MOONMADNESS

Moonmadness is the creative peak in Camel's career and one of the definitive progressive rock records of the 70s.This is the last album to feature Doug Ferguson on Bass. Moonmadness began as a loose concept album based on the personalities of the band members, Another Night - Doug Ferguson, Air Born - Andy Latimer, Chord Change - Peter Bardens, and Lunar Sea - Andy Ward.

1. Aristilus - the amazing opening track, has Andy Ward's voice on the background is saying "Aristillus Autolycus". Susan Hoover explains: 'The band thought it sounded like 'Aristillus ought to like us' and so Andy repeated it during the song because he was the only one who could say it over and over again without getting tongue-tied.'.

2. Song Within a Song - Very beautiful melody, with flute and Moog. 4/5

3. Chord Change - It features some impressive instrumental, complex parts, with a great guitar solo of Andy Latimer. 4,5/5

4. Spirit of the Water - A small ballad in piano, with the beautiful emotive voice of Peter Bardens. Let the music lead you to heaven...

"See the lights out on the water Come and go, to and fro In the time it takes to find them You can live, you can die And nothing stops the river as it goes by Nothing stops the river as it goes"

5/5

5. Another Night - "Dark clouds before our eyes" beautiful and the more hard rock song in the album.4,5/5

6. Air Born - Extremely beautiful flute solo, synthetizers and piano/organ works really astonishing me. Always a clean sound, simple, but very harmonious variations. One of the best music´s done by Camel. 5/5

7. Lunar Sea - Starting with a beautiful synthesizer intro it develops into a magical adventure where every sound has a meaning and each player gives his best effort. "He was such an inventive drummer... blowing down a hose pipe into a bucket of water to create the intro on Lunar Sea" - Andy Latimer on Andy Ward. 5/5

Final Note - Camel's allure rests not in an instant appeal; you'll find it in a magnetic desire to listen just one more time, for all the nuances you missed or simply because you just can't resist it.

5+4+4,5+5+4,5+5+5= 33

33 : 7 = 4,7

Essential - A masterpiece of progressive music

Curiosity : During the short time they had to do make album, Camel were pressured into doing something 'a bit more commercial'.