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Rating:
THE REVIEW
Pana, what are your favorite Camel albums?
Snow Goose. Then Mirage, followed by Breathless.
Why the first two positions?
Snow Goose is their perfect album. Beautiful music, evocative atmospheres. Never a dull moment. In Mirage, I already find some fillers (the shorter tracks) but oh well, Lady Fantasy and especially Nimrodel make it an absolute masterpiece.
But above all, why Breathless?
Yes, Moonmadness and Rain Dances are considered better, I know. And they are two beautiful albums. But there's a but: I find many empty minutes in them. They boast beautiful tracks (Song Within a Song, Chord Change, Lunar Sea in one, First Light and One Of These Days in the other) but then? Let's face it, the various singles are half nonsense.
But Breathless?
Breathless gives more to pop than Moonmadness gives to prog. There are excellent melodies, phenomenal guitar parts, unforgettable tracks (Echoes above all, then the guitar in Summer Lightning, the lively The Sleeper) but every track has something to say. I also find that the shorter and more commercial tracks surpass the attempts of the two previous albums. I don’t find any fillers here. Rainbow's End closes the album excellently, as a brief tearjerker. The title track is enviable, and Wing And Prayer is very Caravan-esque.
So is Breathless a pop album?
Yes, and it should be taken as such. As one of the most beautiful and refined pop-rock albums ever listened to.
Would you add anything else?
That it is the third time they put a camel on the cover, and it’s starting to get a bit annoying. But it doesn't affect the album's worth (as SydBarrett96 would say).
Who is SydBarrett96?
We're going a bit off-topic, don't you think?
I think so. To sum up?
In summary, I consider Breathless a great album. For the living room and the bus. The dreamy atmospheres of the old classics join with a more concise song form suitable for everyone and everything.
Now tell me...
Oh no! It's Saturday and they’re waiting for me in the square. Bye!
Bye to my mom, who isn’t celebrating her birthday today. Uncongratulations.
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Summary by Bot
The review praises Camel's album Breathless as a standout work blending dreamy prog atmospheres with refined pop-rock elements. It highlights strong melodies and excellent guitar work without filler tracks. While favoring earlier albums Snow Goose and Mirage, the reviewer regards Breathless as a concise and accessible masterpiece. The album is appreciated for its balanced song structures and memorable tracks like Echoes and Rainbow’s End.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Camel
English progressive rock band formed in 1971, led by guitarist Andrew Latimer. Associated with the Canterbury scene and known for melodic, guitar-forward instrumental work and concept albums.30 Reviews
Other reviews
By Hetzer
"Echoes... is a magnificent piece, I believe among Camel’s best, which will rightly always find a place in their live sets from now on."
“Breathless did not disappoint me at all. It is a courageous and quite successful attempt to persevere on a path that the musical world had forgotten.”
