CAMEL: The Snow Goose (PROGRESSIVE ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Following the success of "Mirage", Camel embarked upon a more ambitious project which will become their greatest album. Andrew Latimer and Peter Bardens, who now fully assume their status as leaders of the band, decide to write an original concept. They choose a children's book by a Scandinavian writer entitled "the Snow Goose". The author refusing to give them the rights, the album, composed entirely by Bardens and Latimer, will be entitled "Music inspired by the Snow Goose".

No need to really tell the story of "the Snow Goose", a story of friendship and love, where the hero Rhayader sympathizes with a wild goose. Useless, because this record is only made of music! No words, no spoken words. Only Latimer's voice can sometimes be heard to perform backing vocals.

The list of tracks on "the Snow Goose" is long, the disc being in fact composed of small musical commas in chains. The only thing that stands out is 'Rhayader Goes to Town' and his brilliant guitar and electric piano solo Fender Rhodes. The genius of this album is precisely its uniqueness. Indivisible, "the Snow Goose" can be listened to like watching a movie. Bewitching, mystical, and very varied, the album's sound is full of little genius solos. All the band's instruments are exploited: Latimer takes the flute, Bardens uses all the keyboard sound, and Ferguson stirs his duffel-coat to imitate the beating of wild goose wings!

"the Snow Goose" is Camel's album to own. It is a work of remarkable originality, both in form and substance. It is also one of the rare records of the time to be of equal quality: there is no passage that deserves to be skipped. It is finally a real breath of fresh air, so much this record leaves the serene impression of a modest and efficient magic. - Official website

CAMEL

THE SNOW GOOSE

DECCA

PROGRESSIVE ROCK