Ranking Every Single Camel Song

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   Ranking Every Camel Song Day 8: 70-65
Welcome back! I'm starting this in the morning but this is likely going up in the evening once again. I had some lukewarm reactions to my Summer Lightning placement last time, which is fair. I don't think any of these should be too controversial :)
70: The Millers Tale (A Nod and a Wink)
I think this track works best when played after Foxhill as I kind of see it as a bit of a shorter cool down from that track. It opens with a really nice soft acoustic passage that echoes the nostalgic feel seen throughout the album. It flows into a somewhat menacing sounding section with some heavier strings and xylophones and I think it sounds really cool and pretty Rajaz-Esque. It ends on a very touching note musically with an instrumental passage that kind of sounds sad yet hopeful. I think its another one of those tracks that speaks through the music and allows you to determine your own interpretation of it.
69: Irish Air/Irish Air (Instrumental Reprise)/Harbour of Tears (Harbour of Tears)
I think this is just a great opening to the album, Irish Air opens with acapella and somewhat folky female irish vocals which seamlessly transition into the instrumental reprise which opens with with the same melody now played on the flute. After that its repeated on the guitar and man, the tone is absolutely towering. Following that, this short little song develops into something really big with its celtic influenced sound and marching rhythm. This instrumental once again seamlessly flows into the title track with its steady three chord sequence and this really kicks the story off. Every time I hear "I, am one of seven brothers" I get kinda amped up. Latimer delivers a really nice vocal performance and after a bit Colin Bass comes in and they both sing different vocal lines and melodies at the same time. I love when they do this, Colin Bass has a great voice and here on this album Latimer wrote some really strong and subtly complex vocal arrangements. I love the last 20 seconds as the music kinda speaks and narrates the story. I interpret it as the family watching their mainland grow distant as they sail away on the ship for a new life....
68: Simple Pleasures (A Nod and a Wink)
This track is a flowing deserty journey with some nice percussion and electric piano. It's on the mellow side, not necessarily as in slow and plodding but moreso in its low-key yet very detailed soundscape throughout. It probably wouldn't sound all that out of place on Rajaz, similar vibe. Throughout the first few minutes Latimer kinda teases you with his guitar playing on top of the vocals. While I don't think its their strongest song from a lyrical standpoint, it's got a very memorable chorus which after its second repeat it drops us in and things pick up a little bit with the main drums and organ joining in while Andys guitar playing comes in a little bit more in the forefront with an extended solo that slowly builds and builds until its clear that the guitar is the star of the show. We end with another chorus now with the full band playing with lead vocals and explosive guitar playing dueling. After this the song fizzles out which I think works well for a mellow and more subdued track like this, in fact, to me its kinda like the music equivalent of watching someone walk away becoming just a dot in the distance. This track comes in and does it's thing, its not their most intense or bombastic track but that's by design, pretty solid!
67:Tell Me (Rain Dances)
This track has been a big grower for me as for a while I saw it as somewhat of a underwhelming filler track on Rain Dances. However, over time as Rain Dances grew on me I started really paying attention to this track. The instrumentation and texture is actually really impressive and it somewhat reminds me of Elke off the same album. First off, the fretless bass is just ear candy, but its Peter Bardens and his keyboard work on this track that really continue to shock me. Take a listen to this track and just focus on his layers of instrumentation, also notice how the instruments all play with such feel while playing off of each other. The flute and vocals join in at different points with a similar spacey feel. About half way through the tasty synths and subtle woodwinds play together in unison seamlessly leading the vocals back in. I feel like this is the music you hear when you die. While it's not the creme of the crop on its album or in the Camel discography, I think this track stands as a very unique, soft and beautiful piece of music. For me the tracks on Rain Dances are either some of their best material, or they're just good, and that will be reflected in the gap between this and the next track from this album.
66: Hopeless Anger/Whispers in the Rain (Dust and Dreams)
This track is probably Dust and Dreams heaviest moment as well as one of its best. I starts with some winding and heavier guitar playing and at the 1:19 mark it kicks into a really nice guitar melody. I do wish the drums had more punch throughout this album especially on a track like this which would really benefit from it. A darker organ takes over accompanied with other tones collectively changing the tone to a brighter and happier sound indicating that some sweet big crescendo is coming.... and it is! The main theme from Mother Road is reprised up a key and it's done in such blissful and headbanging fashion. It's a really nice payoff with its celebratory sound, the following section features these galloping pianos that evolve into a twisting arrangement with all the instruments kinda doing their own interesting thing. Whispers in the Rain isn't quite the best closing track, I like what they do with it off the Live version on Never Let Go and I feel like the studio version is kinda missing the drums and explosive guitars. It ends up being somewhat of a inoffensive yet forgettable track. Hopeless Anger is what gets it here on the list.
65: Starlight Ride (Breathless)
This track is a really nice earthy and ethereal song opening with these electric pianos kinda raining on you with some nice flute playing. Andy Latimer has a pretty strong vocal performance on this one, I think on this track it's all about the subtleties. The slide guitar, the synths sitting in the backround, the guitar providing another little melody on top of the electric piano and vocals during the verse. The little jam at 1:27 is seriously impressive and well written as Latimer and Bardens play off of each other creating something that actually sounds very symphonic which is only amplified by what I assume to be Mel Collins flute playing coming in on top of it. This track isn't by any means heavy, but it builds and adds layers of vocals during the next repeat of the verse. I've always enjoyed this track quite a bit, the title rings true, this in fact sounds like a Starlight Ride.
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The List So Far:
(Best)
Starlight Ride
Hopeless Anger/Whispers in the Rain
Tell Me
Simple Pleasures
70Irish 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)