Camel
Moonmadness

In the early 1970s, the musical movement we commonly refer to as Progressive Rock emerged: some bands, like Yes and Genesis, gained a lot of fame but later, with the advent of new genres, radically changed their style, and for the worse; other bands, however, like Camel, made their way more quietly (we do not find their signature on milestones like "Foxtrot" or "Close To The Edge") but never fell inexorably low, even when everything seemed lost (ah, 1977...).
Peter Bardens (Keyboards) and Andrew Latimer (Guitar and Flute) are the guiding souls of the group: the songs all bear their signature, and ample space is occupied by their solos, far superior to the vocal parts, both in quantity and quality. In fact, if Camel's masterpiece is for many "The Snow Goose", which is an entirely instrumental album, there must be a reason...

"Moonmadness" is the band's fourth album, which doesn't surpass its predecessor (indeed, "The Snow Goose") in beauty and originality, but shows further improvements of the four, who are now able to tackle odd times and increasingly engaging solo parts.
After the interesting instrumental march "Aristillus", here is "Song Within A Song", a typical prog song containing different sections: it begins very calmly, softened by the flute and warm, enveloping voices, then moves to a beautiful synthesizer solo, and concludes with a grand finale.
The instrumental "Chord Change", which contains more Jazz elements, isn't bad either. "Spirit Of The Water", sung by Bardens, is an intimate duet between piano and flute, which manages to surprise from the first listen. Two brief minutes of pure musical magic. But then the pace slows down... "Another Night", except for the good instrumental interlude, says absolutely nothing, just like "Air Born", which at first seems to promise who knows what, but then becomes dull.
The conclusion, however, is honorable, with the visionary "Lunar Sea". The quartet couldn't have found a more fitting title for this song: okay, a "lunar sea" cannot exist, but these atmospheres allow us to imagine what it could be like! Truly fantastic: Bardens unleashes all his creativity by playing (this isn't a derogatory term, mind you) with his synth, while Latimer showcases his great talent by making his guitar speak. And all to very difficult times, perfectly held by the excellent rhythm section (Doug Fergunson on bass and Andy Ward on drums).

In conclusion, an album that is a must for fans of the band, but could also very much appeal to a simple lover of less harsh and difficult Progressive music: extraordinary melodies in their simplicity, this is how we could briefly describe Camel's style.