Camel is a
progressive rock band that hardly broke into the
mainstream but has had a dedicated
cult following for the last 30 years. It has a two distinctive phases: an
early prog act with strong
psychedelic roots from their
debut album to "Moonmadness" and a
jazz-fusion outfit after keyboardist
Peter Bardens left the band, from "Rain Dances" till the mid-80's.
If you must get just one album, get The Snow Goose, a concept album based on a story by Paul Gallico. Your next choice should be "Pressure Points Live".
Discography
(I have purposefully left out a number of
live albums and compilations that don't add much to understanding the band. In fact, the only two live albums mentioned are "A Live Record" and "Pressure Points", since these offer radical reconstructions of the studio material)
- Camel(1973)
- Slow yourself down
- Mystic queen
- Six ate
- Separation
- Never let go
- Curiosity
- Arubaluba
Line-up
Andy Ward: Drums and percussion
Doug Ferguson: Bass and vocals
Peter Bardens: Organ, mellotron, piano, VCS3 synthesizernd vocals
Andy Latimer: Guitar and vocals
Camel's debut album is probably one of their best. Very similar in sound and
production to their second release, Mirage. Never got the success it should
have had.
The cover has a picture of a camel mixed with a train (?), with tears coming
from the camel's eyes and turning to stars. Back cover has a black & yellow
picture of the band.
It was available on LP by MCA records, now available by Camel Production on
CD. The CD has a lyrics sheet.
- Mirage(1974)
- Freefall
- Supertwister
- Nimrodel / The Procession / The white rider
- Earthrise
- Lady Fantasy
Line-up
Doug Ferguson: Bass
Andy Ward: Drums, cans, bottles & body mist
Peter Bardens: Organ, piano, celeste, mini Moog, mellotron & vocals
Andy Latimer: Guitar, flute & vocals
A superb album, featuring lots of rythm changes and organ/guitar solos.
Third track is based on Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings". Mirage reached number
149 on the US Billboard charts, and was followed with a massive tour over the
US.
The cover features a distorted version of the CAMEL cigarettes pack, with
the same CAMEL logo. The US version has the picture of the camel from the
first album only now it has a dragon's body, and it's eating strange crystal
pieces on a desert surface on some distant planet.
Available on CD and LP. CD version has inner notes by John Tracy.
- The Snow Goose(1975)
- The great marsh
- Rhayader
- Rhayader goes to town
- Sanctuary
- Fritha
- The snow goose
- Friendship
- Migration
- Rhayader alone
- Flight of the snow goose
- Preparation
- Dunkirk
- Epitaph
- Fritha alone
- La princesse Perdue
- The great marsh
Line-up
Andy Ward: Drums, vibes, varispeed percussion
Doug Ferguson: Bass and duffle coat
Peter Bardens: Organ, mini Moog, electric piano, pipe organ, acoustic piano, ARP Odyssey
Andy Latimer: Electric, acoustic and slide guitars, flute, vocals
Camel's most accessive album. Recommended for starters, and for everybody...
Based on the novella "The Snow Goose" by Paul Gallico. It took Latimer and
Bardens two weeks of intense work in a solitude cottage away from the world,
in order to write this masterpiece. The Snow Goose reached 22 in the UK charts
following a major success worldwide. The Snow Goose features an orchestra on
some parts. There are Two vocal parts, but without any lyrics - This album is
completely instrumental.
Cover has the CAMEL cigarette logo with picture of a snow goose in white,
blue and gold. Few versions has a short description of the story on the back
cover, in reference to each song. It is said there is a double-fold version
of the LP but I've never seen one.
Available on LP, Cassette and CD. The CD release has some more inner notes by
John Tracy.
- Moonmadness(1976)
- Aristillus
- Song within a song
- Chord change
- Spirit of the water
- Another night
- Air born
- Lunar sea
Line-up
Doug Ferguson: Bass, lead vocal Song Within A Song
Andy Ward: Drums, Percussion, voice on Aristillus
Peter Bardens: Keyboards, vocal on Spirit of the Water
Andy Latimer: Guitars, flute, vocal on Song Within A Song, Another Night,
Air Born
This album is very bombastic, most of it has a "Spacy" kind of music. Very
strong rythem parts, Spacy guitars and lots of synthesisers. The sound of this
one is completely different than the first two, a classic progressive album.
It even tends, somewhat, to fusion.
Cover has a bright picture of a woman (man?) sitting by a rock looking at the
moon above. No more cigarette logos. It is said there's another double-fold
version of the cover where the picture is in the inside while there's
something else (what?) on the outside.
Available on both CD and LP.
- Rain Dances(1977)
- First Light
- Metrognome
- Highways of the sun
- Unevensong
- One these days I'll get an early night
- Elke
- Skylines
- Rain dances
Line-up
Andrew Latimer: 6/12 string guitars, pan pipes, fretless bass, flute,
acoustic guitar, electric & acoustic pianos, mini moog,
"string synthesiser", glockenspiel, treated guitars
Peter Bardens: Mini moog, string synth, electric piano, organ, acoustic
piano, car horns
Andy Ward: Drums, Nocarina, Teeth, Cheek, Turkish Ring, Money,
Percussion, Finger cymbals, glockenspiel, liquid boo bams,
rototoms, talking drum, smurd, swanee whistle, tunisian
clay drums
Richard Sinclair: Bass, vocals
Mel Collins: Saxophones, bass & concert flutes, clarinet, bass clarinet
Brian Eno: Mini moog, electric & acoustic pianos, bells, random notes
Fiona Hibbert: Harp
Martin Drover: Flugel horn
Malcolm Griffiths: Trombone
Ferguson left, Sinclair joined, bringing a much Jazzy attitude to the music
of Camel. Still very progressive. A good album for those who tend toward fusion / jazz rock.
Cover features a boy standing behind a window with rain dropping and two
women jumping to the sides. Back cover has a picture of the band. Available on CD and LP.
- A live record(1978)
-
Never let go
- Song within a song
- Lunar sea
- Skylines
- Ligging at louis'
- Lady fantasy
- The Snow Goose
Line-up:
Peter Bardens: Keyboards
Andrew Latimer: Guitars, flutes, vocal
Andy Ward: Drums and Percussion
Mel Collins: Saxophones and flute
Richard Sinclair: Bass on first 4 track, vocals on 2 first tracks
Doug Ferguson: Bass on the rest of the tracks.
A double live album, with very good sound and playing, although one may
prefer the studio version of "The Snow Goose" which has a nice live
performance (with an orchestra!) but not as accurate and impressive as the
original album. Camel usualy play good live shows and this album is very
recommended for all those who liked their first albums. "Never let go" is a radical jazz reconstruction of the track from the first album. "Liggin at Louis'" is a jazzy
track from 1974.
Cover is black with a robot's finger shooting a lightning into a red record
floating in the air. Available on LP and CD.
- Breathless(1978)
- Breathless
-
Echoes
-
Wing and a prayer
-
Down on the farm
-
Starlight ride
-
Summer Lightning
-
You make me smile
-
The sleeper
-
Rainbow's endLine-up
Andrew Latimer: Guitar, CS80/50, Vocals
Peter Bardens: Keyboards
Andy Ward: Drums, Percussion
Richard Sinclair: Bass, Vocals
Mel Collins: Flute, Saxes
Camel becoming poppier - this tendency will become stronger with the years.
Sinclair wrote Down on the farm, featuring blechs and other stupid voices.
During the sessions it was clear that Bardens was leaving the band when the
recording was done.
Cover has picture of a camel, on a mountain skyline background. There's also
an inner sleve with pictures of the members. Available on LP.
- I Can See Your House From Here(1979)
-
Wait
-
Your love is stranger than mine
-
Eye of the storm
-
Who we are
-
Survival
-
Hymn to her
-
Neon magic
-
Remote romance
-
Ice
Line-up:
Andy Latimer: Guitar, Vocals, Backing Vocals
Andy Ward: Drums, Percussion
Colin Bass: Bass, Vocals
Kit Watkins: Keyboards, Flute, Clavinet
Jan Schelhaas: Keyboards
J McBurnie: Lyrics
Viv McAuliffe: Lyrics
Mel Collins: Alto sax on "Your Love is Stranger than Mine"
Peter Bardens left the band. Some songs are good, and Ice is a very strong
guitar/piano classical piece.
Cover has a picture of the earth viewed from space, with a floating
astronout nailed to a cross. Available on CD and LP.
- The single factor(1982)
-
No easy answer
-
You are the one
-
Heroes
-
Selva
-
Lullabye
-
Sasquatch
-
Manic
-
Camelogue
-
Today's goodbye
-
A heart's desire
-
End peace
Line-up
Andy Latimer: Guitars, piano, vocals, keyboards, organ, mellotron, bass
David Paton: Bass, fretless bass, vocals
Graham Jarvis: Drums
Duncan Mackay: Prophet synth
Chris Rainbow: Backing vocals, lead on "A heart's desire" and "End piece"
Francis Monkman: Harpsichord-synclavier
Anthony Phillips: Grand Piano, organ, classical and 12 strings guitar, poly
moog, ARP 2600, Marimba
Pete Bardens: Organ, mini moog on Sasquatch
Hydne Bendall: Yamaha CS-80
Tristian Fry: Glockenspiel
Jack Emblow: Accordion
A popish record with much resemblence to Alan Parsons Project. (No wonder:
same people on both groups: Chris Rainbow, David Paton). Lots of guest
appearances: Peter Bardens on one track, Fry and Monkman were members of Sky
at that time and both bands shared the same producer and engineer (Tony Clark
and Haydn Bendall). "Camelogue" is undoubtedly the best song in this album.
Cover is grey/blue "computerized" picture of a face (andy?). The back cover is
slightly different, but same idea. Available on LP and CD. Some LP pressing
are not fold out and have no inner notes/lyrics.
- Stationary Traveller(1985)
-
Pressure points
-
Refugee
-
Vopos
-
Cloak and dagger man
-
Stationary traveller
-
West Berlin
-
Fingertips
-
Missing
-
After words
-
Long goodbyes
Line-up
Andy Latimer: 12 strings, acoustic, classic and electric Guitars, flute,
bass, piano, PPG, Juno 60, Yamaha CS-60, Drumulator,
pan pipes, vocals
Paul Burgess: Drums
Ton Scherpenzeel: Yamaha CS-80, Grand piano, PPG, prophet, accordion, Juno 60
Hyden Bendall: PPG voices, Fairlight
David Paton: Bass, fretless bass
Chris Rainbow: vocals
Mel Collins: Saxophone
This one is even more Alan Parsons than Alan Parsons... Obscure concept by
Susan Hoover about both sides of the Berlin Wall (now X - Wall).
The cover has a b/w picture of woman standing on a street (in Berlin?...
there are signs in German). The back cover is the same only the woman now
stand backwards. same idea in the inner sleve where a woman stands on a road
with buildings in the background. Inner sleve has lyrics and information.
Available on CD and LP, maybe on cassette.
- Pressure Points: Live in Concert(1985)
-
Pressure points
-
Drafted
-
Captured
-
Lies
-
Sasquatch
-
West Berlin
-
Fingertips
-
Wait
-
Rhayader
-
Rhayader goes to town
Line-up
Andy Latimer: Lead guitar and vocals
Colin Bass: Bass guitar and vocals
Ton Scherpenzeel: Lead keyboards
Chris Rainbow: Vocals and keyboards
Richie Close: Keyboards
Paul Burgess: Drums and percussion
Mel Collins: Sax on Fingertips
Peter Bardens: Organ
Camel's second live record is a very good performance of their (even weaker)
songs on stage. Note Bardens playing with them the two songs from "The Snow
Goose".
The cover is dark, strange face flooded with light with marks all over it
(ie pressure points). All this is in a box on a skyline background. Back
cover has pictures from the show. Available on CD and LP.
- Dust and Dreams(1992)
-
Dust bowl
-
Go west
-
Dusted out
-
Mother road
-
Needles
-
Rose of Sharon
-
Milk n' honey
-
End of the line
-
Storm clouds
-
Cotton camp
-
Broken banks
-
Sheet rain
-
Whispers
-
Little rivers and little rose
-
Hopeless anger
-
Whispers in the rain
Line-up
Andrew Latimer: Guitars, flute, keyboards, vocals
Colin Bass: Bass
Ton Scherpenzeel: Keyboards
Paul Burgess: Drums
David Paton: Vocals
Mae McKenna: Vocals
Christopher Bock: Drums
Don Harriss: Keyboards
Neil Panton: Oboe
Kim Venaas: Timps, harmonica
John Burton: French horn
Camel's comeback is an intense and moving concept album, very close to Nude
in the global sound but much more touching. Highly recommended for those of
you who got used to the 80s Camel, but it is very different from the first
five Progressive albums. Concept by Hoover about moving further along the
road, based on a story. The last 8 songs are instumental, standing together
as one piece (a la Nude and The Snow Goose). The record was inspired by John
Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath"
Cover has a b/w photo of a boy standing on a road. CD and Cassette available
from Camel Production and some specialized prog outlets only.
Apparently, there was another album in the mid-90's on which I can't find any information
- Rajaz(2000)
Three Wishes -
Lost and Found
-
The Final Encore
-
Rajaz
-
Shout
-
Straight to My Heart
-
Sahara
-
Lawrence
I have only heard a few songs from this album in Camel's recent tour by South America. "Three Wishes" has some sensible flamenco influences, "Lost and Found" is a come-back to the early albums classic progressive style, and "Rajaz" is a very touching psychedelic rock song.