PRESSURE POINTS - LIVE IN CONCERT

Pressure Points dvd was captured in London's Hammersmith Odeon on Camel's tour supporting the Stationary Traveller album, a huge step up after the disappointing Single Factor made under unbearable circumstances. Due to some lighting and sound problems, this release contains only about half of the songs performed that night, absent are for example such gems as La Princesse Perdue, Never Let Go and Drafted. Despite that Pressure Points is a good live documentation from Camel in their most 80s sounding form, but only when eyes closed. When you open them, you see really cheap looking drama film clips between live shots, apparently meant to support the story of the album. I don't know how great they looked in their day, but today they just add an unwanted comedy flavor. As painfully amusing they are, I'd still prefer watching the musicians do their thing, which is sometimes pretty effectively ruined by the editor who all too often decides to follow the rhythm players instead of the soloist. But the songs are good and played very well, there just aren't very many of them. Since their latest dvd Total Pressure contains this same concert in its entirety without the ridiculous drama footage, this release is nowadays totally useless for the casual fan. This one is recommendable only for collectors/completionists and some weird perverts insisting to see the drama crap mercifully cut out from the latest release.