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Like all the great bands of contemporary music, even Camel can boast an official tribute. And it doesn't matter if the formations adhering to the project are more or less known to the progressive audience, what truly matters is the testimony of affection towards a band that has given so much to this musical genre.
In more than two hours of music, between past and present, Camel's melodies alternate, some curiously revisited, others exaggeratedly modified, but all worthy of attentive listening. A double album that aims to be an explicit tribute to the English band and perhaps also a way to introduce, through the best tracks, the Camel sound. If we want to be meticulous, as is right with this type of recording product, some bands' performances don't seem fitting, perhaps also due to the choice of a few wrong songs, or at least not representative of Camel.
For example, it did not seem appropriate to give space to a song like "Down On The Farm" from the Breathless period, played by the Strange New Toys, and leave out some landmarks like "Lunar Sea" or "Spirit Of The Water". Of course, it's never exhaustive to concentrate such a long artistic journey into two CDs, and yet the performed tracks cover a vast discographic period with a preference for the most interesting range; the most space is reserved for the "Moonmadness" album with three tracks, "Air Born", "Another Night", "Song Within A Song", performed respectively by Glass Hammer, Cast and Algebra, while the "Nude" album is excessively penalized with only "Drafted".
The medleys by Fonya with "First Light/ Rain Dances/ The White Raider" and by New Credo with "Friendship/ Little Rivers And Little Rose/ Migration/ Hopeless Anger" are very interesting. Another noteworthy mention on the first disc is the lively "Drafted" by Aton's and the superb version of "Never Let Go" performed by Evolution.
The talented Mysia open the second disc by reviving none other than the gothic "Pressure Points", while Notturno Concertante disappoint by tackling the very difficult and majestic "Ice"; the guitar is missing, and those unforgettable notes are not the same played on the keyboard.
The famous Finisterre delight with a great "Nimrodel", while Nostalgia do not leave a mark with the not very nostalgic "Long Goodbyes". The Raindances that overturn "Rhayader" and Consorzio Acqua Potabile in "Harbour Of Tears" are the other high points of the second disc.
It's a work to be listened to with curiosity and constant reference to the Masters. If we had to rank the best bands, we would first pick Algebra for the moving version of "Song Within A Song", truly played with heart, then Mysia and finally tied with Evolution for "Finisterre".
What else to say about this Camel tribute: thank you Andy.
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