HARBOUR OF TEARS

Frankly I can't remember why I bought it at the time it was released. Must have been something like: hey, an album by good old Camel, that's been quite a while. Let's take it. But if I would have listened to it in the store (the entire album I mean) I probably would have left it there.

And this is not to be disrespectful because it's a meaningful album with a true story to tell (one that I'm not familiar with I'm afraid and even if I would have been: lyrics have never been a main factor for me, composition and melody is what I'm after). And by the music you can tell it's a melancholic story. On the other hand, not every track is dark and depressing I have to say. And another thing I can remember from the time I played it a couple of times: there were two or three tracks on it with outstanding guitar performances by Andy Latimer and the rest was more or less wasted on me.

So with Watching the Bobbins, Coming of Age and partly the final track The Hour Candle were worthwhile to me. And the closing track only partly because it's one of those senseless hidden tracks with 14! wasted minutes. For that alone I would like to punish Camel here because instead of being treated with some great epic you get nothing and I hate that. I also punished other bands for this as they deserve so.

So in the end it can never get more than 3 stars, some very good moments, but those moments are all there is for me and I will leave the meaningfullness to others.