NEVER LET GO

Oh, boys, I love this one! The first CD represents the whole Camel story presented in time order till 91, which I really admire cos this way as you go through the songs you go through the band's musical history, watching how their music changed all those years, but never losing the beautiness... What I really like in Camel is the tons of emotions, this beautiful sadness, slow moving songs turning to galloping tunes sometimes like in Echoes, I just see in front of myself the Indian horsemen lifting their weapons and racing downhill against the soldies without fear in 14/8, unbelievable how these songs can enchant the listener! Most of the songs are better played here than on the studio LPs, somehow they got vivid and full of life teaching the listener that life is complex and simple at the same time, think but dont think too much, just live the experience through... Just listen to Ice and imagine the astronaut being up there looking at his wife's house cos he can see your house from here but as he runs out of oxygen life slips away slowly and sadly, but we never feel the desperation and that's what these songs teach us. The endless guitar solo is timeless here and no need for words if the notes speak for them. The 2nd disc is just average to me, not adding much to the original one. Actually I should have deducted one star cos the music was mixed too quiet, annoyingly quiet, but I rather turn it up than giving only 4 stars. :-) Even the cover is ingenious, look at the man with the guitar on him playing the keyboard, his shade is intelligent and modest, just like his music. Dear Andy, get well soon and NEVER LET GO.