RAINBOW'S END - A CAMEL ANTHOLOGY 1973-1985

"Rainbow's End ? A Camel Anthology 1973 - 1985" is a compilation of Camel and was released in 2010. It's a four CD compilation with fifty eight tracks. This is a compilation album that follows basically a chronological order with some few exceptions. It has a huge amount of tracks that cover all their discography, ten studio albums since 1973 to 1984. It has really a mix of studio and live tracks with most of the studio tracks being identical to the original album versions.

The CD 1 has eleven tracks. "Slow Yourself Down", "Never Let Go", "Curiosity" and "Mystic Queen", are from "Camel". "Camel" is a great debut album with great tracks. The two best tracks are present here, "Never Let Go" and "Mystic Queen". "Slow Yourself Down" and "Curiosity" are also two excellent tracks. "Nimrodel/The Procession/"The White Rider", "Freefall", "Earthrise" and "Lady Fantasy" are from "Mirage". "Mirage" is a masterpiece. It's considered by some, Camel's best work. All tracks are great and could be part of this compilation. But, there's one that deserves a special mention, "Lady Fantasy". It's the most celebrated track on that album and is one of their most famous tracks too. This is an original mix version. "Ligging At Louis" is an unreleased track and "Arubaluba" is from "Camel". Both were from the BBC Radio One "In Concert". "Supertwister" is from "Mirage". This is a live version at the Marquee Club.

The CD 2 has fourteen tracks. "Homage To The God Of Light" isn't a Camel's track, really. It was originally released on Peter Bardens' solo album "The Answer". It's a fantastic track. This is a live version. "The Great March", "Rhayader", "Rhayader Goes To Town", "Preparation" and "Dunkirk", are from "The Snow Goose". "The Snow Goose" is another masterpiece. It's Camel's breakthrough album. Despite be a concept album, all are great tracks. "Preparation" and "Dunkirk" are live versions at the Royal Albert Hall. "Aristillus", "Song Within A Song", "Air Born", "Spirit Of The Water", "Chord Change" and "Another Night", are from "Moonmadness". "Moonmadness" is also a masterpiece. All tracks are excellent. "Chord Change" and "Another Night" are live versions at the Hammersmith Odeon. "First Light" and "Elke" are from "Rain Dances". "Rain Dances" is a balanced piece with some great moments and some changes.

The CD 3 has fifteen tracks. "Tell Me", "Metrognome" and "Unevensong" are from "Rain Dances". "Metrognome" is a live version at the Colston Hall. "Lunar Sea" is a song originally recorded on "Moonmadness". This is also a live version at the Colston Hall. "Rain Dances" is from "Rain Dances". This is a live version at the Colston Hall too. "Echoes", "Starlight Ride", "Breathless" and "Rainbow's End" are from "Breathless". "Breathless" is the weakest album with Latimer and Bardens in Camel. "Echoes" is one of the best tracks on that album but the other three aren't really bad. "Rainbow's End" is a single version. "Survival", "Hymn To Her" and "Ice" are from "I Can See Your House From Here". "I Can See Your House From Here" isn't a bad album but is the weakest album of Camel with "The Single Factor". "Ice" is the best track on that album but the other two are decent tracks. "City Life", "Nude" and "Drafted" are from "Nude". "Nude" is the best Camel's album in the 80's. As a concept album all tracks are linked and all are great.

The CD 4 has eighteen tracks. "Docks", "Beached" and "Captured" are from "Nude". All were from the BBC Radio One "In Concert". "Summer Lightning" is from "Breathless". It's from the BBC Radio One "In Concert". "Sasquatch", "Heroes", "Selva", "A Heart's Desire" and "End Peace" are from "The Single Factor". "The Single Factor" is the weakest Camel's album. Still, it isn't a bad album either. These four tracks are some of the best tracks on that album. "In The Arms Of Waltzing Frauleins", "Cloak And Dagger Man", "Stationary Traveller", "Long Goodbyes", "Pressure Points", "West Berlin" and "Fingertips" are from "Stationary Traveller", except "In The Arms Of Waltzing Frauleins" that was released in 2004 on the digital remastered edition. "Stationary Traveller" is a very good album of Camel in the 80's. These tracks are good enough to be present here. "Pressure Points", "West Berlin" and "Fingertips" are live versions at the Hammersmith Odeon. "Rhayader" and "Rhayader Goes To Town" are live versions at the Hammersmith Odeon.

Conclusion: "Rainbow's End ? A Camel Anthology 1973 - 1985" is focused on Camel's long association with Decca which yielded some of the best and most prog material ever made by them. It features key album tracks plus rare studio and live recordings. Housed in a hardback book package, the lavish booklet contains previously unseen photographs, memorabilia and an essay by Mark Powell. Taken as a whole, the compilation does an admirable job of showing the various sides of Camel. A judicious selection of live and studio cuts, single oriented tracks and especially deep album numbers paint an accurate and fascinating portrait. While not as timeless as some of their contemporaries, Camel produced a body of work that well worth investigation. The newcomers will be very well served by "Rainbow's End". However, they may also want to seek out for the more straightforward "Lunar Sea" compilation, or even "Echoes".

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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