| ALBUM
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| | TRACK
LISTING
CD 2 |
ALLAN's REVIEWS |
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A
LIVE RECORD 1978 |
1. Skylines
2. Song Within a Song
3. Lunar Sea
4. Never Let Go
5. Ligging
at Louis'
6. Lady Fantasy: Encounter/Smiles for You
Re-mastured
Bonus Tracks:
First Light
Metrognome
Unevensong
Raindances
Chord Changes | 1.
Great Marsh
2. Rhayader
3. Rhayader Goes to Town
4. Sanctuary
5. Fritha
6. Snow Goose
7. Friendship
8. Migration
9. Rhayader
Alone
10. Flight of the Snow Goose
11. Preparation
12. Dunkirk
13. Epitaph
14. Fritha Alone
15. Princess Perdue
16. Great Marsh
Re-mastured Bonus Tracks:
Spoken Introduction
- By Petter Bardens
White Rider
Another Night |
This is the definitive Camel live album, it certainly shows
the bands strength on stage during the early years. It is not a recording
of one single concert but a selection from several. It was released shortly after
the launch of Raindances and the record company did not wish it to interfere with
the studio albums sales. They therefore reduced the number of tracks to be included
from the Rain Dances tour. These tracks have now been included in the re-mastered
version, making it an even better album if that was at all possible.
The second CD is The Snow Goose played in its entirety with the backing of the
London Symphony Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall. And what a fabulous rendition
it is too, it just gives the hole piece a new sound dimension. The re-mastered
version is the original mix of The Snow Goose by David Hitchcock and it also includes
an introduction from Peter Bardens and two bonus tracks at the end. If
you want to feel the power and strength of Camel live you must get this album
and I would certainly recommend the re-mastered version with the seven bonus tracks.
I just wish I had been introduced to Camel earlier so that I could have been there.
Favourite
track - Never
Let Go 
Favourite
bonus track - Unevensong
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PRESSURE
POINTS 1984 |
1. Pressure
Points
2. Drafted
3. Captured
4. Lies
5. Sasquatch
6. West Berlin
7. Fingertips
8. Wait
9. Rhayader
10. Rhayader
Goes to Town | |
Unfortunately
I was a little disappointed with this album as I expected it to contain more from
"Stationary Traveler" and if you have read my studio album reviews you
will know that I was never over keen on the "Nude" album from which
we have three tracks here. Also, to make it even worse, the "Stationary Traveler"
title track has not been included which is my favorite from that album. Having
said all that the recording is very good and it still portrays the spirit of the
band playing live. Apart from "Wait", not keen on this live version
of a very good album track it just does not do it justice at all. This
performance is also available on VHS. (If you can find it?)
Favourite
track - Pressure Points
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ON THE ROAD 1972
Released 1992 |
1. Lady Fantasy
2. Six Ate
3.
White Rider
4. God of Light - Revisited by Peter Bardens
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This live tape was recorded in 1972 but was not released
as an album until 1992 by Camel Productions. As quoted by Andrew Latimer from
the album cover, "I chose this tape because it has the feel that inspired
us to work together, despite it being nearly 20 years old and not the best quality.
It's meant to be a bit of fun and an inexpensive souvenir of a few memories, which
is something that will never change". I think that covers everything
about this album although its got a few rough edges and a few wart's its a must
for your collection. The album only has four tacks but a running time of
over 44 minutes, its simply a live jam session. But it has the feeling of a very
tight band with great anticipation of the other band members. White Rider
is an excellent track but Peter Bardens is in another world on his rendition of
God of Light. |
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NEVER
LET GO 1993 |
1. Never
Let Go
2. Earthrise
3. Rhayader
4. Rhayader Goes to Town
5. Spirit of the Water
6. Unevensong
7. Echoes
8. Ice
9. City
Life
10. Drafted |
1. Dust Bowl
2. Go West
3. Dusted Out
4. Mother Road
5. Needles
6. Rose of Sharon
7. Milk and Honey
8. End of the Line
9. Storm Clouds
10. Cotton Camp
11. Broken Banks
12. Sheet Rain
13. Whispers
14.
Little Rivers and Little Rose
15. Hopeless Anger
16. Whispers in the Rain
17. Sasquatch
18. Lady Fantasy: Encounter/Smiles for You/Lady Fantasy |
The best Camel live album since "A Live Record".
Was this Camel unplugged, was my first thoughts as the title track, "Never
Let Go", filled the room with acoustic guitar. Although I was wrong this
set the mood for the rest of the album.Very much a similar format to "A Live
Record", in two live sets, with the first CD giving you a brief but excellent
history of the first 20 years of live Camel. The second CD a complete, and I must
say magnificent, live rendition of "Dust and Dreams". And what a fabulous
performance considering at this point there were only four members in the band.
My room was filled as if a full orchestra was supporting Camel. The only thing
missing was the harmonies of the female voice in "Rose of Sharon" but
there has to be some compromises with a live performance.
I still think "A
Live Record" holds the raw edge but it well deserves a high rating and is
a must for all Camel enthusiasts.
Favourite
track - Never Let Go
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ON
THE ROAD 1982 Released 1994 |
1. Sasquatch
2. Highways of the Sun
3. Hymn to Her
4. Neon Magic
5. You
Are the One
6. Drafted
7. Lies
8. Captured
9. Heart's Desire/End
Peace
10. Heroes
11. Who We Are
12. Manic
13. Wait
14. Never
Let Go |
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Unfortunately
the sound quality on this albums recording is awful, but apparently the original
tapes were lost and they used the sound engineers tapes from the mixing desk.
There are also certain parts of the performance that seem to lack a little professionalism
and some of the vocals on certain tracks, such as Heroes, do leave something
to be desired. This could be of course, partly due to the lack of flexibility
available during the mixing of the album as a result of the source tapes limited
quality. However, the album does Portray a sense of fun during the performance.
I did attend the concert in Birmingham and performance came over far better than
it sounds here. There are still some very good tracks and its well worth
having in your collection, but I am convinced its the poor sound quality that
prevents me playing it more often.
Favourite
track - Hymn to Her
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ON
THE ROAD 1981 Released 1997 |
1. Never Let Go
2.
Song Within a Song
3. Lunar Sea
4. City Life
5. Nude
6. Drafted
7. Docks
8. Beached
9. Landscapes
10. Changing Places
11. Reflections
12. Captured
13. Last Farewell |
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The sound quality here is far superior to On the Road 1982. A good processional
performance but at some points did tend to edge towards being a little clinical.
I did attend this concert and although I am not so keen on the "Nude"
album it was performed very well. Having said that I did much prefer the older
songs. "Luner Sea" is a fabulous production but "Song Within a
Song" remains a favorite track. Colin Bass certainly excelled with his vocals
on this album but where was he on the 1982 tour? Perhaps somebody can answer that
for me. On the whole a very good album and probably deserves more than a
three Camel rating but not quite good enough for four. |
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COMING
OF AGE 1998 |
1. Lunar Sea
2. Hymn to Her
3. Rhayader
4. Rhayader Goes to Town
5. Preparation
6. Dunkirk
7. Drafted
8. Docks
9. Beached
10. Spirit of the Water
11.
Ice
12. Sasquatch
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1. Milk and Honey
2. Mother Road
3. Needles
4. Rose of Sharon
5. Irish Air
6. Irish Air (Reprise)
7. Harbour of
Tears
8. Cóbh
9. Send Home the Slates
10. Under the Moon
11. Watching the Bobbins
12. Eyes of Ireland
13. Running from Paradise
14. End of the Day
15. Coming of Age
16. Hour Candle
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Another very
good live double album. Camel always seem to produce their best live work on longer
recordings. This is now a familiar format recorded in the two sets or CD's.
The first set giving a selection from past albums. This being a good combination
of the old and newer Camel starting with a dramatic opening performance of "Lunar
Sea". Hymn to Her has always been one of my favorite but "Ice"
must still remain my favorite track from the album which is excellently performed
here. The second set, in this case, combining selections from "Dust
and Dreams" and "Harbour of Tears. And this works extremely well as
both albums follow a similar theme. Harbour of Dreams portraying emigration from
Ireland to America and Dust and Dreams the portrayal of moving west during the
American depression. The majority of the second CD is dedicated to Harbour of
Tears, being their new album at the time. And as I pointed out in the studio album
review, the last few tracks are played as one and tend the meander around and
end up nowhere. Having said that it does seem to work much better on this live
version. This excellent performance is also available
on VHS and now DVD with bonus footage. (The DVD is awesome)
Favourite
track - Ice
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GODS
OF LIGHT 2000 |
1. God of light revisited
2. White rider
3. Lady fantasy
4. Arubaluba
5.
Excerpts from the Snow Goose
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Recorded back in 1973-75 originally
an illegal bootleg titled "Famous Rock Dreams". It was produced in Italy
and taken from two vinyl records one of them called "Greasy Truckers, Live
at Dingwall's Dance Hall", the title of the second album remains a mystery.
Released as an official bootleg by Camel Productions in 2000. So now you can buy
this album, not feeling guilty and knowing that any profits are going to the right
place. The album itself, although a little rough around the edges, really
shows the strength of the band in the very early days. Only five tracks, but don't
let that put you off, as the last track alone is in excess of 27 minutes. The
first track, "Gods of Light Revisited", to me is not typical of Camel.
However, it is a very good rock track that does have a "Santana" ring
about it. The remaining tracks are very typical Camel and are defiantly worth
having particularly the final track, "Excerpts from the Snow Goose",
which was taken from a BBC Radio One recording, In Concert 1975. Favourite
track-
Excerpts from the Snow Goose
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THE
PARIS COLLECTION 2001 |
1. Ice
2. Chord Change
3. Fingertips
4. Slow Yourself Down
5. Sahara
6. Mother Road
7. Little Rivers
8. Hopeless Anger
9. Lady Fantasy
10. Slow Yourself
Down (Previously unreleased version - Bonus track) |
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I don't know how but I missed this tour and the one venue was less than five
miles away from me at Dudley in the West Midlands. Sorry Andy I won't let it happen
again. Apparently the tour was plagued with disaster. Amongst other things
Andy had an extremely bad cold which turned to a bronchial infection and if that's
not enough he later chipped a bone in his knee cap and had to perform sitting
down. Due to Andy's infection he was unable to sing and Colin Bass and Guy LeBlanc
take over the vocals. This makes it a slightly deferent sounding album without
the familiar sound of Andy's voice but on the whole they did a credible job. However,
you do get a chance to here his voice in the final, bonus, track. There is defiantly
an air of acoustics about this album but this track is an incredible version of
Slow Yourself Down. And it certainly lives up to its tittle. It must be
a forerunner for the forthcoming acoustic album. Lady Fantasy is very much
a Jam session lasting over 15 minutes it takes you back to the Camel harder rock
performances. Overall a very good mixture of Camel muscle variations here
and with all those problems to overcome the album is still excellent Favourite
track - Slow Yourself Down
(Bonus Track)
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