THE SNOW GOOSE

What an idea: to write an entire album, all instrumental, inspired by a work of literature. Paul Galico's The Snow Goose is a great book and this album does quite a job of complementing it with music. I won't go through a whole song by song review, but rather review the album as a whole. Peter Bardens uses a very wide array of keyboards here, setting the stage for 90's bands to try and imitate the 70s bands by using a very similar array to this one. He does a great job of shining when he needs to, and just carrying the song when the song calls for it. Andy Latimer has never done a better job on guitar and flute here, alternating accordingly, and, like Bardens, not soloing too much. Such was the problem on Mirage, and it has been fixed here. Doug Ferguson, though rarely heard, works with Andy Ward to forward the music and keep it moving along at a steady pace while the other two make the melody happen. Some of the highlights are Rhayader, Rhayader goes to town, The Snow Goose, The Flight of the Snow Goose, Dunkirk, and La Princesse Perdue. The few places with singing are highlighting the voice as an instrument, not as a voice of the singer. No words are sung, just melodies, and the female vocals on The Great Marsh do an excellent job of just that. The band also uses oboes, clarinets, strings, and other wind instruments to their advantage.

Overall, this album demonstrates Camel's masterful sense of Melody and songwriting, and their unique sound and tone. A masterpiece of progressive music, this album will hopefully stand the test of time with the other greats like Dark Side, Thick as a Brick, Selling England and Close to the Edge.