Camel
Rain Dances

Everything was, in a sense, swept away in a sudden and unstoppable manner. Progressive rock had taken a lethal blow; seven years after their explosion, the heroes of the early seventies were almost seen as grotesque living fossils—some had become caricatures of themselves, like ELP, others bade farewell to the era to move on to another (Genesis), while others, like Camel, reacted in the best way they knew: by making music.

After the 'Moonmadness' tour, the talented Doug Ferguson, disappointed by the stylistic choices taken, had left, replaced by Mr. Sinclair: thus the singer role was also ready. The progressive caravan is much less crowded now, solitary, and walks in a true desert, but our camel keeps the route with the usual simplicity and excellent results, as seen right from the beginning in 'Rain Dances' with a dazzling masterpiece: First Light is a wonderful instrumental piece opened by a chilling riff from Bardens later revisited by Latimer; it has a more reflective and pulsating heart on "breezy" synth notes, but an excellent and unforgettable coda marked by the joint entrance of guitar and sax, played by distinguished guest Mel Collins, which dazzles right from the first listen. And one thing is clear: Camel may have lost some of their fairy-tale charm, but they've realized that from now on they will no longer be allowed to dream: they don't forget their past, but here the music is in some sense more earthly, and it’s no coincidence the album has a strong jazz undertone, just hinted at in its predecessor. In Metrognome, this fabulous blend is well showcased, with ethereal and minimal sung verses unfolding into a chorus dominated by keyboard solos, creating a collected and twilight atmosphere with great effect, crowned by a much more energetic instrumental section where the sax playfully shines. The epic finale with a commanding Latimer and a powerful bass is very beautiful. Tell Me is structurally simpler, resting on a varied bed of keyboards. Sinclair's voice comes as if from afar, carried by a gentle breath of wind; there are relaxed solos of flute and keyboards that support the piece in its floating and also in its conclusion.

The rhythm picks up brightly with the beautiful Highways Of The Sun, sung very well in higher tones. The good bass marks a piece with a carefree and cheerful atmosphere, with brief joyful keyboard counterpoints and a "spacey" synth insert. A track that somewhat recalls the style of Caravan, simple but catchy even in the pleasant vocal harmonies. Another masterpiece, Unevensong is more frantic, based on repeated keyboards, a "talking" bass, and a cymbal-working drum. The voice is filtered, the guitar carves out brief solos after the sung verses, then opens with long notes into an instrumental phase with unsettling synth riffs and precise rhythm marking. The song demonstrates great skill and is enriched by many perfectly harmonized themes and influences; the dreamy and cold vocal section and the guitar work in the final fade-out are also beautiful. Following is One Of These Days I'll Get An Early Night, a very jazz improvisation that features a rather relaxed and smooth rhythmic vein, and excellent recitations of sax and guitar. It unfolds regularly among solos of winds and crystalline keyboards.

The soft and ethereal Elke follows the dictum of a great electronic experimenter, Brian Eno, an eclectic musician, a producer of great insight, and originator of ambient music. The track has few characteristics, foremost among them the construction of a lunar atmosphere that gives the idea of infinite space; the keyboards are substantial and enveloping, very slow, the rhythm is gone, and the only semblance of melody is given by a spread-out sound of the flute. Skylines is another very jazzy track that, however, does not reach the effectiveness of One Of These Days: absent winds, good guitar inserts, some scattered solos here and there, more than diligent rhythm section; perhaps, contrary to previous works and even to The Snow Goose, at this point in the album, the lack of singing weighs a bit. The title track represents a dramatic and intense conclusion, supported by orchestral string phrases played on the synth by Bardens and aided by winds; the keyboard arrangement is very beautiful, leading the short piece to a slow fading out.

With this album, Camel prove to have survived the historical upheaval at hand quite easily; the new ideas cultivated were good, the additions of Collins (Mel) and Sinclair, with his magical and unmistakable vocal timbre, were excellent, although from the former Caravan member a more substantial vocal performance might have been expected, which will nonetheless arrive with the following 'Breathless'. In my opinion, this album does not reach the immense peaks of its predecessor, but it is very beautiful, with a somewhat melancholic and autumnal tone (which is also evident from the cover), excellently played as always and very engaging. Some tracks are absolutely memorable (First Light, and Unevensong above all), but the others also maintain a high level, perhaps only Skylines loses a bit of grit.

As we know, the camel is a very resilient animal, capable of coping without too many problems in impossible living conditions; the band lives up to its name, occupying its niche with honor, hidden among the musical upheavals of those years but faithfully followed by a large group of enthusiasts. This forgotten album is among their best efforts, and ranks among the last and definitive roars of a genre now in agony. Despite everything, and many of us will thank them eternally for this, Camel continue their adventure in a stormy sea, as always gifting us with small masterpieces of simplicity. And this makes us understand how certain music never dies.