MIRAGE

It's a double live and features Bardens, Ward, Jimmy and Pye Hastings and Dave Sinclair, so for us poor Camel/Caravan addicts an album like this is a pure pleasure. Yes, the sounds are different, too clean maybe, specially on "The Great Marsh", but "Song Within A Song" has that piano part that was not in the original version and neither on the one on "A Live Album". Pye Hastings is not the more appropriate singer for this song, but we can survive.

"Speed Of Light" sounds better here than on the studio album. It's not too difficult to imagine as that album is everything but a masterpiece. This live version is less "artificial". Of course it's played by instrumentist instead of by sequencers and the added parts are quite good.

"Tell Me" is quite similar to the original, while "Skylines" is a bit too slow.

Where the band's reputation is to be proof, is on the epic "9 Feet Underground". Too bad, it's only the second half of the song. I suspect that it has been cut for disk space reasons and I hope that sooner or later the original recording will be found and reprinted. It's a pity because this second half is not bad. Of course it has been rearranged, it's more jazzy specially when Jimmy Hastings plays on the sax the solo that was originally played by his brother. The rest is similar enough to the original to be highly enjoyable (you can't change a masterpiece too much. In cases like this I expect to hear exactly the same notes in any solo).

The medley wich follows is nice but as in every medley there's a bit of regret for the parts not played. Specially for what comes from "If I could do...". Let's say that being Pye who sings, the vocal parts better executed are of course those of Caravan. Only Bardens is effectively excellent with both the "bands".

Another test: "Never Let Go"....as I have written, the guitar intro shouldn't have been changed. The two or three notes replaced are very disturbing when you know every "breathe" of that song. The arrangement is closer to A Live Album than to the studio version and I think that the singer here is Bardens, but it lacks the great solo sax of Mel Collins. Also Bardens is using a "whistled" sound for his keyboard solo, that in the original version was sounding like a flute (I thought it was Latimer's flute for years until I saw a live video!!!). Good but not the best version.

It's good to hear something from Breathless. In general I dislike (or I think so) the period between Rain Dances and The Single Factor, but it's a fact that excluding this last one this is the most representative and characteristic sound of Camel, what they'll be remembered for.

I don't remember to have heard the funky-rock "Timepiece" before. It sounds more Caravan than Camel. It's quite good and I can't actually compare it with any studio version.

Now the epic...."For Richard", from my favourite Caravan album. Some guitar is added to the intro. The production for the vocals is better than the "stereo" recording of "If I coud do..." . It's quite a pity as Pye's voice was more dreamy on that album. However also this version makes me dream. Just the uptime section is a bit too fast, but on a live exhibition it can happen.

I don't know where "Journey and "Gunblaster" are from, but I think I've already listened to the first somewhere else.

"Freefall" is a great pleasant surprise, also because the guitar sounds the same notes as Latimer, but the voice....on this song it's crap. I don't know who's the singer here, but this is not the right tonality for him.

"Lunar Sea" is one of the best Camel's songs ever and it's played well, also because it has been played in almost all the Camel's tours so at least Bardens has played it tons of times. The guitar is remarkable. Here it could be Latimer.

Well, you have a compilation of two bands at the price of one plus some Bardens' solo and maybe something else. They are not the best versions ever but if you love the two "twin bands", this is an excellent addition. For all the other people, check out the originals first. I stay on 3 stars. Fans of Caravan and Camel need only the track list, the rating is not influent.

The set list is made up primarily of popular live tunes from the two bands, but there's a few Bardens solo songs present. Highlights include the usual suspects: Rhayader, 9 ft Underground, Never Let Go, For Richard, and Lunar Sea.

Most of the performance is of course exemplary, but for me it just seems to be missing that "vibe" which made Camel's "A Live Record" and Caravan's "Live at Fairfield Halls" so good. Nonetheless, the record is definitely worth hearing, but only for fans. If you really want to get a good live impression of both bands, take a listen to the aforementioned live records, which are both 4 or 5 star albums in my book.

The sensations provided by Bardens guidance are unmistakeable, further enhanced by the good level of musical coordination obtained with Dave Cohen (falling a bit short on Camel's benchmark percussions), Desha Dunnahoe (beautiful female voice that gives Camel music a sweet and profound new face) and Stevie Adams.

Bardens would die not much later, in 2002. His enthusiastic performance here, provides absolutely no hint of that, and therefore constitutes one of the last chances you can have to hear him full-fledged and forward.

A nice twist to the traditional live sound of Camel, brought to us by one of its most influential and prominent members, Pete Bardens.

if you like the flavor of live performances (this one in Germany), you will enjoy this album.

LUIS H.Q.

The line up and track listing say it all. Here we have many of the (some time) members of Camel and Caravan together, performing the classics of both bands. Camel are represented by Peter Bardens and Andy Ward, while Caravan field the Hastings brothers plus Dave Sinclair. Steve Adams, who had previously worked with Bardens, and Rick Biddulph who'd worked with Sinclair round out the line up.

This double CD captures one of the first live performances by the band. The songs are effectively split three ways between Caravan, Camel, and Barden's solo work. They fit well together, although the absence of Andy Latimer's distinctive guitar work is noticeable on the Camel songs.

Whether Mirage actually add anything to the songs is questionable. The performance is as you would expect exemplary, but I can't help feeling that I'd just as soon listen to Camel play Camel, and Caravan play Caravan.

Worth hearing as an interesting historical document, but ultimately superfluous.