A Live Record  (76:05)
	01	First Light						05:27
	02	Metrognome						04:59
	03	Unevensong						05:37
	04	Skylines						05:45
	05	A Song Within A Song						07:10
	06	Lunar Sea						08:59
	07	Raindances						02:44
	08	Never Let Go						07:29
	09	Chord Change						06:54
	10	Ligging At Louis'						06:36
	11	Lady Fantasy						14:25
A Live Record  (62:57)
	01	Spoken Introduction By Peter Bardens						01:10
	02	The Great Marsh						01:44
	03	Rhayader						03:07
	04	Rhayader Goes To Town						05:11
	05	Sanctuary						01:10
	06	Fritha						01:22
	07	The Snow Goose						03:02
	08	Friendship						01:39
	09	Migration						03:51
	10	Rhayader Alone						01:47
	11	Flight Of The Snow Goose						03:03
	12	Preparation						04:10
	13	Dunkirk						05:28
	14	Epitaph						02:33
	15	Fritha Alone						01:22
	16	La Princesse Perdue						04:45
	17	The Great Marsh						02:05
	18	The White Rider						08:52
	19	Another Night						06:36

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.




Camel - A Live Record

Decca Records (UICY-9206/7)
UK 1978

Andy Latimer, guitar, vocal;
Pete Bardens, keyboards, vocal;
Richard Sinclair, vocal, bass;
Andy Ward, drums, percussion;
Mel Collins, sax, flute;
Doug Ferguson, bass

Tracklist:
1. First Light — 5:27
2. Metrognome — 4:23
3. Unevensong — 5:36
4. Skylines — 5:44
5. A Song within a Song — 7:10
6. Lunar Sea — 8:59
7. Raindances — 2:33
8. Never Let Go — 7:28
9. Chord Change — 6:52
10. Ligging at Louis' — 6:36
11. Lady Fantasy — 14:25
disc 1 time: 76:11

1. Spoken Introduction by Pete Bardens — 1:10
2. The Great Marsh — 1:44
3. Rhayader — 3:07
4. Rhayader Goes to Town — 5:11
5. Sanctuary — 1:10
6. Fritha — 1:22
7. The Snow Goose — 3:02
8. Friendship — 1:39
9. Migration — 3:51
10. Rhayader Alone — 1:47
11. Flight of the Snow Goose — 3:03
12. Preparation — 4:10
13. Dunkirk — 5:28
14. Epitaph — 2:33
15. Fritha Alone — 1:22
16. La Princesse Perdue — 4:45
17. The Great Marsh — 1:57
disc 2 time: 63:05

total time 139:16


joe

Camel's first live album was a double-LP, as was common for the time period. It was intended to provide a history of the band up until the point of its release. The recordings drew largely from concerts the band recorded in Britain on three Octobers: 1977 (comprising a majority of disc one), 1974 (the remainder), and 1975 (disc two; a full recording of their piece The Snow Goose bolstered by the London Symphony Orchestra). The remastered CD edition of this album boasts considerable augmentation and excellent sound quality. A majority of the expansion comprises extra tracks taken from a show at Colston Hall in Bristol from October 2, 1977. Given the confines of the LP format, these were left off the original album because they lent too much weight to the current material, rather than the balanced history the album was intended to provide.

The year 1977 was a turbulent time for Camel, with their first turn of the revolving door of personnel. Founding bassist Doug Ferguson was replaced by Richard Sinclair (Caravan, Hatfield and the North). In later years, when asked about Ferguson's departure, drummer Ward confessed that he and Latimer felt that Ferguson just wasn't up to the same level of technical ability as the rest of the band. I view the swap of Ferguson for Sinclair as actually a change for the better. Sinclair brought with him his distinctive vocals (compare his version of "A Song within a Song" here with Ferguson's vocal on Moonmadness) and the musical chops that were needed, though sadly he would prove to play only a transitional role in the band. Also on board for these live performances was ubiquitous British rock saxophonist Mel Collins, who ironically had been suggested to the band first by Ferguson. Collins would go on to close out the decade performing with the band.

With robust performances, the additional Raindances material now reinstated on the CD really sparkles, particularly the first two opening tracks. "First Light" opens with Latimer's lustrous, sitar-like guitar and proceeds with Bardens' characteristic fanfare lines on Moog. On "Metrognome," the band polishes the Canterbury chrome with the jaunty 6/8 shuffles typical of that style. The version of "Lunar Sea" takes on a significantly funkier flavor here, with Sinclair's bass and clavinet-like backing from Bardens. The main melody line is doubled by Latimer and Collins, who also trade off fiery solos following Barden's moog. Disc one finishes up with fine versions of "Chord Change," a solo Bardens piece "Ligging at Louis'," and "Lady Fantasy."

The orchestral "Snow Goose," performed in its entirety, is nice to hear for history's sake though there's not much more to say. It is pretty conservative, adhering strictly to reproducing the studio version. The LSO basically adds some window dressing and a sense of classical music legitimacy to the piece's arrangement. Really needed? I dunno, but I'm inclined to say no. Still, I have to admit the recapitulation of the snow goose theme ("La Princesse Perdue") played at high volumes with the brass section kicking in, is pretty exhilarating to hear. In the end, though, the main reason to get this live album resides in the material documenting the Sinclair line-up.

review by Joe McGlinchey — 12-22-05