Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
long lost masterpiece has finally been done some justice, July 22, 2002
In the dark ages of vinyl, after much hunting, I had found a copy of the first Camel album. Although the quality of sound was woeful, I still dug the tight rhythms. My favorite pieces were, of course "Slow Youself Down" and "Never Let Go". Now I have finally found this rarely released album on compact disc and must say that I'm pretty gratified. The quality of remastering is nothing short of revelatory; Camel had much more substance to them then their brilliant follow up album Mirage had let on.
This is of course a progressive rock album, and it's progressive in every way. Both rhythm and melody circle each other like duelling snakes. Within these circles you can hear snatches of jazz and the occasional snippet of a blues riff. The best examples are the instrumental, "Six Ate" as well as "Curiousity". The album closes with the fine heavy meltdown of "Arubaluba".
Of the bonus tracks, my CD didn't include the single edit of Curiosity. Never Let Go, strangely enough, sounds somewhat murkier that the album version. All will be forgiven, however, when you listen to Homage To The God of Light, which has captured Camel in heavy jam mode. In all, the debut album by Camel is one of the great overlooked gems of progressive rock, that has been overshadowed by the more commercially successful albums of Mirage and Snowgoose that came after. This was a band that hit the ground running and kept going for 30 more years.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great debut, May 29, 2006
This 1973 album was the first by English prog band Camel and features their distinctive brand of progressive rock with subtle jazz-rock textures. Although this debut (like so many others) has a sound that was not yet fully developed and is harder rocking than their other albums, enough of the Camel sound is in place that it makes for great listening.
The musicians on this debut comprise the classic Camel lineup including great guitarist Andy Latimer (vocals on Slow Yourself Down and Separation); keyboardist Peter Bardens (Hammond organ, mellotron, VCS3, acoustic piano, and vocals on Never Let Go), great drummer Andy Ward; and bassist Doug Ferguson (vocals on Mystic Queen and Curiousity. All of the guys are fantastic musicians and the vocals are not bad at all, although they do not seem very confident about their vocal abilities. Andy Latimer is a great guitarist and easily quotes from range of styles. I also like Pete's use of the synthesizers and the mellotron - he was a very tasteful player and knew exactly where certain sounds worked best on this album. I guess it is worth noting that synthesizer use is pretty scarce on this album, although synthesizers would be used a lot on subsequent albums. Sadly Pete Bardens passed away in 2002, and this reissued album was dedicated to him.
The seven tracks on the album are all in the 4-7 minute range and are great examples of Camels jazzy, yet very English, brand of progressive rock. In fact, the instrumental track Six Ate is probably the best illustration on the album of Camel's ability to seamlessly mix jazzy and prog styles together. For those of that are wondering, there is a rock side to Camel on this debut, which really comes through with Andy's guitar work - especially on the thunderous and riff-heavy Separation and instrumental track Arubaluba. Other tracks that are great include the spacey Mystic Queen, and my personal favorite Never Let Go, which features haunting parts played on the acoustic guitar and a ton of glorious mellotron with string setting, before breaking into a vigorous rock workout. Believe it or not, Never Let Go features a sprightly mellotron solo. In that this instrument was notoriously difficult to play, it was never used as a solo instrument but more as a sustained backdrop. I guess it shows you just how good Pete was. The remaining tracks are also excellent and feature tight musicianship.
This remastered album features excellent sound quality, along with the restored cover art, a few band photos, and loads of liner notes. There are two bonus tracks including a single version of Never Let Go and a 19'01" live track entitled Homage to the God of Light. Homage to the God of Light was recorded on October 29, 1974 at the Marquee Club. The live track is pretty well recorded and is a great jam.
All in all, this is a great Camel album and is very highly recommended along with Mirage (1974); my personal favorite, The Snow Goose (1975); Moonmadness (1976); and Rain Dances (1977), which features Richard Sinclair on bass/lead vocals.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A classic debut, August 4, 2004
It'a amazing. Hardly no one knows about this wonderful rock album! It's a darn shame. This is beautiful and complex progressive rock dominated with jazzy, electric guitar. The early 70's had a ton of great music: not just prog-rock but it seemed like ALL the music back then was really good. I think Camel's first album stands up with all that excellent 70's music.
I don't know what it is about Camel's debut that makes it so great. I can tell you one thing, it took a few serious listens to get into this album. The instrumental parts (which is a HUGE portion of the album) REALLY jump all over the place, going from one beautiful guitar melody straight into another, without letting up. We're talking some *serious* jumping!
Because the instrumental parts are all over the place, it takes time to remember the music but I guarantee if you're a big prog-rock fan eventually the instrumental shifts will click and become exciting for you.
It's funny though, because as complex and melodic as the many guitar parts on this album are, the singer gives the listener very simple melodies that should take NO time at all getting into.
Let me mention a few of the songs. "Mystic Queen" and "Never Let Go" give me the strangest pictures. I don't know what it is about these two songs, but unusual feelings enter the dreamy part of my head every time I listen to them. It's weird because both of these songs are beautiful and soothing, and yet so DARK and haunting at the same time! Nothing should be giving off such strong, creepy feelings. Right now I can't think of another album that gives me the creeps more than this album. And I can't understand why! Something in the music scares the crap out of me and I'll probably never figure out what it is. That's the fun thing about Camel's debut.
I just have to say it- Camel has a PERFECT guitar sound. It's impossible to hate it. Pink Floyd's guitar sound is a favorite to many people, but there's something about Camel's soothing and brilliant guitar sound that really keeps your attention (once you get into the complex guitar melodies, that is).
If you like the instrumental parts of Genesis or King Crimson's music, PLEASE give this album a try. Camel may not be as diverse as Genesis or King Crimson, and certainly not as influential, but that's okay because Camel can be known for having the perfect guitar sound. If someone told me that they hate the sound of the guitar on this album, I wouldn't believe them!
Camel never had another album quite like this one. The electric guitar is really noticeable throughout the album, along with the keyboard and the heavy, constant drumming (which sound REALLY cool if you have a good stereo set-up). I think "Slow Yourself Down" could pass for a Santana song. "Arubaluba" is a strange standout because it's almost like surf-rock.
Look at me, I need to stop writing this review because I've said quite a lot already, and you're probably tired of reading my review! Just remember this-
Camel's debut- The electric guitar is relaxing, exciting and melodic all at the same time, the keyboards are haunting, the male singer has a soothing voice and he sings nice, peaceful and simple vocal melodies. If this sounds good to you then pick it up and enjoy!
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