Customer Reviews

Paths of Victory

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

 

 

"Paths Of Victory", released toward the end of 1964(there is still some debate over it's EXACT release date), remains a stunning work of the folk genre, and a MUST for any serious collector of folk music. Several factors propel it to this loftly position, but three factors in particular come into play.

First:no less than SEVEN of the record's thirteen songs are written by Bob Dylan. Though Dylan was already THE hottest singer-songwriter in folk(generating numerous cover versions of his songs)it was (and STILL remains) a novel idea to stuff MORE than half an album full of Dylan interpretations. Furthermore, six of the seven had yet to be released on Dylan's OWN albums(on Columbia)when they made their appearance HERE(to this day a couple STILL remain unreleased on Dylan's official albums).
Elecktra president Jac Holzman, overseeing this album's production, deserves credit for his fine selection of lesser-known Dylan tunes, and his encouragement of Camp's unique and stirring interpretation thereof.

This leads to the second factor which sets this album apart from much of Camp's contemporaries:Camp's studied AVOIDANCE of the mannered, reverential delivery that dates so many of the '60's folk LP's. Camp's earnest & engaging delivery, punctuated by his SOARING vocals and FORCEFUL playing, puts the material over in a fresh & immediate manner previously unheard of in folk music. The result is an album that CONTINUES to sound vital and contemporary, not dated or jaded. Listen to Camp's simply STUNNING version of the classic song "Get Together"(an early version which PREDATES that of The Youngblood's) and get ready to have your socks blown off! To listen to THIS version is to experience a whole NEW dimension altogether(rumor has it that CAMP'S version was composer Dino Valenti's PERSONAL FAVORITE interpretation). In contrast to The Youngblood's straightforward, rather low-key delivery, THIS version is simply ABLAZE with unfettered, dynamic energy! Camp is at his FINEST here, as his vocals soar to great heights one moment, only to descend to rich, low registers the next(all within the SAME BREATH no less)! His guitar technique here is no less impressive:his touch is deft and delicate yet forceful nonetheless.

The third factor which comes into play is the TIMING of this album's release. Traditional acoustic folk largely gave way to electric folk-rock and singer-songwriters shortly after this album's release. Within the limits of the SOLO guitar and harmonica format, Camp managed to record a record which is quite PROGRESSIVE for its era. Double-tracked vocals were utilized on some cuts(still a relatively NEW technique at that time). The repertoire is largely made up of CONTEMPORARY composers, rather than traditional tunes(again, a novel idea in folk music prior to the advent of folk-rock and modern folk). In addition to the aforementioned Dylan tunes, Camp premiered his OWN classic composition "Pride Of Man" on THIS album(of the MANY subsequent covers to follow, HIS arguably remains THE yardstick by which to measure ALL others). The result was an album which was a unique HIGHLIGHT of the era of "Classic" folk music. That it came toward the END of this genre only MAGNIFIED it's position as such.

Sadly, Camp never recorded another album for Electra in the '60's, instead focusing on ACTING(primarily with theatrical groups)and making subsequent recordings with full POP-ROCK arrangements later for Warner Brothers("Here's To You").

In this writer's opinion, "Paths Of Victory" remains Camp's most accomplished & satisfying work as a RECORDING artist.

This album captures Hamilton Camp's passionate, but earthy folk presence perfectly. If you loved Bob Dylan's acoustic songs back in the 60's, this music is for you. Camp will blow you away with his rough hewn, haunting folk music as Greenwich Village meets the Midwest rambler.

This album has long been a favorite of mine. Hamilton (Bob) Camp's skill as an actor is reflected in his ability to commit to a variety of materiel, from the many Dylan songs to his great interpretation of Dino Valenti's "Get Together to his own "Pride of Man" and the more classic "Irish Poems" He is backed here by the great jazz bass player Keith (Red) Mitchell. There is a remarkable Camp track of Dylan's "The Times They Are a Changin" " just released on Sierra Records (sierrarecords.net) that was recorded in 1965 and never released before . On this track Camp is backed by Byrds McGuinn, Hillman, and M. Clarke it is on a new CD "Sixties Transition" that should be available on Amazon soon.

Following the success of Gibson and Camp's "Gate of Horn," this album features Hamilton Camp passing through his brief, Dylan-esque troubadour phase. Camp spins together seven (mostly) lesser-known Dylan songs, three quirky arrangements of classic poems, one folk scene staple ("Satisfied Mind"), perhaps the earliest recorded version of Dino Valenti's "Get Together," and his all-time best known original ("Pride of Man"). The tone is a bit earnest -- there is no evidence of the comic rave-ups and wild harmonies of "Gate of Horn" -- and Camp's finger-picking and harmonica skills are competent but unspectacular. Nevertheless, Camp's creative voice is authentic, sincere, and passionate, and "Paths of Victory" offers one window into the soul of this much under-appreciated artist and captures an interesting glimpse of the fading folk revival.

This was a tough item back in the mid-60s to come by! Wore my vinyl copy out. Really one of the best representatives of the folk era. A wonderful mix of originals, poems to music, and unreleased Dylan Whitmark demo material. Ranks up there with what Ochs and Dylan were doing back in those Bleeker Street days.

Issued a few years ago on cd by CCM and now might be making it's last run around the track! Get it while you can. If you don't have this in your collection of 1960s folk, both you and your collection are incomplete.