Ranking Every Single Camel Song

Finally, a free hour! Lets crank out a few songs....

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30: Flight of the Snow Goose/Preparation (The Snow Goose)

Flight of the Snow Goose provides this very hopeful and upbeat introduction to side two of The Snow Goose coming right off the heels of the sorrowful Rhayader Alone. The Snow Goose always makes me think of this meme, we'll have this fast paced and optimistic instrumental followed immediately by something very soft, textured and melodic, but it's this contrast between the two that makes The Snow Goose such a gratifying album. There's a brief fade in as Peter Bardens keys slowly rush towards you before Latimer takes the lead providing a great and somewhat nostalgic sounding melody. At 1:33 Peter Bardens takes over on the synth and man, those tones are fat! They really cut deep. Doug Ferguson is also lowkey going ham in this section of the song. The track leads right into Preparation which is a very interesting track with an acoustic guitar setting the stage with a pretty steady 5/8 motif overlaid with some very pretty woodwinds. This nearly indescribable synth/electronic spin on the acoustic motif seamlessly fades in and it lays a very atmospheric groundwork while a multitude of ear-candy sound effects and wordless female vocals play around it. This passage is super hypnotic and mesmerizing.

29: Dunkirk/Epitaph (The Snow Goose)

In hindsight, I probably should have just included these two with Flight of the Snow Goose/Preparation. But changing it now would mess up the numbers so we'll just settle with this. So coming straight out of Preparation a thumping bass and kick drum fade in not long before Peter Bardens organ joins the fun. I love the little fills the band does properly keeping this buildup interesting (0:24 for an example). Soon, Latimer joins the buildup first teasing with some light volume swells before providing another counter melody on top of everyone else. There's horns and electric piano subtleties going on while Andy Ward starts to give it a little more of a marching feel. Soon, you realize that the buildup is reaching a tipping point sounding very full and grand before dropping into an absolutely killer closing jam. Andy Ward is drumming away, the rhythm he uses on this song is one that I can only ever associate with Camel (Separations ending is the first case of him using it I believe), even though he didn't invent it by any means (You can even find it on Return of the Giant Hogweed). Now on top of this, Andy Latimers guitar is screeching away while Bardens plays this very epic sounding chord progression on the Organ. Ward squeezes in some hype and hard hitting drum fills (are those gated drums in 1975?!?!) while the band is able to turn it on and off like a light switch. Towards the end of the song, the band collectively squeezes in these sick arpeggiated fills offering a little variation in this playout. This track leads into Epitaph which works as a great bookend of this 4-track suite properly tying it all together. It reprises that aforementioned hypnotic sound-effect-laden passage from preparation. In the background of this there's what I think is either electric piano or organ providing a very lowkey but nevertheless great undertow to this song.

28: Stationary Traveller (Stationary Traveller)

This song is a bit of a fan favorite and for good reason, this is a lovely and very magical instrumental. It opens with some soft but lively sounding piano, nylon string guitar and synth sitting in the background. I don't know what it is, but I adore the electric piano sound that comes in soon after the little introduction. It's dripping with atmosphere. Coming in top of this is a very earthy sounding flute accompanied by lovely synthesized textures. As great as this is, it's really the closing guitar solo that lifts me off my feet. It's just so emotional and uplifting, my friend stumbled upon the live version of this track on YouTube and he was telling me just how blown away he was by it. I this glorious extended guitar solo lasts for just the perfect amount of time, it doesn't overstay its welcome and Latimer makes every note count. The song ends and properly fizzles out. This is such a fantastic and unique piece of music that for my money, eclipses Ice. Stationary Traveler is an album that over the course of making this ranking, has really grown on me. I think if I redid the list some of the songs would likely come in a bit higher.

27: The Sleeper (Breathless)

I love this track and I'd go as far as to call it underrated. I can't say I can really think of another song like this. I find that the intro to this track falls a little under the radar to some, but I love the quirky atmosphere the band creates for a brief time. I'd love to see a whole album in this Camel Jazz Fusiony style that they lightly touched on with some cuts off Rain Dances. The main riff kicks in and it's just so darn groovy, the rhythm section sounds particularly punchy and bouncy on this track. Bardens, as per usual, delivers some fresh and new synth tones while sitting in the pilot seat here. If someone asked me what Mel Collins best contribution to Camel is I'm pointing to this song. Because around the 3 minute mark he really comes into the forefront and it's his playing that sets this track apart in my mind and distinguishes it from some of the other Camel songs of similar length. While he's laying down some sweet lines, Andy Ward and Richard Sinclair continue to slap you with these crunchy and complex rhythms. Around the 4 minute mark Mel really starts to let loose while the rest of the band comfortably set the stage for him. Now in the latter half of the song, Andy Latimer channels the same explosiveness you can find on Lunar Sea for one fiery jazzy guitar solo. The band ties it all back together and ends this song on a lightly frantic note. Listening back as I do this write up, this really is a great tune and one that I just never tire of.

26: Coming of Age (Harbour of Tears)

Coming of Age is the climax of Harbour of Tears and it does a fine job being the excellent payoff that the album needs. Latimer showcases one great memorable melody after another for 7 minutes and change. Opening with a very driving and sophisticated sounding passage, things get going very quickily. Latimer uses a lot of very interesting playing techniques and doesn't shy away from stepping into the background at moments which works as a strength. The little section at 1:35 is a good example of this, he strums away while this very creative drum and organ thing goes on. Following this, it really delves into an explosive territory with this brief but very menacing build up before it takes off into orbit. Now moving at a faster pace, Latimer lays down this beautiful celebratory guitar melody that I just live for. Following this glorious playout, it kicks into a bit of a almost playful sounding jam with layers of synths and other keys followed by a very airy delay guitar passage. The absolute peak of the song comes with the closing playout which is just nasty, it's really one of the heaviest moments in Camels discography with a stomping synth providing the backbone for Latimer to lay down a filthy headbanging riff. I love the arpeggiated keys that come in around halfway through, it's something I find myself drawing a lot of influence from in some of my own music that i've written. I have to note 6:29, that brief little keyboard passage has always been so damn cool to me. This is a great cut, Harbour is another album that's grown a lot on me over the course of making this ranking but I'd still comfortably say this is the pinnacle of the album.

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The List So Far

(Best)

Coming of Age

The Sleeper

Stationary Traveller

Dunkirk/Epitaph

Flight of the Snow Goose/Preparation

Skylines

The Final Encore

Ice

Never Let Go

Straight to my Heart

Separation

Drafted

Six Ate

Mystic Queen

Supertwister

Wing and a Prayer

Friendship/Migration/Rhayader Alone

Slow Yourself Down

Spirit of the Water

Beached

Curiosity

Under the Moon/Watching the Bobbins

Squigely Fair

Arubaluba

Shout

Fox Hill

The Last Farewell (Birthday Cake/Nudes Return)

Storm Clouds/Cotton Camp/Broken Banks

Aristillus

Running From Paradise

Cobh/Send Home the Slates

Changing Places

Sasquatch

Long Goodbyes

Captured

For Today

You Are The One

Vopos

Docks

Starlight Ride

Hopeless Anger/Whispers in the Rain

Tell Me

Simple Pleasures

Irish Air/Irish Air (Reprise)/Harbour of Tears

The Miller's Tale

Elke

Generations/Eyes of Ireland

Refugee

Summer Lightning

City Life/Nude

Landscapes

Cloak and Dagger Man

No Easy Answers

Dust Bowl/Go West/Dusted Out

You Make Me Smile

Wait

Lies

End of the Day

Missing

West Berlin

One Of These Days I’ll Get an Early Night

Rose of Sharon/Milk and Honey

Down on the Farm

The Hour Candle

Mother Road/Needles

Highways of the Sun

Pomp and Circumstance

Reflections

Who We Are

Selva

Camelogue

Please Come Home

Pressure Points

Eye of the Storm

Fingertips

Todays Goodbye

After Words

Heroes

Sheet Rain/Whispers/Little Rivers and Little Rose

Manic

Neon Magic

The End of the Line

Hearts Desire/End Peace

Rain Dances

Rainbows End

The Homecoming

Your Love is Stranger Than Mine

Remote Romance

(Worst)