Camel
Mirage

In 1974, when progressive had already reached levels of absolute excellence and creativity through the works of groups such as King Crimson, Van Der Graaf Generator in art rock or Genesis and Yes in symphonic rock, this little big gem came out: "Mirage" by Camel, hailing from the Canterbury school, whose cover, clearly inspired by the well-known cigarette brand, caused legal disputes. Unjustly considered minor exponents of progressive, Camel not only contributed to further enriching its musical and cultural heritage but invented their own unique style, a clear and ethereal sound, never dark, never distressing, characterized by the absolutely decisive presence of the guitar, an instrument too often neglected by prog rock bands.

The album opens with "Freefall", where Andy Latimer's guitar takes center stage in a magnificent duet with Peter Bardens' organ, creating a somewhat hard track, whose not at all simple structure manages to be captivating and engaging from the first listen.

“Supertwister” comes as if to soften the hard tones of the first track, delicate and light but lively, tailor-made for Latimer's flute. A pleasant interlude that shows the gentle side of Camel.

The third track, "Nimrodel: The Procession/The White Rider" (inspired by Tolkien's Lord of the Rings) is a very evocative suite: typical fairy-tale and medieval atmospheres, so dear to progressive, with an initial triumphant march, drum rolls, and bells.

With "Earthrise", we return to the hard momentum of the opening track, all the members of the group give life to a crescendo of frenetic and hypnotic sounds and a triumph of virtuosic acrobatics.

And we reach the end with the highlight of the album, the splendid "Lady Fantasy: Encounter/Smiles from your Lady Fantasy": a 13-minute epic suite masterfully executed, involving and fascinating. Moments of great melodicity, of intense poetry, supported by the sweetness of Latimer's singing alternate with sudden changes of rhythm and speed, where keyboards and guitar express themselves at their best in a blend of absolute harmony and perfection, once again giving space to the hard side of the Camel sound.

One of the most pleasant qualities of "Mirage" is its fluidity without necessarily being simple, its immediate pleasantness without being trivially catchy. There are no moments of boredom, no useless embellishments, baroque or pretentiousness, everything is in perfect balance. An album among those I would recommend to those approaching prog for the first time or to those who do not know it well enough, to those who cannot digest long and endless suites, and to those who simply cannot do without a piercing and prominently upfront guitar. A band, Camel, certainly worth knowing and exploring in-depth, who had the ability and merit to still give something valuable and original in the late progressive era, when the genre was already heading towards its decline, and the misfortune of perhaps arriving too late to have their say.

Andrew Latimer (guitar, vocals, flute)

Peter Bardens (keyboards, organ)

Doug Ferguson (bass)

Andy Ward (drums)