Camel
Mirage

THE REVIEW

The so-called Canterbury School played an extremely important role in the development of 70s rock music. From the outset, artists like Soft Machine, Caravan, and Gong sought to coin a musical genre that was an alternative to the classical-baroque style proposed by bands like Genesis, Yes, or ELP, and it must be said that they succeeded quite convincingly. The primary prerogative of the Canterbury School consisted in sound experimentation built on instrumental digressions of a jazz imprint, following lessons imparted by Miles Davis. A musical philosophy of which Robert Wyatt and the Soft Machine were the greatest exponents.

Camel, also formed in Canterbury, entered the scene significantly later compared to their previously mentioned "colleagues," and released their first LP “Camel” only in 1973. A decent album that didn't achieve the expected success but still managed to showcase the skills of the individual members: Peter Bardens (keyboards) and Andrew Latimer (vocals, guitar, flute) foremost; with special attention to the rhythm section (Andy Ward - drums and Doug Ferguson - bass) which was fundamental for the evolution of the band’s sound. All the grit and originality demonstrated in their debut matured the following year (1974) with the release of their masterpiece “Mirage.” An LP that, even from the cover (the image of the famous Camel cigarettes), is extremely interesting, both in content and form. The record consists of five musically well-crafted tracks interconnected by "fantasy" themes, mostly inspired by Tolkien’s stories:

1. Freefall is an aggressive and rhythmic track balancing between progressive and hard, where the Hammond organ and electric guitar reign, showcasing the prowess of Bardens and Latimer.
2. Supertwister is a small instrumental interlude tailored for Latimer’s flute, which is free to roam within a rhythm perfectly dictated by the bass and drums.
3. Nimrodel/The Procession/The White Rider represents one of the album’s strong points. It is a 9-minute suite divided into three parts. The piece is introduced by a keyboard phrasing and a medieval march (performed with flute and drums), then flows into a small melancholic sequence and a subsequent instrumental explosion dominated by the guitar and an excellent Bardens solo on the Moog synthesizer.
4. Earthrise is a furious instrumental digression, rich in virtuosity and technicalities executed by every member of the group. Here, as in Freefall, one becomes aware of the hard component characterizing Camel’s music, especially found in the first two albums.
5. The final track Lady Fantasy represents the sum of the entire record. It too, like Nimrodel, is a suite divided into three parts, but unlike the former, it is more varied and better structured. The beginning is devastating, as is the entire structure of the piece, consisting of slow and quick passages, superbly following and alternating with each other. The best part, however, bears the signature of the omnipresent Peter Bardens, who, performing a splendid solo (this time not on the Moog, but on the Hammond), proves to be one of the most versatile and gritty keyboardists of the 70s.

In conclusion, it must be stated that it was necessary to pay tribute to Camel and their masterpiece “Mirage,” an album as varied, unique, and deeply inspired as few others; a true point of reference for progressive and the entire rock music scene. Perhaps the only flaw of this album concerns the vocal parts, which do not always measure up to the situation; but after all, Camel’s music relies more on the use of instruments than on the use of vocals. Therefore, in the end, it can be said that this album is perfect as it was conceived.