MIRAGE

Necessarily, in order to be exposed to the radiation of symphonic prog rock and to the pure essence of CAMEL, you have to get yourself immersed into "Mirage". I happen to be incontrovertibly meticulous with this very recording because it doesn't remind me of anything I have already listened to or it doesn't resembles any particular sound contained from what it was to come within the CAMEL years. The distinctive part of "Mirage" and the one that makes us remember this mid seventies jewel, is undoubtedly "Lady Fantasy": an incommensurable piece that drags us all along through its more than 12 minutes of the most pure and selective guitar playing by Andy LATIMER, through what to my concern is the greatest piece of work by Pete BARDENS achieved with the band on keyboards, and obviously, the exceptional well orchestrated conceptual context the suite overdrives by itself.

Sometimes I think of "Mirage" as the medullar point of departure of the band to take on their next subsequent productions. Without this album on the CAMEL scene, I severely think we won't be able to understand some other sparkly passages of their songs like the ones composed and arranged to be included in "Pressure Points", "Harbour of Tears" and "Rajaz". These albums are all for one, irremediably we cannot conceive one without the other and this is not just my conceitedness speaking, it is my true belief that somehow we cannot think of this English band without recalling such classic recordings.

"Mirage" is essential to any prog collection. It works both ways: for all of those people out there that are eager to start taking their first footsteps into the prog way, and for the devoted progholes that already haven't came across this unmistakably wonderful diamond.