HARBOUR OF TEARS

In 1991, after a seven year hiatus, Camel regrouped and returned with a fine comeback album, "Dust And Dreams", based on the joyful and happy escapades of tenant farmers of the Oklahoma dust bowl during the Great Depression, as depicted in John Steinbeck's "The Grapes Of Wrath". In 1995, Andrew Latimer followed that up with the equally uplifting "Harbour Of Tears", loosely based, I think on the Tom Cruise movie, "Coming To America", where Cruise and Eddie Murphy escape from 1890s Ireland, to become fighters and employees in a fast food restaurant, while Nicole Kidman and Arsenio Hall watch..

I am no big fan of Irish music, despite a fair amount of Celtic heritage. However, Latimer and his crew do a nice job of blending traditional Irish folk motifs into the well known Camel light symphonic style. While none of the music will blow you away, it is still far and away (see what I did there?) better that the majority of the pop drivel this band had been releasing before their break.

The absolute best moment is Coming Of Age, that let's you know in no uncertain terms that Camel is still a prog rock force. The low point is the long, unnecessary surf noises tacked on to the last track the same statement could have been made with only about a minute of the sound effects.

In all, this is a good album, about 3.5 stars.