MOONMADNESS

By 1976, Camel had gone from a band on the verge of obscurity following their uninspiring debut to playing their fully instrumental 1975 hit album "The Snow Goose" in front of a full Royal Albert Hall. As is the case with any band that had such high hopes going into their next album, the progressive rock community expected greatness from Camel, which at this point was still fielding the same lineup as it had in 1973.

"Moonmadness" would be the album that would be considered to be Camel's last truly great work from a critical standpoint. Faced with replicating the success of "The Snow Goose", the band decided to adjust their sound to move away from their previous album's instrumentally pastoral notes, and towards something more psychedelic. Camel has critically drawn comparisons to fellow British rockers Pink Floyd, and in my opinion this album is the closest they come to matching the Floyd's sound. An album based around a very loose lunar concept, it also hints towards having themes that reflect the individual band members. The band ebbs towards the softer side of their musical abilities, while sparing some instrumentally exhausting solos that would fit in well on their 1974 masterpiece "Mirage".

This was the first Camel album I ever listened to, and I consider it and "Mirage" to be great starting points for anyone who wants to get into this band. From the opener "Aristillus", we can see the band moving towards a more synthesizer-heavy sound, in line with the times. Of course, Camel's keyboardist Peter Bardens is one of the more excellent and underrated players of the instrument, and this short intro is a great hook to bring us into perhaps my favorite Camel song, the aptly named "Song Within a Song" which is spacey and psychedelic. Bassist Doug Ferguson makes his first vocal appearance since the band's self-titled debut to lead us into this introspective song which evokes imagery of the spring. There is a lot of room for excellent instrumentation by Bardens, with a notable synth led solo that is sure to assuage any fan of the late-seventies prog sound.

In line with the band's first two albums, there exists two instrumentals. "Chord Change" is an expose of great musical talent that we have come to know from Camel, but on this album it doesn't particularly stand out as a seminal track. It moves in and out of fast-paced upbeat rhythms and slower interludes, leading into a short ballad penned by Bardens called "The Spirit of the Water", which is a quaint way to end the first side on an aptly psychedelic note. I assume that this is the song on the album that was supposed to represent him.

"Another Night" opens up the second side in a very triumphant note. I would have to say this is the most commercially appealing song of the album, although it's really too long to be classified as a radio song, although I'm sure a single was issued that cut out the instrumental section. This song, as well as Mirage's "Lady Fantasy", are the only Camel songs from this era where all four band members were given writing credits. This is a surprisingly listenable yet progressive piece that shows off the diverse range this band was capable of. "Air Born" strikes me as Latimer's song of the album immediately based on the inclusion of the flute. This is another psychedelic track, and it's just as if not more dreamy as "Song Within a Song" with the fleeting Latimer guitar riffs and distorted vocals. When I was a beginner in prog and had just bought this album this composition was my favorite. However, as my musical tastes matured I began to appreciate the true quality of the album closer "Lunar Sea", an absolutely insane instrumental showcase of the best the band had to offer while fitting perfectly into the theme of the album. Bardens is the MVP of this track, moving back and forth between ambient and quintessentially seventies-prog synth leads. If you are a fan of his work on "Lady Fantasy", you will adore this song, as they are similar in song structure, with the song book-ending on itself to close the album.

All in all, "Moonmadness" just barely falls short of the allure of "Mirage", but still has enough depth and excellence to be considered an essential progressive rock album. While I disagree with those who say this is the last great Camel album, it would indeed be the last Camel album to feature the original members, as the band's foray into more jazzy territory would lead to Ferguson leaving the band, never to be seen again. Camel would however make the necessary adjustments and truly embrace jazz fusion on their next album "Rain Dances", released the next year. In 2014, "Moonmadness" was rated the 58th best progressive rock album of all time.

OVERALL RATING: 4.5/5.

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