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The Camel appreciation thread

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AFlowerKingCrimson View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 04 2018 at 23:17
Great band. My personal favorites are "mirage,""snowgoose" and "dust and dreams." Some of the others I heard were great as well. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kingsnake Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 05 2018 at 00:10
For those who only like the first line-up. You can also try Camel on the Road 1972. A great early livealbum that deserves more attention.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lewian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 05 2018 at 05:50
Originally posted by miamiscot miamiscot wrote:

Help!!!
I really like Mirage, The Snow Goose and Moonmadness but nothing else has sounded all that great to me.
Nude is too 80's and Breathless has one good song.
What am I missing here? I know I should love Camel.
Why don't I?

No you shouldn't. You're absolutely free to love what you love and only that.
I've got to say, I can actually understand why some people don't like that much of Camel or even find them boring. They're certainly hardly innovative or adventurous or actually "progressive" (in the true sense of the word). Whenever I read negative reviews about Camel albums, I think "they have a point". Camel to me works on a very personal, emotional and subjective level. I find it hard to explain what makes me feel at home in their music. OK, there's the occasional obvious musical highlight that I'd really expect music lovers to appreciate (the highest in my view is the "Live Record" version of "Never Let Go") and Latimer is a true master of the melodic guitar. Still, by and large I tend to think that they speak to you on some subconscious emotional level or they don't, and if they don't, there's little you can do.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kingsnake Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 05 2018 at 05:54
^I have the exact same feeling.
 
That's why I like less progressive/innovative groups like Camel, Barclay James Harvest, Moody Blues, Eloy, etc.
Pure because they appeal to me. And I am a romantic, and all these bands have a romanticism written all over them.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kingsnake Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 05 2018 at 11:57
The concert has been canceled because Andy is not doing well.
I hope he will recover. I feel really bad for him. He went a long way for the fans. Fans can be so demanding.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Squonk19 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 05 2018 at 12:10
^ I feel very sorry for you. Hope he can get better and able to reschedule. It'll be interesting if his UK dates get affected in a few months time.
“Living in their pools, they soon forget about the sea.”
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Prog-jester Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 05 2018 at 17:49
Originally posted by Tuzvihar Tuzvihar wrote:

Hah! It's a pity I didn't know. I live nearby the club BTW. Did You also go to see Yes and SBB the next day?

funny I didn't even think of PA folk visiting the show...dumb me!

Nope I skipped June 3rd, but been there June 1st for Steve Hogarth solo gig. Nice one but a bit uneven
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Cord Change Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 08 2018 at 20:27
Camel are my favourite prog band. I like the original band lineup best. I think that Latimer is one of the greatest guitarists of all time, I love his sound on Snow Goose and Moon Madness the most - he is also quite good at the flute. Ward, amazing drummer and the main reason I will always come back to Camel. I will always love Peter for "Fritha Alone". 

Camel are highly criticized for lacking vocally with no great singers. If you need singing in your prog then go listen to VDDG or Genesis. 

It does surprise me that prog heads dismiss Camel in the album reviews and that they don't receive as wide celebration as KC or Yes - Camel should be celebrated for being able to stick with the same lineup for more then one album if anything. 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dellinger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 08 2018 at 21:29
Originally posted by Cord Change Cord Change wrote:

Camel are my favourite prog band. I like the original band lineup best. I think that Latimer is one of the greatest guitarists of all time, I love his sound on Snow Goose and Moon Madness the most - he is also quite good at the flute. Ward, amazing drummer and the main reason I will always come back to Camel. I will always love Peter for "Fritha Alone". 

Camel are highly criticized for lacking vocally with no great singers. If you need singing in your prog then go listen to VDDG or Genesis. 

It does surprise me that prog heads dismiss Camel in the album reviews and that they don't receive as wide celebration as KC or Yes - Camel should be celebrated for being able to stick with the same lineup for more then one album if anything. 



Camel are very well loved around here. They have beaten ELP in polls, actually.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote noni Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 08 2018 at 22:55
Originally posted by Dellinger Dellinger wrote:

Originally posted by Cord Change Cord Change wrote:

Camel are my favourite prog band. I like the original band lineup best. I think that Latimer is one of the greatest guitarists of all time, I love his sound on Snow Goose and Moon Madness the most - he is also quite good at the flute. Ward, amazing drummer and the main reason I will always come back to Camel. I will always love Peter for "Fritha Alone". 

Camel are highly criticized for lacking vocally with no great singers. If you need singing in your prog then go listen to VDDG or Genesis. 

It does surprise me that prog heads dismiss Camel in the album reviews and that they don't receive as wide celebration as KC or Yes - Camel should be celebrated for being able to stick with the same lineup for more then one album if anything. 



Camel are very well loved around here. They have beaten ELP in polls, actually.

One of the great qualities that Andy Latimer possess's,  is the ability to keep the Camel sound alive.  Despite many band changes through it's time, he focuses on great musician ship and had the best including Phil Collins, Caravan members,  plus others great members of suberbs bands.   Smile

Sadly when when Pete left the band on his own accord,  Pete wanted the band to change direction and did not get on too well with Andy in this direction...  I love Pete's work and have all his albums,  but this to me is not Camel.  Andy has since regretted this,  and probably could of sorted this bitter row over his partnership ...  But since then , a lot of dedication has gone into a lot of past members work into Camel,  including Peter Bardens.

I'm very pleased with this current line up and you can probably say that Colin Bass  holds the record for the next longest member after Camel's founder member Andy Latimer,  named after the band  The Brew
Pete Jones and  Denis Clement hold a great foundation for what's hoping for another great new album, I hope!!...Smile

Here's hoping!!  Ermm

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MortSahlFan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2018 at 09:52
I like Camel, but not as much as I used to.. I guess that's the true test.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kingsnake Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2018 at 11:42
^^  Finally someone mentions Colin Bass.

He has been with the band since 1979!!! He only didn't play on Single Factor and Stationairy Traveller.
He also an important vocalist for the band.

I understand people long for the original line-up, but even bands that keep their line-up intact make terrible albums (Queen, Golden Earring, Rush, etc.)

So that's not the point. Also if you listen to Keats (Bardens's project after Camel) you can hear the same soft-pop as on Breathless. At least I Can See Your House From Here has a lot of energy and fun in it.
It was just the times: 1978-1981 were difficult years for progbands to release epic symphonic songs.

If you look at Saga, Rush, Toto, Chicago; they all shortened their songs and went with a pop-structure and they survived.

At least Camel had the guts to release Nude, wich is a conceptalbums in 1981!!!
The only other band with the same guts I can think of is Eloy.

But, I'm diverting. I hope that people who love the first line up would at least give the albums Dust & Dreams, Harbour of Tears, Rajaz and A Nod and a Wink a try.
The production of Nod and a Wink is superb and it sounds just like the Moonmadnes-days.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rednight Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2018 at 13:18
^Bass' singing on Pressure Points' Fingertips is excellent.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Cord Change Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2018 at 18:19
Originally posted by Kingsnake Kingsnake wrote:

I understand people long for the original line-up, but even bands that keep their line-up intact make terrible albums (Queen, Golden Earring, Rush, etc.)

At least Camel had the guts to release Nude, wich is a conceptalbums in 1981!!!


Maybe I came off a little strong about my lineup opinion before, just to be clear I think that Camel has always had great musicians and I find all their albums quite enjoyable. Nude is a great album!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lewian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2018 at 19:34
For me actually Richard Sinclair was their best bassist. I'm fine with how both Colin Bass (I love 3Mustaphas3 by the way) and Doug Ferguson fit into Camel's music, but when Sinclair does it, listening just to the bass alone can make me happy.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kingsnake Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 10 2018 at 02:12
^The bassplaying on Raindances and A Live Record (also the BBC 1977 recordings) is out-of-this-world.
Especially First Light and Unevensong. But did you know that Andy played some of the bassparts on Raindances.

Raindances is a weird little gem. Unlike Camel ever did and they never ventured into this kind of jazzrock-kinda thing. Only some songs on Breathless come close.
When it comes to Camel, people also tend to forget Mel Collins (who for a while as an official member).

Colin Bass and Doug Ferguson (but also David Patton) are more basic players, but that is also important. But don't be fooled; even basic playing can be very difficult.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote scruffydragon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 10 2018 at 04:33
.
Originally posted by MortSahlFan MortSahlFan wrote:

I like Camel, but not as much as I used to.. I guess that's the true test.
 
I am in the same boat. I still listen to Camel but when I am in the mood. I guess if you overplay something it becomes far to familiar and a bit stale. Funny thing is move away for a year or two then have another listen and it sounds great again. Often I can pick up on things I missed the previous times around. Music inspired by the snow goose however seems to be one of those very rare pieces that never seems to age and I often turn to when I need to chill out. Timeless albums are so rare.
 
I would love to have a large poster of that albums cover to grace the wall above my CD player.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote scruffydragon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 10 2018 at 04:45
Originally posted by Kingsnake Kingsnake wrote:

^

Raindances is a weird little gem. Unlike Camel ever did and they never ventured into this kind of jazzrock-kinda thing.

 
 
Funny thing with Camel they always had that Jazzy vibe and edge to their music. Check out their first album especially the track Six Ate. That tune is just glorious to listen to. It was one of their strong points but they never overplayed it.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tom Ozric Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 10 2018 at 05:43
I’ve loved Camel for decades - especially Moonmadness and Mirage.
I’m really impressed that Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt claims Andy as his main inspiration. This, even at the time of Orchid and Morningrise.   
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kingsnake Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 10 2018 at 10:52
Originally posted by scruffydragon scruffydragon wrote:

.
Originally posted by MortSahlFan MortSahlFan wrote:

I like Camel, but not as much as I used to.. I guess that's the true test.
 
I am in the same boat. I still listen to Camel but when I am in the mood. I guess if you overplay something it becomes far to familiar and a bit stale. Funny thing is move away for a year or two then have another listen and it sounds great again. Often I can pick up on things I missed the previous times around. Music inspired by the snow goose however seems to be one of those very rare pieces that never seems to age and I often turn to when I need to chill out. Timeless albums are so rare.
 
I would love to have a large poster of that albums cover to grace the wall above my CD player.


I listened to Camel when I as 13/14 years old and stopped when I was 18/19 (I wanted to be cool, so I move towards progmetal and other metal-thingies).
I picked up Camel again when I was 25 or 27 and was suprised at how good it was. I never stopped listening to it after that.

I guess I had a whole break from progrock for those 8 to 10 years, wich is a shame. Although I picked up some great other music in the meantime. But I''m deriving (again).

I have a tattoo of the Snow Goose-album cover by the way.
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