Camel - A Live Record

Camel - A Live Record
Authored By Dawn Rossiter
If you knew me aged 16- 18 I will have almost certainly played you this album, as I was obsessed with it at the time. It is Camel's 'A Live Record', and that is indeed what it is. A double album, the first 2 sides are recorded in 1974 and 1977 on the Mirage and Rain Dances tours. The second album is a complete performance of The Snow Goose with the London Symphony Orchestra at the Albert Hall from 1975

I suppose it was just such a thing which people began to hate about prog rock, feeling it was overblown and pretentious, but I loved it. Maybe because I am overblown and pretentious. I felt Snowgoose was just such a melodic and powerful piece of music. 

Camel were always a band who rather divided people. They never made it big like Yes or Genesis but always had a devoted following and it wasn't unusual to see grown men cry as Andy Latimer wrenched a heartfelt melody out of his guitar. I certainly always found it very affecting, but then again I was a rather soft boy, prone to bouts of romantic introspection.

All of their 1970s albums are worth exploring, as is their 19-minute version of God Of Light Revisited on the second Greasy Truckers album.

They had 8 charting albums in UK but this one didn't trouble the statisticians. However, it is well worth digging out, putting it on headphones and going away to a better place.


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