Customer Reviews

Miraculous Hump Returns From the Moon

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album is a perfect and magical blend of rock, jazz, pop, folk, Eastern music and even sci-fi elements. Anyone who likes the music of Steely Dan or Traffic would take to this masterful
work by a little-known, but obviously talented and very smart band.
The melodies are superb, the arrangements exquisite, the lyrics devilishly clever and wide-angle view imaginative. The sound fidelity is also quite good (especially for the early 70s). Why this album didn't sell at least several million copies will always remain a mystery to me (must have been due to a lack of promotion?). I find this music timeless, absolutely ageless. As fresh today as it was 30 years ago. The folks who DO know about this album tend to be downright ferocious in both their love of it, and their support for it. Find out why. Check it out.

Sopwith Camel's "The Miraculous Hump Returns From The Moon" sounds as futuristic today as it did 30 years ago. Good music only gets better with time. I can not add anything else that the other reviewers have not already said, except, "BUY IT!

With even the most obsure titles avaliable on cd format, I was always perplexed that this "UNDERGROUND CLASSIC LP" did not exist on cd. As of this date, it is still only accessable special order. Well, Peppi "orders" you,please - get this cd sent to you ASAP. Sopwith Camel's unfortunate legacy (as most people who have even heard of this group usually equate), is with the silly novelty "hit" "HELLO HELLO"- a song that gives absolutely NO indication as to the contents of this recording. Sopwith Camel were not a guitar driven group, but rather emphasis was on jazzy and (way ahead of the current craze) "world" and quasi-Latin grooves,with sax/ keyboards sound predominant. The basslines are subtlely funky, the vocals understated in an almost "bossa nova" fashion ( as in whisper/spoken sung).The compositions are dreamy, floating sound poems, no instrumental "stretching out", but appropriate & tasteful soloing- emphasis is on the songs . What maks the musics all the more enjoyable are the scathing lyrics, in the fashion of ZAPPA & STEELY DAN in their sardonic outlook or in direct criticism of the "hippy movement" and other of life's absurdities.Quite a dadaist approach, at times.As for the musics.............. "Fazon" is the centerpiece, with its hip groove & trancelike arrangement. It was a minor "hit" on FM underground radio, and owes a little in comparison to Jimi Hendrix's suite "1983, a merman I should turn...."in lyrical content, and it's etherial sound. "Coke, Suede, & Waterbeds simply skewers the hippies, and is not only "right on" lyrically, but is a hip melody to boot! "Orange Peel" takes you closer to the Indo/Asian continent than any western rock group ever could! A great lost treasure of the early 70s is "found " again! A galaxy of stars for this release! Sopwith Camel do indeed "return from the moon", a most "miraculous HUMP"!

Truly surprized I was to see the ol' Sopwith available on Cd. I had put them into the category of "where are they now". This is a great album, jazz-influenced in a melodic, tasty manner. The band swings to a groove from the moon. Things move along a little bit different from what you are commonly used to, but that is the nature of the beast. These guys were there at the original summer of love in San Francisco, their musical contemporaries being the likes of the Airplane and the Dead. Originally more of a novelty act, I was happy to hear them mature into the music heard on this album. Fazon opens the album with a nice floating beat. Dancin' Wizard is a slow, simple tune with great melody and lyrics and lots of soul. Any song that includes lines like "City lights hit me like a blizzard/I ought to go back as far as I can stagger/And dance on the rocks like a wise old lizard." is a-okay in my book. Mellow, with a little touch of sass. Yeah.

I have been collecting LPs, CDs, cassettes, SACDs, reel-to-reels, etc of psychedelic music, British folk-rock, other types of music for 30 years. This Sopwith Camel album (Miraculous Hump) is truly one of maybe 50 or 100 that have really stood the test of time and still entertain, relax, interest the listener even through that whole period. Fantastic! I have the original LP and both CD reissues (2001 and 2006). The CD's sound really great, better even than the LP, which already sounds good. The 2001 issue is from a reel that was one generation down from the master, while the 2006 is from the master reel; both sound excellent, although the 2006 one is slightly clearer. "Fazon" on the 2006 one sounds maybe a little different to me than on the 2001 issue - maybe a narrower stereo? Or even mono? Other songs sound similar between the two to me. Under any circumstances, both are beautifully mastered, and the music is great. Everyone I've ever given a copy of this album to has grown to love it. Out of all the dreck you could get through Amazon, treat yourself to one of the real classics.

Count me as another listener who stumbled on this album played in its entirety on FM radio in the middle of the night. After I heard it I took a long walk out through the desert, lived in the rocks like a blue-bellied lizard, then came back as a dancing wizard.

Maybe the best lyrics of any rock album released in the 70s, maybe best ever.

Back in the late sixties Sopwith Camel scored a minor hit with "Hello, hello" and then disappeared. Imagine my surprise when this little gem showed up in 1974. Sounding like a SanFran version of Steely Dan, they dropped this record, then promptly disappeared again. Every song was a winner, and whenever we played it in the store, we sold a copy or two. I only compare them to Steely Dan because no other comparison seems appropriate. Like a lot of the SF bands of the era (Sons of Champlin, Flamin' Groovies, Moby Grape etc.) they bring an eclectic, yet vaguely familiar vibe to their music. It has a smooth and relaxing sound, but the lyrics are quirky and unusual, and the arrangements are unique and surprising. If that brings to mind Steely Dan, so be it. Especially good songs include Fazon; Coke, Suede and Waterbeds; Sleazy Street and Sneaky Smith. Actually, everything on this sadly forgotten diamond is worthy of your time. It is not easy to come by, but at least it isn't as expensive as it used to be (I paid $40). Plus, you can download it at Amazon. Worth your time, definitely.

What was so fun about the 60's was how many different bands excelled and created so many things that were interesting, and in my opinion, the "San Francisco Sound" clearly represented some of the best bands.

I was skeptical when I read some of the reviews, but I was curious, because I remember how enthusiastic some fans were about this band. The CD clearly has become one of my favorites.

My only regret is that they did not record more material. It is a fine example of psychedelic rock, and most importantly, the band was clearly ahead of its time, which explains why the music holds up so well today. It does not sound "dated" in any way. And if you like bands like Jefferson Airplane, It's A Beautiful Day and The Grateful Dead, you will love this music.

The lyrics are thought-provoking, and the music is both well-done and extremely peaceful.

The last word is the key for me. In the violent and hectic world we live in, it is nice to have something like this to appreciate.

I have an original copy of this album on vinyl. It's one of my favorite all-time albums. Like another reviewer said, "It's like a musical back-rub." My 22-year-old daughter said, "It makes me feel all loosey-goosey." It is so different than most of the music from the '70's...very original, and very relaxing, jazz-fusion oriented. There are a couple of silly, fun tunes (Astronaut Food and Monkeys on the Moon)and a song called Dancing Wizard that is more folky, and is a lovely, sad tune. I LOVE IT ALL!

Like a lot of college students in the 1970's, your favorite FM station was an oasis of calm, especially while studying for finals. During the fall of 1973, while cramming for exams. I was shaken by this eerie but jazzy sound coming from my radio. So awestruck was I, I had to put my books down and listen to this strange groove. It was Sopwith Camel's "Fazon" from the Miraculous Hump LP. After listening to the song in entirety, I had to buy the album. It was well worth it. Sopwith Camel's blend of jazz, laid back latin and asian influenced rhythms and sardonic lyrics were a pleasant change of pace. It's been one of my favorite albums. I am so glad that it's on CD (way overdue!). For a college kid looking for some "laid back cool", The Miraculous Hump LP hit the target....bullseye!!!!! Thanks for the "cool"