from the original line-up, and the music is more synthetic and Alan Parsons Project -like, but nevertheless this album is pretty good, its highlights among my personal favourites - maybe helped by the fact that it was among the first CAMEL's for me. Andy's guitar and flute have a wonderful companion in the clear, atmospheric keyboards of Ton Scherpenzeel (KAYAK) who also co-wrote the album.

It is a product of its time, but one of the better albums from the first half of the 80's (like Certif1ed, I associate it with Love Over Gold by DIRE STRAITS). There are two annoying songs, 'Vopos' and 'Cloak & Dagger Man', in which CAMEL's spirit gets totally lost in the harsh commercial approach. Maybe none of the songs is *very* special individually ('Long Goodbyes' is gorgeous but just a little oversentimental) but I like the album as a coherent, well produced whole. Not that I really get the concept - divided Berlin? - from the lyrics. CAMEL has always made its statements better thru the music itself, emotionally rather than rationally, and this album makes no exception.

Both LP sides have two instrumentals, all top class. 'Pressure Points' has a soaring electric guitar over a heavy synth beat, really powerful opener. The title track starts delicately with a Pan flute and develops into the same guitar heroism - perhaps a bit too self- poignant and calculated. Dramatic 'Missing' and moody 'After Words' give the lead role to Scherpenzeel and really grab the listener's emotions. Were the whole album in that (instrumental) style, it would be a true CAMEL classic and a rare beauty of its time.