Camel

Posted by: naim_nymph on 21 December 2007

I want to purchase a Camel Album (or 3) very soon and i'm not at all familier with this band so which album/s on cd should i buy for starters?

Many Camel albums are available digitally remastered for a few bucks more, are these worth buying instead of the original cd albums?

For those of you who like or love this music, why do you find it so?

For those of you who don't like it, why not?

Thanks in advance for any advice! : )

nymph
Posted on: 22 December 2007 by hungryhalibut
I last had Camel records about 25 years ago - those I had were Moonmadness and the Snow Goose. I recall liking them very much.

Nigel
Posted on: 22 December 2007 by Nick Lees
Moonmadness and Snow Goose are very good and probably the best of the first version of the group. At the time they seemed to be a bit on the weedy side to be classed as first rank, but I think time has been kinder to them than many.

They then imported Caravan's bass guitarist and singer Richard Sinclair and with his input their next two albums Breathless and Rain Dances were, in my opinion, their best with some great playing, singing and not to mention songs.

There's a very good live double that spans both of these periods - A Live Record.

After that they went a bit for the worse.
Posted on: 22 December 2007 by BobG
I have remastered Snow Goose and Moonmadness cds (both with bonus tracks which are good though mainly live or alternative versions of the album track listing) and they sound excellent. Agree with Gary's assessment of them. Also have remastered Mirage which is good but I think Snow Goose and Moonmadness are better.

Bob
Posted on: 22 December 2007 by BobG
Oh and as to why I like the music. Well there are several tracks that are just (to me) beautiful, if simple, music. At the time they were originally released I recall not wanting to own up to liking it - street cred thing. Don't have to worry about that now.

Bob
Posted on: 22 December 2007 by gone
Both Moonmadness and Snow Goose are worth getting, as they represent what Camel were about in the time of the late Pete Bardens.
But some of their more recent offerings are nothing short of spectacular - Harbour of Tears is one of my test CDs, and brings Susan Hoover's lyrics to the fore. Andy Latimer is nothing less than a perfectionist when it comes to production, and it's also worth searching out Rajaz, which is HDCD encoded and sounds incredible.
Latimer is one of the best prog-rock guitarists out there, and connects to a Fender Strat like no-one else (even Knopfler pales) but a singer he ain't.
If you want a snapshot of their discography, start with either Coming of Age (with a peerless version of 'Ice') or Paris Collection, both immaculately recorded live CDs.
Unfortunately, Camel are unlikely to tour again, but I'm still holding out for the promised acoustic studio disk.
It's also worth looking out the spin-offs, such as the eponymous Colin Bass, whose Outcast of the Islands is a real hidden treasure
Enjoy
John
Posted on: 22 December 2007 by Harry
I also have the remaster of Moon Madness and can vouch for it. I think their output was rather patchy but when good it was very good - and timeless.

Cheers
Posted on: 22 December 2007 by hungryhalibut
I gave up on Camel and all that 70s prog stuff in 76/77 when punk appeared. I even used to like Uriah Heep!! But I do recall Camel very fondly. I think I'll leave them as a memory though. One other band I left behid a the same time was ELP, and I had the misfortune to be reminded of them by the esteemed JonR last year. What complete and utter crap it was. 'Welcome back my friends...' - I think not. I'd hate that to happen to Camel. I recall that Moonmadness had a very nice sleeve - by Roger Dean maybe. Blimey, I'm talking myself into getting a copy. Eek.

Nigel
Posted on: 22 December 2007 by Guido Fawkes
Relax Nigel and put another Roger Dean poster on the wall. There were some good punk bands coming out of 76/77 but most of them were rather bland and as the great late Kevin Coyne sung of punk: Seen It All Seen It All Before (Dynamite Daze). It still amazes that people actual bought New Order records, but they did.

Anyways, merry Christmas and to cheer you and us all up please click here for one of the great Christmas records.

BTW Mirage and Snow Goose are both excellent records even if they can't quite match Welcome Back My Friends.

ATB Rotf
Posted on: 22 December 2007 by BigH47
Nice one ROTF one of the best Christmas songs I reckon. Loved the comment "that guy has one hell of a round face". rotflmao
Posted on: 24 December 2007 by naim_nymph
quote:
Originally posted by hungryhalibut:
I recall that Moonmadness had a very nice sleeve - by Roger Dean maybe. Blimey, I'm talking myself into getting a copy. Eek.
Nigel

Go on, Nigel. You know you want to! : )

Many thanks to everyone for their thoughts on Camel...
Will be ordering Moonmadness and Snow Goose v soon : >

Kind Regards ~
nymph
Posted on: 24 December 2007 by Derek Wright
JonR mentioning ELP etc to Nigel was a memorable event. <g>
Posted on: 24 December 2007 by jim learoyd
Naim_Nymph

I have "Stationery Traveller" on vinyl and very fine it is too.


jim...........
Posted on: 29 December 2007 by naim_nymph
Three Camel ablums arrived from amazon this morning... Moodmadness, Snowgoose and Mirage.

So far i've listerned to Moonmadness and Snowgoose, both of which i find superb musically, makes me wonder why i've only recently heard about them!
They seem (imho) to have influences of so many other bands such as Wishbone ash, Pink Floyd, Yes, Jethro Tull, Santana, Rick Wakeman... all just a bit before my time but heck - this is good music. Snowgoose is strangely and nicely instrumental and very, very enjoyable.
However, my first listen to Moodmadness was the belief my cd was not digitally remastered and amazon may have made a mistake in sending the original cd version... however, it does contain 'bonus tracks'. There is nothing on the album cover to suggest it's remastered but on closer inspection (with a magnifier) it says inside the sleeve notes:
Remastered by Paschal Byne at The Audio Archiving Company, London.
So i suppose it must be... but i can imagine the drums to be cleaner and crisper and closer than what i hear. Don't get me wrong here because the drumming is excellent, and he's using a real drum kit too (Oh bloody Yes!!)... But the drumming is a tad distant and veiled... if you know what i mean.

Anyway, i'm still thrilled all the same and will probably 'follow the CAMEL train' and buy a couple more ablums of this super band in the next few weeks or so : )

Kind Regards
nymph.

P.S. sorry for any typo's but i've drank far too much Vin de Plonk tonight ; )
(Practise for Monday night)!
Posted on: 30 December 2007 by Harry
There’s only so much you can do with the somewhat muddy quality of the original material. I think the remaster has more space, scale and dynamics. At least it hasn’t been maxed into distortion like some other supposedly “superior” remasters.

Cheers
Posted on: 30 December 2007 by Nick Lees
Paschal Byrne's an excellent re-mastering engineer - he's been behind a number of the better Universal re-masters as well as Mark Powell's Eclectic and Esoteric re-issue labels. Powell's the detective of the pair, and is very good at ferreting out the best masters available.

Inevitably though sometimes the originals may be lost. For example, the original master for In The Court Of The Crimson King only turned up relatively recently (the DGM 2004 CD version is the only one since the original LP to use them).
Posted on: 14 January 2008 by antony d
quote:
Originally posted by naim_nymph:
Three Camel ablums arrived from amazon this morning... Moodmadness, Snowgoose and Mirage.

So far i've listerned to Moonmadness and Snowgoose, both of which i find superb musically, makes me wonder why i've only recently heard about them!
They seem (imho) to have influences of so many other bands such as Wishbone ash, Pink Floyd, Yes, Jethro Tull, Santana, Rick Wakeman... all just a bit before my time but heck - this is good music. Snowgoose is strangely and nicely instrumental and very, very enjoyable.
However, my first listen to Moodmadness was the belief my cd was not digitally remastered and amazon may have made a mistake in sending the original cd version... however, it does contain 'bonus tracks'. There is nothing on the album cover to suggest it's remastered but on closer inspection (with a magnifier) it says inside the sleeve notes:
Remastered by Paschal Byne at The Audio Archiving Company, London.
So i suppose it must be... but i can imagine the drums to be cleaner and crisper and closer than what i hear. Don't get me wrong here because the drumming is excellent, and he's using a real drum kit too (Oh bloody Yes!!)... But the drumming is a tad distant and veiled... if you know what i mean.

Anyway, i'm still thrilled all the same and will probably 'follow the CAMEL train' and buy a couple more ablums of this super band in the next few weeks or so : )

Kind Regards
nymph.

P.S. sorry for any typo's but i've drank far too much Vin de Plonk tonight ; )
(Practise for Monday night)!


My first Camel Album was the snow goose - went onto collect most of thier other issues until "stationary traveller" IMO the two best are the Snow Goose and Nude - with Moon Madness very close 3rd

Quite a tight group with Andrew Latimar leading the way great guitar player (flute also on Snow Goose)

Have most of them on vinyl another excuse to dust them off
Posted on: 14 January 2008 by naim_nymph

Thank you antony, i've just ordered 'Nude' from playdotcom... £3.99
Can't really go wrong at that price : )

Kind Regards
nymph
Posted on: 16 January 2008 by antony d
Nymph

Let me know your thoughts - it's about a second world war Japenese solider who does not realise the war has finished - then he is found a few years later - IMO the best album from there latter years Andrew Latimer working his magic and Herbie Flowers on Tuba it's the last real line up for them - still someway off the Snow Goose though

"has anybody seen my Camel"

enjoy

Antony
Posted on: 16 January 2008 by naim_nymph
quote:
Originally posted by antony d:
"has anybody seen my Camel"




"Antony, is this your Camel"?

I've played Mirage a few times over the past few days and it just sounds better every time! : )

kind regards ~
nymph
Posted on: 17 January 2008 by seagull
Ms Nymph,

Now you have dipped your toe in the water and have enjoyed the experience may I do an Amazon type link...

People who like Camel also like Caravan.

Gary Shaw mentioned them in passing on page 1. The re-mastered CDs sound superb and have some excellent songs and playing...

My personal recommendations are

  • In the Land of Grey and Pink
  • If I could do it all over again, I'd do it all over you
  • For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night


They also go in for long songs as well as long titles.
Posted on: 17 January 2008 by Harry
I bought Girls remastered a while back and didn't think it was an advance. There's something about the HF that doesn't work. Have they by any chance been remastered again more recently, say in the last two years?

Cheers
Posted on: 17 January 2008 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
In the Land of Grey and Pink


A superb album by Caravan - though most of their stuff is very very good.

People who like Caravan also like Hatfield and the North (try Rotters Club)

People who like Hatfield and the North also like Kevin Ayers (try Joy of a Toy)

ATB Rotf
Posted on: 17 January 2008 by naim_nymph
quote:
Originally posted by antony d:
Nymph
Let me know your thoughts - it's about a second world war Japenese solider who does not realise the war has finished - then he is found a few years later - IMO the best album from there latter years Andrew Latimer working his magic and Herbie Flowers on Tuba it's the last real line up for them - still someway off the Snow Goose though
Antony


Nude arrived this morning (from playdot) along with...
a Cavavan album 'In the Land of Grey and Pink' which is actually getting a playing as i write this... lovely flute play here and there, i need more time to get used to this album... i need to be in the right mood for it too, altough fortuantly it's a mood i'm often in (or want to be in) so i'll keep it near the cdp for now : )

Played Nude earlier ( the album i mean - not me naked ; ) this afternoon, it's excellent and at this first play i feel a lot of respect for this album, fine musicianship, it reminds me so much of David Gilmours 'On an Island', on many songs the vocals are so very similar... although, Larry Carlton comes to mind too... but noting wrong with that!

kind regards
nymph
Posted on: 17 January 2008 by naim_nymph
quote:
Originally posted by seagull:
Ms Nymph,
People who like Camel also like Caravan.
  • In the Land of Grey and Pink


    • Seagull, funny you have suggested this album when i'd already ordered it with the Nude album. You must have read my mind! : )
    Which Cavavan album is you favourite?

    nymph
    Posted on: 17 January 2008 by seagull
    Nymph,

    You have just bought my favourite one.

    The other two are very good too though and come highly recommended