THE SNOW GOOSE (RE-RECORDING)

Having been a huge fan of Camel since their heydays and being brought into the prolight with the likes of Mirage and Moonmadness, tucked in between those two masterpieces is the Snow Goose. It was and is one of the most beautiful and awesome pieces of music ever written. I cannot image improving on it. There is the studio version and then the original Camel Live version from the 1975 Royal Albert Hall concert. So we have the perfect studio and perfect live takes on that piece of music.

While I can understand Andy Latimer's choice to redo it I would have hoped it would have happened before he lost some of his ability on the guitar. The soft passages on this new version are deeper and take advantage of the modern day keyboard and synth technologies and Peter Bardens' keyboard work was done well by Guy LeBlanc. Andy Ward's drumming is very difficult to get right but again Denis Clement does a reasonable job. I did not care for the production of the recording. The drums especially sound thin and not as punchy and full as I would like. It leaves me wanting. Colin Bass does well in that department as Doug Ferguson was a straight bass player; "very solid in his playing" but he did not do anything complex which resulted in Ward wanting him to leave after the Moonmadness album; that was according to Latimer and Bardens to be their biggest and first mistake since after that the band started unfurling.

My issues is in the faster rock passages such as Dunkirk; Andy's playing seems very subdued and not as good as good as the original. Sadly I cannot give this effort a high rating like so many in this group. I agree that it is better again in the keyboard and atmosphere areas, but as far as the guitar work is concerned, it disappoints me.