Stegzy's Music Project

A commentary on Stegzy's album collection

Feb 16

I Can See Your House From Here – Camel #601

by stegzy

I Can See Your House From Here – Camel

Obviously influenced by the successes of Supertramp, in this album prog-meisters Camel make a departure from their sound of Mirage and Snow Goose and head down a more poppy Collins era Genesis path effectively becoming a sound akin to some sort of Rush-Supertramp-Toto hybrid.

This is Camel’s seventh studio album following Breathless and, in typical prog fashion, features a lineup change with original keyboardist Pete Bardens and bassist Richard Sinclair both having left the band. Moreover, Genesis’ Phil Collins guest performs on the album as a percussionist, which is probably why it sounds a little Genesissy than previous releases.  Indeed, the keen ear can certainly pick out the foundations of Stationary Traveller era Camel when the band went full on pop.

Not a big listener to this album to be fair but even during the listen for writing this entry I’m sofa dancing like a fan.

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1979 Camel Progressive Rock

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May 25

Harbour of Tears – Camel [#568]

by stegzy

Andy Latimer and Pete Bardens conceptualise the departure of generations from Ireland to seek prosterity in the New World.

If you can imagine Justin Hayward had joined Clannad. Yeah? Well that’s the sound you get.

Harbour of Tears is an interesting album from Camel’s catalogue. You can hear the aural fetuses of themes developed further in later albums such as Stationary Traveller and Rajaz. Also, unlike with earlier Camel albums, gone are the Tolkienesque overtones and there is actually some really good guitar work from Latimer.

It’s a real shame about Camel. They could have been much bigger than they were but with the looming brooding shadow of punk and new romance and their bastard child corporate saccharine pop, progressive rock bands like Camel were never going to break out of daddies record collection before the core band members died off. A condition made worse by the record company’s DMCA writs fired out at fans trying to entice newer uninitiated fans into the temple of prog on social media platforms.

It’s almost as if they don’t want any publicity…

So no fan video for you, freeloaders. Instead have a cover version…..

 

1996 Camel

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Sep 30

Echoes – Camel [#412]

by stegzy

Camel_EchoesShowcasing popular tracks from all their albums up to Stationary Traveller, Echoes is Camel’s “best of” compilation. If you’re curious about the band at all but too scared to sit through the complexities of Moon Madness or  maybe you’re intimidated by the cover art on Mirage, then grab a copy of Echoes and you’ll be alright.

1993 Camel

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Sep 16

Dust and Dreams – Camel [#402]

by stegzy

Camel_Dust_And_DreamsAndy Latimer and Pete Bardens with their band again, this time with their 11th studio album.

Camel are a mixed bag progressively speaking in that their stuff either works or it doesn’t. I love their earlier albums such as Mirage and of course Snow Goose, then my next favourite Camel album is  their tenth, Stationary Traveller along with their penultimate, Rajaz. But there is a lot of Camel that’s a bit…bobbins – Dust and Dreams being an example of bobbins.

Latimer and Bardens churn out another concept album, this time based on Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath. Having never (shock horror) read the book, I guess I just don’t get the same enjoyment out of it as I would War of the Worlds, 1984 or Journey to the Centre of the Earth but saying that I’ve never read Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda but I really like Yes‘ Tales from Topographic Oceans. 

I found Dust and Dreams dry, stodgy and forced. I got the impression that Latimer and Bardens went to their bookcase, pulled out a book and went “Let’s write a concept album based on that”. It’s as though Camel were trying their best to bring Progressive Rock out of it’s coma by beating it across the head with a heavy book.

I don’t get it.However, it is an interesting album because the sharp eared listener can hear early development of themes used later in Rajaz and further development of themes used in Stationary Traveller. 

 

1991 Camel Progressive Rock

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Apr 14

Coming of Age – Camel [#292]

by stegzy

Screen Shot 2015-04-11 at 14.20.52 A live compilation of songs by prog maestros Camel showcasing work from Snowgoose, Moonmadness and later albums.

Sadly, during transfer from computer to computer over the years, my only copy of this album has now become corrupted; the majority of the songs now shortened by up to half of their original length.

Of course I’m too tight to buy it.

The tantalising audible glimpses of Camel’s genius make this album an excellent introduction to the band for those unfamiliar with their work but the lack of production, with it being a live album, doesn’t show the band in its best light.

1998 best of Camel compilations Live

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Mar 18

Classic Rock: Symphonic Rock – Various Artists [#276]

by stegzy

Classic Rock: Symphonic RockClassic Rock: Symphonic Rock – Various Artists

This is another compilation where the core idea works but the choices of tracks don’t.

Curiously, it appears that 70% of the artists featured on the album have previously featured on this project, so if you’ve missed those entries you’ll find that the links take you to those articles.

Anyway, Classic Rock: Symphonic Rock has a relatively good mix of tunes really but not ones I’d have chosen to highlight how rock can be symphonic. It’s a little too…. “twee”…for my liking. There are far better bands that could have featured on this compilation. There’s no Queensryche. No Meatloaf. The Yes option is pretty much mundane and the inclusion of Clannad, of all bands, confuses me no end. Clannad are not what I’d call rock for a start.

Tracklist

1-01 –Vangelis Pulsar
1-02 –Sky Toccata
1-03 –Hawkwind Urban Guerilla
1-04 –Focus P’s March
1-05 –Electra Scheidungstag
1-06 –Gentle Giant The Advent Of Panurge
1-07 –Triumvirat A Day In The Life
1-08 –Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe Brother Of Mine
1-09 –Roger Waters The Bravery Of Being Out Of Range
1-10 –Procol Harum A Salty Dog
1-11 –Mike Batt Losing Your Way In The Rain
1-12 –Clannad Sirius
1-13 –Jon Lord Aria
1-14 –Barclay James Harvest Child Of The Universe
1-15 –Jon & Vangelis So Long Ago, So Clear
2-01 –Mike Oldfield Sentinel
2-02 –Moody Blues* The Story In Your Eyes
2-03 –Rick Wakeman Catherine Howard
2-04 –Electric Light Orchestra Standin’ In The Rain
2-05 –Alan Parsons Project, The Damned If I Do
2-06 –Herd From The Underworld
2-07 –Jethro Tull Aqualung
2-08 –Gong Ard Na Greine
2-09 –Vanilla Fudge You Keep Me Hanging On
2-10 –Ekseption 5th Of Beethoven
2-11 –Aphrodite’s Child It’s Five O’Clock
2-12 –Strawbs Autumn
2-13 –Camel Tell Me
2-14 –Genesis The Silent Sun
2-15 –Yes Heart Of The Sunrise

2001 Aphrodite's Child Barclay James Harvest Camel compilations ELO Focus Gong Hawkwind Jethro Tull Mike Oldfield Moody Blues Progressive Rock Rick Wakeman Roger Waters Triumvirat Vangelis Vanilla Fudge Various Artists Yes

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Jan 30

Camel – Camel (#239)

by stegzy

Camel - Camel

Camel – Camel

In the 1970s, Andy Latimer and Pete Bardens got together in a studio and started releasing music under the name Camel, this is Camel’s first studio release.

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1973 Camel

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Nov 8

The Best Prog Rock Album in the World…Ever – Various Artists (#176)

by stegzy

The Best Prog Rock Album in the World...Ever - Various Artists (#176)The Best Prog Rock Album in the World…Ever – Various Artists 

This is one of the last CDs I bought. A wicked compilation showcasing a massive range of prog bands covering Canterbury scene, Zappa and even the first sprouts of New Romanticism.

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2003 Barclay James Harvest best of Camel canterbury Caravan ELO Emerson Lake Palmer Focus Greenslade Hawkwind Jethro Tull Mike Oldfield Moody Blues Roxy Music Various Artists Yes

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