The Camel appreciation thread |
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AFlowerKingCrimson
Forum Senior Member Joined: October 02 2016 Location: Philly burbs Status: Offline Points: 18272 |
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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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Kingsnake
Forum Senior Member Joined: November 03 2006 Location: Rockpommelland Status: Offline Points: 1578 |
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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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Lewian
Prog Reviewer Joined: August 09 2015 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 14733 |
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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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Kingsnake
Forum Senior Member Joined: November 03 2006 Location: Rockpommelland Status: Offline Points: 1578 |
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^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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Kingsnake
Forum Senior Member Joined: November 03 2006 Location: Rockpommelland Status: Offline Points: 1578 |
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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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Squonk19
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 03 2015 Location: Darlington, UK Status: Offline Points: 4776 |
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^ 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.
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“Living in their pools, they soon forget about the sea.”
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Prog-jester
Prog Reviewer Joined: June 05 2005 Location: Love Beach Status: Offline Points: 5871 |
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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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Cord Change
Forum Newbie Joined: June 08 2018 Location: Melbourne Status: Offline Points: 29 |
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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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Dellinger
Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: June 18 2009 Location: Mexico Status: Offline Points: 12732 |
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Camel are very well loved around here. They have beaten ELP in polls, actually. |
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noni
Forum Senior Member Joined: October 03 2008 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 1092 |
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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. 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!!... Here's hoping!! |
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MortSahlFan
Forum Senior Member Joined: March 01 2018 Location: US Status: Offline Points: 2941 |
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I like Camel, but not as much as I used to.. I guess that's the true test.
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Kingsnake
Forum Senior Member Joined: November 03 2006 Location: Rockpommelland Status: Offline Points: 1578 |
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^^ 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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Rednight
Forum Senior Member Joined: January 18 2014 Location: Mar Vista, CA Status: Offline Points: 4807 |
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^Bass' singing on Pressure Points' Fingertips is excellent.
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"It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno
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Cord Change
Forum Newbie Joined: June 08 2018 Location: Melbourne Status: Offline Points: 29 |
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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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Lewian
Prog Reviewer Joined: August 09 2015 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 14733 |
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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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Kingsnake
Forum Senior Member Joined: November 03 2006 Location: Rockpommelland Status: Offline Points: 1578 |
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^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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scruffydragon
Forum Senior Member Joined: February 09 2008 Location: trowbridge Status: Offline Points: 250 |
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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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scruffydragon
Forum Senior Member Joined: February 09 2008 Location: trowbridge Status: Offline Points: 250 |
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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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Tom Ozric
Prog Reviewer Joined: September 03 2005 Location: Olympus Mons Status: Offline Points: 15916 |
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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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Kingsnake
Forum Senior Member Joined: November 03 2006 Location: Rockpommelland Status: Offline Points: 1578 |
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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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