STATIONARY TRAVELLER

"Stationary Traveller" is the 10th full-length studio album by UK progressive rock act Camel. The album was released through Decca Records in August 1984. The only original member of Camel left on "Stationary Traveller" is Andy Latimer (guitar, Flute, vocals). Drummer Andy Ward suffered severe alcohol and drug-related problems and had to leave the band before the recording of the album. Paul Burgess has replaced him in the lineup.

The music on "Stationary Traveller" is very much in the eighties synth pop/rock style with AOR type vocals/harmonies/choirs. Very easily accessible and almost completely lacking any form of edge or innovation. This is generally very soft and not especially challenging. The musicianship on the album and especially the really great guitar solos by Andy Latimer or on a high level but the tracks are generally not up to par with their earlier material. As on most Camel albums "Stationary Traveller" features both instrumental tracks and tracks featuring vocals. Chris Rainbow is a pretty generic sounding vocalist without much distinct sounding character to his delivery, so the instrumental tracks are definitely the most interesting on the album. "Stationary Traveller" is a concept album centered around the stories of East German refugees attempting to cross the Berlin Wall into West Berlin. As such an interesting concept, that could have worked well with more insteresing music to accompany the concept.

Upon conclusion "Stationary Traveller" is to my ears, along with "The Single Factor (1982)", probably the weakest album in Camel´s discography. Their transition from organic and analogue sounding seventies progressive rock act to more mainstream/AOR tinged and synth heavy eighties rock band really isn´t that successful to my ears and a 2.5 star (50%) rating is warranted.