One of the most remarkable things about Camel, is their evolution over time. In the early 70s the name Camel was chosen by the four members of the band, Peter Bardens (keyboard), Doug Ferguson (bass), Andy Ward (drums) and Andrew Latimer (guitar).

In that setting they made four albums, the first one called Camel, a good debute album, but not yet a coherent whole. The second, Mirage was already more structured and had just a few, but rather long tracks. The next album was their first concept album which was based on a book by Paul Gallico. The Snow Goose is their most famous album which they performed live with the London Symphony Orchestra in 1975.

The next and at the same time last album in this setting was Moonmadness. Moonmadness was released in 1976 and the tour they did was recorded and, just recently, released on the dvd Moondances. That dvd featured their strength in that setting, where they played truly amazing, confident, strong and breathtaking some of their best work at that time. They were very good together as they each had their role. The sound was very coherent and all seemed to work just perfectly together. One song transforms into another as if it was one ongoing movement, even if they were from separate albums (Mirage, The Snow Goose and Moonmadness). A true highlight and amazing to watch, with the stunning camerawork (especially the beginning of Lunar Sea and the end of Lady Fantasy) and fantastic bright colours in a dark background.

But at the same time it was the end of that setting. After that tour, the bassist Doug Ferguson would leave the band. And they would start a new road as a band. On the next five albums (Raindances, Breathless, I can see your house from here, Nude, The Single Factor) appeared many musicians. Some of them just played on the albums, while others also went on tour. And the sound was very different at times, one album better than the other, but all of them had some very good tracks which contained the characteristic emotions, expressions, structure and tight playing of the band. And while they were touring, which they did a lot, they also played their older songs which evolved as they changed settings.

The next coherent setting was at the same time their last for a long time. It was the Pressure Points tour with the promotion of the album Stationary Traveller in 1984. Which was very much in line with the phase of the band. After that tour it all would more or less fall apart and not until the early 90s before it would rise again in a new and independent form.

But Pressure Points itself was a very strong and fascinating concert. The members at that time were Ton Scherpenzeel (keyboard), Colin Bass (bass), Andrew Latimer (guitar, flute, vocals), Chris Rainbow (vocals) and Paul Burgess (drums).

If the timeline of the band would be compared with a symphony, this concert could be called the adagio. And the track Stationary Traveller the centre of that adagio. It gives the feeling of a journey that is forced to contemplate and reflect to come to the conclusion that independence is needed, but at the same time the realisation of the responsibility that comes with that. In there I hear the inescapable struggle and darkness but at the same time amazing beauty and strength, which is reflected in the whole concert.

So the next phase is that of a band independent of the pressure of record companies. The first album in that phase is Dust and Dreams which perfectly reflects their development. The central theme of the album appears to be the energy that is needed to start this whole new phase, together with the overwhelming struggle of life. The band at that point had some remaining members along with new ones but the feeling of the sound, although new in a way, still had the same power and melancholic beauty.

But the band did not stop evolving as is clearly shown in the Coming of Age concert in 1997. During that concert, in the second half, they played the whole of their album Harbour of Tears. That album was another concept album and there the strength of the tracks being more a part of the whole. All emotions seem to pass in less than an hour, follow each other in such a natural way. Latimers guitar sounds so very powerful but he just perfectly knows how to handle it and places every use at just the right place.

But before that, in the first half of the concert, they played ‘some old favourites’ of which some where just unbelievably fantastic. Some where better (in my opinion of course) in their other concerts (like Lunar Sea), but some where just so very good here. Drafted, Docks and Beached from the album Nude (also a great concept album), and Hymn to Her from the album ‘I can see your house from here’ (which has some of the best, but also some of the worst tracks).

And best of all, also from that album, was Ice. That is performed here in a way that is beyond words, so really very good. I was trying to get a blog post done about that video, but I just could not get into words what happens here. I will keep trying, but am not sure it will be possible to find the right words for that.

I am also trying to get a blogpost done about the album Dust and Dreams because I was so very moved by the book and the movie where the album is based on, The Grapes of Wrath. Reading a character analysis of Tom, the main character of the novel, I was really fascinated by his development during the story and found some interesting similarities with Rhayader, the main character of The Snow Goose.

The first video is the White Rider, which is originally on the album Mirage. Mirage is the album of 1974 and it was the second album of Camel as a group. I like it a lot as a whole, but it was not my favourite at the time I was listening to their music the most.

And as I am finding out now, it especially had to do with the White Rider (officially Nimrodel, the Procession, the White Rider). Not that I did not like that one, I always liked it a lot. The beginning, very spacy and atmospheric, great, I like that. Then the more determined marching feeling it gives, which I also very much enjoy listening to. Increasing and increasing and than wow, the guitar, just amazing. I just like it so very much. And then a sort of melancholic continuing.

Next is the start of the lyrics. While reading a lot of reviews of that album these last few day, it became clear that most consider those not the best part of Camel. So I tried to figure out what I thought of them. Some called them boring, while others called them effective but not to exciting. I kind of agree with that. Somehow Latimers voice gives me the feeling of  ‘okay someone has to sing here’, but it is not the way he expresses himself, not the way as he does that with his guitar.

Moving sound
There were a lot of reviewers who liked the way he played the flute, who were very charmed by the second song on the album, Supertwister. Well, I must say I personally like the way he plays the pan flute in Stationary Traveller. It is a very sensitive, but at the same time strong and genuine sound, it moves me a lot.

But even there the feeling of movement is largely increasing if he starts with the guitar again. Just breathtaking, every time I hear that.

When the lyrics start in The White Rider, that is certainly not the part I like the least. Especially here I find it most effective and grounding the spacey feeling. And right after that of course the guitar again.

Then everything almost comes to a stop, with a very subtle but at the same time effective drums. The next few minutes are not especially my favourite, but I do like them. The speed and energetic going on is exciting anyway.

Coming from another world
Then the lyrics start again and were never very special to me before, but got that when I looked at the video. He sings ‘He has a certain air, as if he’s never there, but somehow far away’. He is singing of Gandalf here, but to me it is the feeling he gives himself.

On the dvd Moondances The White Rider is the first song and until this moment it all gives the impression of beautiful music, coming from another world. And so far I like the song, it would have always been one of my favourites I think.

But then, about the last minutes it starts. It is the part I am very fascinated about now, but that was not always like that. And I noticed I am not alone in that. Although there are many who find the last part exciting, there are also a lot who find it very annoying. When I was playing the dvd at home, most reactions on the whole of this concert where very positive as everyone likes it a lot. But with the last few minutes of The White Rider everyone gets irritated. But for me the more I heard it, the more interesting it got. You see Latimer start doing all kinds of things with his guitar and you get curious what is going on. And than he starts and it really is fascinating.

Individual expression
It is as if indeed before that ‘he was not really there, but somehow far away’ but with this part he very much gives the impression of having found a way of expressing himself with the guitar. Still searching for different ways to do that and at a point of  ‘the more extensions the better’ but very much finding an individual way of expressing himself.

And after a search through classical music for several years, that, I know now, was what I missed there. No matter how much I like a lot of classical music, it always stays within a certain frame. And there is little room for self expression. Which can be a good thing. Most of the time I am more than happy if the performer keeps himself out of the way and tries to express the music how it was meant to be. But for me, there was a certain point where I started to miss the self expression of the performer.

But here it gets dangerous. Here the interpretation of the performer comes in and may be totally different from how the music was intended. Which might be fine in itself, but as a listener you often get the feeling it is not what it was meant to be, it feels overacted. As if you are not hearing the real thing.

Hearing the real thing
It is like some children are freaked out by clowns. They somehow feel the real person behind the mask and get confused. That is what I often felt with classical music. But that does not take away the immense pleasure, if it did sound as I felt was genuine. And if it did, I just had to listen to that over and over again.

But the beauty of modern music is, that it is sometimes performed by those who composed it. So that very much gives the freedom to experiment with your own compositions. And they might only get better. Which I think is the case with the music of Camel, the progression of each song through time. Although this concert on the dvd Moondances already is a highlight as a whole.

And beyond that, there always is the feeling of cooperation within the band, very stressful at times, but somehow always the coming together of very authentic individuals.

VIDEO: WHITE RIDER

(The video starts a little further in with the marching)