There are 5 tracks on Mirage, 2 over nine minutes. Those 2 are multi-part songs: "Lady Fantasy" together with "Nimrodel/The Procession/The White Rider", the latter beingness well-nigh The Lord of the Rings. The album was released on Gama Records/Deram Records.
The album was voted no. 51 inward the Top 100 Prog albums of All Time past times readers of 'Prog' magazine inward 2014.
With their 2nd album, Mirage, Camel get down to educate their ain distinctive sound, highlighted past times the group's liquid, intricate rhythms together with the wonderful, unpredictable instrumental exchanges past times keyboardist Pete Bardens together with guitarist Andy Latimer. Camel also distinguish themselves from their prog stone peers alongside the multi-part suite "Lady Fantasy," which suggests the to a greater extent than complex directions they would receive got a few albums downward the line. Also, Latimer's graceful flute playing distinguishes several songs on the record, including "Supertwister," together with it's clear that he has a to a greater extent than supple technique than such contemporaries equally Ian Anderson. Camel are even together with then ironing out some quirks inward their audio on Mirage, but it's evident that they are coming into their own.
The classic Camel lineup occupied a unique niche inward progressive rock, specializing inward fluid, spacey ensemble workouts – rarely equally flashy equally Genesis, never equally bombastic equally Emerson Lake together with Palmer. "We're considered a progressive band, past times default, really," guitarist-flautist Andy Latimer told Will Romano for his 2010 mass Mountains Come Out of the Sky: The Illustrated History of Prog Rock. "I e'er idea that people similar Yes together with King Crimson together with ELP were much to a greater extent than obscure than Camel. They were likely meliorate players together with consequently got into much to a greater extent than complicated material, which made it even. . . less accessible." The quartet's 2nd album, Mirage, fulfills their debut’s scattered promise, alongside Latimer together with keyboardist Pete Bardens leading the beat department through breezy instrumentals (the contemplative "Supertwister") together with expansive multi-part suites (the Lord of the Rings–themed "Nimrodel/The Procession/The White Rider").
Mirage is such a wonderful album from Camel, a band who was coming of historic menses equally a to a greater extent than "undergound" progressive stone band (not that prog was radio-ready) on their 2nd release. Camel excels hither alongside a tight multifariousness of compositions, together with y'all tin sack run into together with then much potential coming off this album that their debut exclusively showed together with then much of. Even the vocals, though never the highlight of the band, are to a greater extent than accentuated together with non equally weak this fourth dimension around. From the beginning, "Freefall" displays a to a greater extent than challenging direction, particularly inward the middle break. Again, Peter Bardens' keyboards together with Andrew Latimer's guitars play off ane some other together with then well, together with I advert Bardens' atomic number 82 vocal equally the foremost prove of my illustration to a higher house well-nigh stronger singing, fifty-fifty if neither he nor Latimer are powerful singers. "Supertwister" introduces us to Latimer's flute playing, together with Doug Ferguson has a prissy thick bass business office to locomote along alongside this beautiful interlude-style number. I particularly similar "Nimrodel," Camel's foremost attempt at truthful extended storytelling, alongside frequent fourth dimension changes together with musical soundscapes, ending alongside a guitar solo which sounds similar Latimer played this from a mount top. The foremost ever Latimer/Bardens collaboration (which would locomote the cornerstone of the band) is "Earthrise," some other instrumental featuring Andy Ward doing some fantabulous speed drumming portions, but the keyboard/guitar telephone commutation continues to highlight. However, the major slice is the 13-minute "Lady Fantasy" suite, but dissimilar Music Inspired By The Snow Goose, in that place were 2 lyrical sections, but the music provides that atmosphere, together with Latimer has some fantabulous guitar that people tin sack air out to, particularly well-nigh ix minutes in. If y'all receive got the remastered edition, the original mix of "Lady Fantasy" is fifty-fifty meliorate than the studio one, consummate alongside effects on the terminal guitar together with keyboard solos, together with Ward's drums audio slightly to a greater extent than live. Even if they weren't quite equally regarded or famous equally Yes, Genesis, or ELP, Camel preserves the progressive roots on this album, together with it's even together with then my favorite inward their catalog. Remember that if y'all ain this album, it's essential to attempt out Music Inspired By The Snow Goose together with Moonmadness to consummate Camel's prime number trilogy.
Funny matter well-nigh Camel. I started looking into them at a friend's proffer at the destination of lastly summer. Then ane solar daytime I was listening to a medley from THE SNOW GOOSE on YouTube together with my mum walks upward behind me together with says, "Who is that?" I tell her it's Camel. "Oh my God, I haven't heard them inward ages!" Turns out Camel were ane of her favourite bands dorsum inward the 70s. She had iv of their LPs on vinyl: MIRAGE, THE SNOW GOOSE, BREATHLESS, together with RAIN DANCES - the real iv I had decided I needed to instruct myself, coincidentally enough. Since she had never gotten approximately to upgrading her Camel albums to CD, I had never heard whatever of it before, but I ended upward discovering it on my ain anyway.
And I'm glad I did too. MIRAGE was the foremost disc I sought out, together with I know of real few albums that conjure a to a greater extent than distinct, cohesive atmosphere than the dream-like mist that pervades this one. H5N1 bracing "Freefall" opens the set, a vocal whose multiple fourth dimension together with dynamic changes house the album squarely inward the prog army camp correct from the get-go. Next comes the soporific instrumental "Supertwister", a showcase for Andy Latimer's flute playing, which acts equally a fragile counterpart to the "dirtier" stylings of, say, Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson. Most of MIRAGE is instrumental actually - the lyrics are few together with far between, together with delivered inward a sleepy croon that exclusively contributes to the hazy soundscape suggested past times the comprehend artwork.
Side I of the original vinyl concludes alongside what may live my favourite unmarried entry (not counting THE SNOW GOOSE) inward the Camel canon, the Tolkien-inspired "White Rider" suite. H5N1 musical impression of Gandalf the Grey's triumphant rebirth equally Gandalf the White, the melody incorporates ambient keyboard passages, martial rhythms, galloping instrumentals, together with ethereal woodwinds to evoke a truthful vision of Middle-earth. Seldom receive got I heard a meliorate slice of progressive rock.
Side II features some other instrumental, "Earthrise", that continues inward the mold established past times Side I together with gives the musicians a run a peril to strut their stuff - Andy Latimer's forthwith recognizable guitar licks (shades of Dave Gilmour) together with Pete Bardens' elegant keyboards particularly stand upward out. And lastly but non to the lowest degree comes the other candidate for my unmarried favourite Camel song, the twelve-minute "Lady Fantasy" suite. Opening alongside a suitably bombastic nail of keyboards together with drum fills, "Lady Fantasy" calls to hear the Doors inward its organ-tinged verses together with progresses through iii movements together with a expert half-dozen major themes, alternating some of the softest, dreamiest moments on the album alongside some of the loudest together with most intense. Another masterpiece.
Camel were never real popular, which is a damn shame, because they deserve a much wider audience than but progheads. If you'd similar to delve into their uniquely dreamy construct of musical magic, MIRAGE would live a groovy house to start.
Tracks Listing
1. Freefall (5:47)
2. Supertwister (3:20)
3. Nimrodel / The Procession / The White Rider (9:12)
4. Earthrise (6:42)
5. Lady Fantasy (12:46)
- a. Encounter
- b. Smiles For You
- c. Lady Fantasy
Total Time: 37:47
Line-up / Musicians
- Peter Bardens / organ, piano, celesta, Minimoog, Mellotron, vocals
- Andrew Latimer / vocals, guitars, flute
- Doug Ferguson / bass, vocals
- Andy Ward / drums
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