MOONMADNESS

The one word I would use to describe Moonmadness is atmospheric. This albums is dripping with atmosphere that conjures up images of night-time, stars, and flying. A large part of the atmosphere of this album is the larger role the keyboards take (the eminent is used to great effect). Compared to Mirage, the keyboards get a lot more attention. There is of course also great guitar and flute from Andy Latimer and great drumming from Ward.

The album starts off with Aristilus which is full of synths and some weird singing in the background (sounds like the tongue twister "rubber baby buggy bumper"). This is a strong opener that grabs the attention of the listener. The next song, Song within a Song, is one of my favorite from Camel. It is basically two songs, the first being more guitar and flute oriented with dream-like vocals, and the second part features some very nice keyboard solos and also great drumming. Again, this song is very relaxed and reminds me of looking at the stars. The next song, Chord Change, is an opportunity for Latimer to stretch-out with some nice guitar soloing. The guitar soloing changes along with the chord changes, giving the song a jazzy feel. The next song is Spirit of the Water and is also very atmospheric with lots of flute. This song has the most vocals up to this point, and these vocals are actually very nice.

Another Night opens up side two, and this one is more of a rocker with a very cool middle section featuring a bassline that reminds me of the end section of Nimrodel. Air Borne is another favorite of mine, and it starts out with some of the most beautiful flute I have ever heard! The chorus has nice drum and bass interplay and the middle of the song has a "flying" section complete with wooshing sounds. This is the blueprint for songs like Pink Floyd's Learning to Fly. The album ends with Lunar Sea. This is a great instrumental that starts out with guitar soloing, moving into moog soloing with some great drumming, and then back to guitar soloing. The song begins and ends with sounds of howling winds and synth whispers that properly set the stage and then end the song. I especially enjoy the middle section with the moog solos. This song really makes you feel like you are flying over the surface of the moon!

There are really no weak moments or filler on Moonmadness, and the album is just so darn atmospheric and relaxing, but still very interesting. For me, this is the absolute best that Camel has to offer and is definitely worthy of five stars.