CAMEL

Camel's Moonmadness. This album places just below CTTE for me, the whole album is an absolute masterpiece, and if you haven't heard it yet, let this be your sign. This album has a eerie, cold, dark sound that is best enjoyed in a thematically matching room. It took me *seven* tries for this album to start to do it for me, but I kept trying to enjoy it because of how much I loved Mirage. I can say with confidence I acquired the taste. I would almost say I forced it on myself, but that's not true, I just had to wait for it to hit. Paying attention to the lyrics helped quite a bit. This is an album you will have to hear multiple times, no excuses. The synth work, guitar, and as a highly unpopular opinion, the vocals (being the best part) are absolutely impeccable. I don't want to dull my point, but this is just beautiful.

Aristillus: This is in my honest opinion, the weakest track of the album. It is completely instrumental, and the sounds don't quite match the rest of the album thematically. Despite this, it is still a very nice sounding track, and contrary to what the thematic discrepancy would have you believe, sets up for the next track well. Not much to say about such a short track. 8.5/10

Song Within A Song: This is after careful consideration, my personal favorite on the album. The vocals are really what do it for me. This is thematically my favorite song ever, you cannot beat being in a dark room with your eyes closed and listening to SWAS. The percussion rides over the slow eerie vocals, the amazing synth work and the climactic jammy instrumental part through the end make this song absolutely amazing, and the reason this is the second review I post. 10/10

Chord Change: This track will really catch you off guard. I chose not to spoil this when I showed it to my friend for the first time. He was indeed surprised. This is a groovy, almost upbeat track. After the trance that SWAS will put you through, Chord Change pulls you right out and yells at you to tap your foot. About halfway through there's a nice pace change, and overall, although not a standout track, it's very memorable, and because of it's surprise attitude in the context of the album, has almost developed a personality in my mind. One that I'm fond of at least. 9/10

Spirit of the Water: Although not particularly memorable, this track is both theme cohesive and defining, and the vocals are once again present, making for a very pretty and slow moving, cold track. another good one to listen to in the dark. I'm not sure why it's so forgettable in my mind, it doesn't really seem to be the fault of the contents of the track itself, as they're awesome even in isolation. The flute work in particular really shines through, and maintains a great sound. Unfortunately, for that lack of memorability, this track will get a small deduction. 8.7/10

Another Night: A return of SWAS like vocals pull you right into that same trance. this time it feels a little less smooth, but it's still awesome. It's actually pretty hard to criticize this track for being sudden or harsh when Chord Change gets off scot-free. I also have to admit, I absolutely love the start, where it slowly fades in, only to surprise you with that amazing riff, foreshadowed by the faded drums. The difference in the vocals from SWAS makes this track feel new and like they're using the same theme, with a new sound to keep you interested. I like it, and the slow breaks are shockingly beautiful. I strongly believe that this track has earned a high rating. 9.8/10

Air Born: This was one of the few tracks that I could tell was special in the first couple listens. It really shows off what Camel did right with the vocals on this album, and I honestly think it's haunting beauty may match SWAS. Like so much of the album, the flute pairs nicely with the synth and ambient sounds. There's really not much that can match the sound of the instruments fading out, before everything comes in at once, leading to another climactic song ending, that is melodically and thematically very pretty. 10/10

Lunar Sea: This track is another absolute banger, the synth and percussion, as well as the guitar make this track a stand out instrumentally for the atmosphere of escaping the darkness, it feels like things might warm up someday, and the bright work of all instruments make this an even more groovy track than Chord Change. Although I think they missed out on the chance to have another beautiful vocal track as the finale to such a wonderful album, it's nothing against this amazing song. 9.5/10

Review Nº 899

Camel is a British progressive rock band that was formed in Guildford, Surrey. The band was born in 1971 when former The Brew members Andrew Latimer (guitar), Andy Ward (drums) and Doug Ferguson (bass) recruited Peter Bardens (keyboards). After an initial performance to fulfil a deal under the name On, they changed their name to Camel and held their first performance on December 4th at the Waltham Forest Technical College in London. Camel is considered one of the founders and one of the best and most influential bands of the progressive rock movement, in the 70's. They're one of the few pioneer progressive rock bands that are still in activity nowadays and that practically never ceased their activity. Camel had three phases, their golden era in the 70's, their phase in the 80's and their reborn phase in the 90's.

"On The Road 1982" is the fifth live album of Camel and was released in 1994. This is another official live bootleg from Camel. It was recorded during their 10th Anniversary Live Tour on 13th June 1982 at Congressgibau, in Den Haag, Holland. As Andrew Latimer says on the sleeve notes, this 10th Anniversary live show was recorded for broadcast by a Dutch radio station but unfortunately the original tape was lost. Although and fortunately, their sound engineer taped their live performance through the mixing desk. It brought to the day light that recording, doing a true remarkable job.

The line up of "On The Road 1982" is Andrew Latimer (vocals and guitar), Andy Dalby (guitar), Chris Rainbow (vocals, keyboards and 12 string guitar), Kit Watkins (keyboards), David Paton (vocals and bass guitar) and Stuart Tosh (backing vocals and drums).

"On The Road 1982" is a live album of Camel that has fourteen tracks. The first track "Sasquatch" was originally released on their ninth studio album "The Single Factor". The second track "Highways Of The Sun" was originally released on their fifth studio album "Rain Dances". The third track "Hymn To Her" was originally released on their seventh studio album "I Can See Your House From Here". The fourth track "Neon Magic" was also originally released on "I Can See Your House From Here". The fifth track "You Are The One" was also originally released on "The Single Factor". The sixth track "Drafted" was originally released on their eighth studio album "Nude". The seventh track "Lies" was also originally released on "Nude". The eighth track "Captured" was also originally released on "Nude". The ninth track "A Hearts Desire/End Peace" was also originally released on "The Single Factor". The tenth track "Heroes" was also originally released on "The Single Factor". The eleventh track "Who We Are" was also originally released on "I Can See Your House From Here". The twelfth track "Manic" was also originally released on "The Single Factor". The thirteenth track "Wait" was also originally released on "I Can See Your House From Here". The fourteenth and last track "Never Let Go" was originally released on their first eponymous debut studio album "Camel".

Many consider the early 80's to have been the darkest Camel's hour, in which I include myself. Yet, there are some good works of the band and this live show still proves that they had plenty to offer yet in the live arena. Perhaps the biggest reason for this official bootleg success is the phenomenal keyboard performance of Kit Watkins, known by many as the leader of Happy The Man in the late 70's. Most notable are his solos on "Captured", "Wait" and "Hymn To Her". With no less than four songs from "I Can See Your House From Here", fans of that album will be pleased to finally hear some of the best tracks represented here. Latimer is his usual self, always playing lead melody lines and embellishing them with his patented touch. This is why Camel diehard fans will want this release. But, they will also have to suffer through Rainbow's strained and nasally vocals. Bassist Paton and drummer Tosh perform adequately, but nothing noteworthy.

Conclusion: Again we are in presence of another official live bootleg from Camel. Camel is one of the bands with more live bootlegs. "Camel On The Road 1972", "Camel On The Road 1982", "On The Road 1981", "Camel 73 ? 75 Gods Of Light" and "The Paris Collection" are all live bootleg albums. But, what impresses me most is its quality. All have high quality for bootleg albums. "On The Road 1982" is generally considered the weakest live album of Camel. Still, "On The Road 1982" is a good live album, with a good sound quality and a very professional live performance. It has also an interesting and honest choice of songs from the repertoire of the band, for an album recorded in the 80's. I can see some similarities between "The Single Factor" and this live album. Both are considered the weakest albums released by the band, but both are, in my humble opinion, two good albums. Camel doesn't have weak albums. Even their albums released in the 80's are good. Unlike many other bands, their albums from the 80's are good or even better than many others released at the same time. Of course, the songs chosen for this live show aren't the best representatives of their musical career. Almost all the songs, nine, were taken from their two less good studio albums, "I Can See Your House From Here" and "The Single Factor". But, "On The Road 1982" has quality enough to be considered a good live album.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

What we have here is the three disc 2CD and Blu-ray version which has been released to coincide with the album's 50th anniversary and features the original album mix remastered by Ben Wiseman, along with 5.1 surround sound and stereo mixes by Stephen W Tayler and five bonus tracks drawn from rare singles and the album sessions and also includes an illustrated booklet with essay. The music, composed by Andrew Latimer and Peter Bardens, inspired by Paul Gallico's novella 'The Snow Goose', also features The London Symphony Orchestra with arrangements by David Bedford, and I find it difficult to believe there is any proghead who does not have this album in their collection. It is the album I have played more than any other ? according to LastFM the second most popular album in my collection is Anthony Phillips' 'Private Parts & Pieces X ? Soiree' at 980 songs played, but 'Music Inspired by the Snow Goose' is over 2,000. There is something about this instrumental album (there are a few wordless vocals only) which is mesmerising, with the band somehow conjuring images in my mind every time I listen to it. I have never read the novella as I am concerned it may impact my enjoyment on the album, but the band decided to record a concept album based on a book, with each of them bringing one in for discussion, and after a half-hearted attempt at Herman Hesse's 'Siddartha' (check out Outside In's 'Karmatrain' to uncover their wonderful use of that) they instead turned to this.

I can listen to this on repeat, and often have, while it is the perfect album to drift away to at night. I don't listen to it every week, but I am sure there are few months in the year when it does not hit my player at some point. I still much prefer the original to the 2013 re-recording, and to my jaded ears the remix doesn't really add a great deal, just means I get to press play and then can hear the album through twice with some bonus tracks in the middle, two of which are single versions of songs on the album. The combination of Bedford's orchestration, the layered guitars, banks of keyboards plus a highly sympathetic rhythm section means this is an album which I simply cannot get enough of. Compare this release to any of their others, like "Breathless", and it is almost like a totally different band yet Andy Latimer, Peter Bardens, and Andy Ward were on both. I find it indescribable, yet can say it is full of beauty which captures me each and every time I play it, and when I put it on it has to be played from the beginning to the end as anything else is sacrilege.

If, somehow, you have missed out on this truly magical experience then this expanded release is the time to resolve a huge musical oversight.

Review Nº 895

"Camel 73-75 Gods Of Light" is the eighth live album of Camel and despite being recorded between 1973 and 1975 it was only released in 2000. We can see some similarities between this album and their third live album "Camel On The Road 1972". Despite "Camel On The Road 1972" being recorded in 1972 and released in 1992 and "Camel 73-75 Gods Of Light" being recorded between 1973 and 1975, both live albums are bootlegs and three of the live versions are based on the same original songs of the band. However, they're different versions taken from different performances of the band.

While "Camel On The Road 1972" has only four tracks, "Camel 73-75 Gods Of Light" can be divided into three parts because it has three sorts of live performances. The first part is an illegal bootleg titled "Famous Rock Dreams". It was produced in Italy and was directly ripped off two vinyl record albums. The first album was titled "Greasy Truckers, Live At Dingwalls Dance Hall", but the title of the second vinyl recording remains a mystery. The second part is a recording taken directly from BBC Broadcast, in 1974. The third and last part was taken from BBC Radio One In Concert, in 1975.

As on "Camel On The Road 1972", the line up is the same and corresponds to the best and most important on the band's life and which is in general considered the golden era of Camel's long career. So, the line up is Andrew Latimer (vocals and guitar), Peter Bardens (vocals and keyboards), Doug Ferguson (vocals and bass) and Andy Ward (drums).

"Camel 73-75 Gods Of Light" has five tracks. The first track "God Of Light Revisited" was originally written by Peter Bardens and was never released on any studio album of the band, despite being regularly performed in many of their live shows, during the first musical period of Camel. This song was originally released on the debut studio album of Peter Bardens, "The Answer". The song is very experimental and aggressive and that was probably the main reason why it was never performed on any studio album of the band. The second track "White Rider" was written by Andrew Latimer and was originally released on their second studio album "Mirage". The third track "Lady Fantasy" was written by Camel and was also released on "Mirage". The fourth track "Arrubaluba" was also written by Bardens and was originally released on their eponymous debut studio album "Camel". The fifth track "Excerpts From The Snow Goose", as the name indicates, are excerpts taken from the original suite on their third studio album "The Snow Goose".

Unlike "Camel On The Road 1972" which is a very short live album, a kind of a live EP, "Camel 73-75 Gods Of Light" is an album with the normal length of time, with about 70 minutes long. The three tracks that are part of the illegal bootleg, "God Of Light Revisited", "White Rider" and "Lady Fantasy" are new versions of the same songs that appeared on "Camel On The Road 1972". "Lady Fantasy" and "White Rider" are two fantastic songs which have contributed to "Mirage" being one of the best studio albums of the band, but in particular on this live album they're better performed live than on "Camel On The Road 1972". "God Of Light Revisited" is an instrumental song more psychedelic and experimental that goes very well when performed live. However, if I consider the live versions of "Lady Fantasy" and "White Rider" better, the live version of "God Of Light Revisited" is even much better. This live version is absolutely brilliant, the best version I know of this song. "Arubaluba" is the song which replaced "Six Ate" on this live album. This was a better choice because this is a much better song and its live performance is absolutely wild and fantastic. Finally we have the highest point of this album, the performance of the live excerpts of "The Snow Goose". This live performance is completely unique, fantastic, brilliant and unforgettable. This is a shorter version of the original suite, more energetic. Completely without an orchestra, this version rocks a lot more than the original and gives the concept work a special, harder note. So, we can say this is an entirely new version with the same quality level of other versions.

Conclusion: From the seemingly endless Camel archives, Latimer repeatedly brings to us some very interesting live recordings to the light of the day. As a continuation of the series of the official Camel's bootlegs, this one fortunately differs from the majority of the usual bootlegs in terms of sound quality. The early recordings from this phase of Camel show a much rougher, more untamed, but also a very playful side of the band. So, it isn't really strange that "Camel 73- 75 Gods Of Light" be a fantastic live album of Camel and an absolutely indispensable live document of the band. What amazes me most is why it took so long to see the light of the day. The sound quality of the album is amazing for a bootleg album of 1973 and so my congratulations to this re-mastered edition. This is truly a live masterpiece of Camel and one of the best live albums released in the 70's, for my taste. Despite what happens with Camel, like happens with King Crimson, where most of the bootlegs legalized are intended more for the hardest fans of the band, given the quality offered, it's an album that can be recommended without hesitation to fans of the melodic rock of the early 70's.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Inspired by the success of their previous concept pieces, Camel approached their third studio album in a way that is very much in line with some of the greats of the progressive rock genre. 'The Snow Goose' is a majestic instrumental symphonic prog set that sees the Andrew Latimer-led band present a lavish collection of atmospheric and moody pieces that make up a suite inspired by the Paul Gallico's novella of the same name (originally published in 1940). Fantastic musical passages inspired by classical music and fusion seem to be interwoven into the fabric of this elegant and melodic concept album, with Camel refining their sound and offering their most expansive and cohesive work yet, with the music on the album ranging from sweeping symphonic rock, to medieval-esque folk interludes, acoustic preludes, and some gorgeous, blues-inspired passages of atmospheric instrumental rock.

And while 'The Snow Goose' definitely carries some cinematic qualities, the mere fact that this concept album was realized as an instrumental piece renders it even more special - this is an intriguing attempt and a risky one, too, but Camel deliver a good dozen of beautiful motives that re-appear across the album, occasionally moody and mellow, and rarely more uplifting and fast-paced, the record mostly remains as still as an ocean. Yet the haunting beauty of the pieces and the tremendous guitar work elevate the listener's experience, as Camel allow their work to be infiltrated by a plethora of progressive tropes and quirks. Peter Bardens also shines here as his keyboard offerings are as rich and vivid as ever, making this one of the more recognizable prog albums of the mid-70s, with the soaring interplay between him and Latimer. And of course, 'The Snow Goose' gives us classics like 'Rhayader Goes to Town' and the preceding prelude, the fantastic title track with the main theme of the album, the epic 'Dunkirk' and the symphonic majesty of 'La Princesse Perdue', just a very strong work and a really ingenious one as well.

Camel followed up their eponymous debut album with the brilliant 'Mirage', released in March of 1974 by the classic lineup of Andrew Latimer, Peter Bardens, Andy Ward, and Doug Ferguson. This second studio album seems to be following closely in the footsteps of the band's melodic and moody first album from one side, but from another it also introduces an array of new and exciting sounds, this time with an even greater influence from the Canterbury scene, especially Caravan and their jazz-tinted explorations. Composed of just five tracks, two of which are multi-part suites, 'Mirage' is naturally one of the more accessible and successful Camel albums, with its strong melodies and chiseled arrangements, through which the listener could appreciate the majestic interplay between the guitar work and the organs; just wonderful musicianship from a band that tends to focus more on melody, structure and mood, rather than technicality and flamboyancy, which might also be the reason why this recording lacks some of the bombastic and cathartic qualities associated with the progressive rock genre.

The entire album flows evenly and is a rather enjoyable listen, starting off with the up-tempo rocking opener 'Freefall', one of the more straightforward Camel songs, definitely carrying great commercial potential. Yet the musicianship and the prudent playing on this track are never compromised. This one is followed by the first instrumental on the album called 'Supertwister', a song that sees Andy Latimer's enchanting flute playing, a nice addition to the sound palette of the album and a really mellow piece. The three-part suite 'The White Rider', closing off side one, might as well be the most exciting number on here, the instrumental work on this track is relentless and the gorgeous melodies seem to be in-tune with the aim of the song, simply an excellent work of prog. 'Earthrise' is the second instrumental off the album, a more ambitious and more complex arrangement here, that showcases the more experimental side of Camel's music. Finally, there is the iconic epic 'Lady Fantasy', seen by many as one of the hymns of 70s prog rock. A worthy piece of music, this three-part song carries some excellent and memorable sections as well as some of the most relentless Andrew Latimer playing yet. The entire 'Mirage' album is a very eclectic Camel release and an excellent one, too, but it also seems to be a bit one-dimensional and safe, always moody and never overly flamboyant - its strengths lie in the excellent songwriting and tremendous instrumental work, and despite the lack of experimentation, 'Mirage' remains not only a Camel essential but also a 70s prog gem.

Breathless us the sixth studio album released by Camel. This album was released in 1978 and is considered by a lot of people to be less progressive than some of their previous albums (Moonmadness, Mirage, etc.) but it still is a solid album in my opinion. Andrew Latimer is a fantastic guitarist and composer, and you can hear his brilliance all over the album.

I also really enjoyed all the songs that Richard Sinclair sang on and his bass work on some of the tracks especially "Echoes" and "The Sleeper" are beautiful. "Breathless" the title track is great. I really like the mellowness of the whole album. "Echoes" by far is my favorite song on the album and a great prog song. "Wing and a Prayer" is a solid pop sounding song. "Down on the Farm" is a fun whimsical track as well and I also really enjoyed the last song on the album "Rainbows End". The lyrics invoke a sense of sadness but like a happy sadness. The synthesizer on this track is what I love the most. It's warm and I love the overall tone and vibe of this song. It makes you feel like you are floating on a cloud and with no worries or stress.

Overall, I enjoyed the album. If you want a nice mix of some mellow songs with some complex prog elements you will enjoy the album. Even the more pop sounding songs are fun to listen to. Camel is a great band, and I think everything they do is great. They are passionate musicians who know how to write great songs no matter the style or complexity. I would give this album 3/5 stars. If you are a fan of Camel, I think you should listen to and own this album. If you are just getting into Camel or not really a fan, I would say this album is not essential to listen to or to own.

The contract with Decca was over. Andy Latimer knocked some major or less-known label doors which all of them deemed Camel as used-up and they had nothing to offer anymore. That turned out to be a blessing in disguise since Andy Latimer and Suzan Hoover decided to go DIY, they founded Camel Productions and they did a come-back which I don't know how many fans would have faith in. But it seems having shaken off the shackles of a label (consider a hit- single) was the catalyst for Andy Latimer to follow his heart. The first album that emerged from this setup was Dust and Dreams which was based on the widely known book The Grapes of Wrath. It was in the making since 1985 but it saw the light of day six years later. Musically, there is a return to Camel's core sound, but it isn't a case of reheating old stuff, actually some elements of their 80s body of work are present (Stationary Traveller mostly). The music flows continuously, only between Milk n' Honey and End of the Line there is an actual pause. That was a wise thing to do since there are eight songs that range from 0:35 to 2:34 minutes and it would make no sense at all if they were separated. Most of the shorter tracks are on the ambient side which means they are mostly keyboard-driven, in other words although half the album is entirely instrumental, the guitar of Andy Latimer remains silent quite often. I do love the album, but this the reason why I don't rate it higher since I miss the fully-fledged instrumental songs of Camel (where they are unbeatable) as Hopeless Anger is. Then again, Andy aimed to write music to serve the concept and went for wider instrumentations including the harmonica, oboe, French horns and also Mae McKenna on vocals (who would be recruited once again on the follow-up album) and some melodies on these instruments are meant to conjure up scenes from the book. It is of no use to mention some songs as highlights since the album, in my opinion, should be regarded as one single piece of work. And, personally, every time I hit the play button, it goes by in flash and I feel totally elevated.

Occasionally, I have given it some thought if I should regard it as an excellent addition to any prog music collection or as good but not essential. My mind can't reach any conclusion, so I left this task to my heart.

One of the most impressive Prog concept albums of all times, Camel's 3rd album remains a beacon shading its light up to this very day upon the desolated shores of today's music. Brilliantly composed, orchestrated and performed, this subtle music symbolizes everything that was the great musical eruption, which happened in the early 1970s. Completely disregarding any commercial influences, the band and mainly the two members, who composed this magnificent music, keyboardist Peter Bardens and guitarist Andy Latimer showed that music has no boundaries and ambition and talent are rewarded in the long run. Bassist Doug Ferguson and drummer Andy Ward support the two soloists with taste and passion and the entire piece immediately achieved the status of a timeless classic. As with all works of substance, in retrospect the music still sounds uplifting and inspiring 34 years later with no trace of getting outdated. This new edition adds bonus material and a whole second CD with live recordings done for the BBC, an endless source of historic material. Simply outstanding and an essential piece of music history.5.0

The re-recording absolutely butchered "Rhayader Goes To Town". The highlight of the song, its deeply memorable chorus (about 1 minute 14 seconds in), was completely neutered in this version. It's one thing for a remix to be indistinguishable from or add little to the original, and another for it to actually make it worse. It's just so lifeless by comparison.

That's basically the extent of my review. Of course if the original Snow Goose never existed and this were the original, then it would be a fine album taken as a whole. But I think it's fair game to judge a re-recording in more relative than absolute terms. I'm taking the rating scale very literally here: 2/5, for collectors and fans only. I listened to it once and will never go back.