THE SNOW GOOSE

Ah, finally I can listen to great, impressive, elaborate but simple catchy music! This album's lightness is my ears and heart relief! All instrumentation is accurate, "scientifically spontaneous". That oxymoron is the right way to define this superb music style, this "concrete higheness"!, this wonderful electric guitar and keyboards weave, this bass and drums stunning phrasing!

In 1975, after Mirage, Bardens, Latimer, Ferguson and Ward decided to make a conceptual album (what a conceptual album!!!). For that reason each Camel's member suggested a book on which elaborate the one- piece-album. Pete Bardens suggested first "Siddartha", then "Steppenwolf", both Herman Hesse's works. Bass player Doug Ferguson took his inspiration from a novel by Paul Gallico named "A Snow Goose". The story is about a Rhayader, a lonely boy who lives in the marshes. One day he finds a wounded Snow Goose. A little girl, Fritha, is also concerned about the goose, and she and Rhayader become friends. By the season's end the goose heals, and it is sent free. Following this, Rhayader is alone again, as Fritha doesn't come to visit him anymore. Rhayader helps saving people at the battle of Dunkirk, and during the battle the Goose comes back to help. Rhayader is killed in the battle, and the Goose is then named La Princess Perdue. Critic was confused by the lack of lyrics.Camel shocked the traditional audience! Paul Gallico's publishers threatened to put a court injunction on the album, and therefore the title was preceded by the words "music inspired by". Paul Gallico, a non-smoking author, had a bad impression from the band, due to its name.

Nice cover art, its clear and bright colours are the perfect graphic translation of such a pure music!

Very good Decca 2002 remastered edition, with 24 mns of extra tracks: single edits from Flight Of The Snow Goose and Ryader; live recordings at the Marquee Club featuring Ryader Goes To Town and a medley The Snow Goose/Freefall, the opener from Mirage.

This one and Moonmadness represent the HIGHEST apex (they had more than one, see the album Nude) from Camel, a perfect prog way to intend classical music.

No. 22 in U.K. charts, a top ten one in my personal prog-archive ever!

Snow Goose is not only recommendable: it heals your soul's wounds!!!!!

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