RAINBOW'S END - A CAMEL ANTHOLOGY 1973-1985

This is a boxed set compilation that spans the entire career of Camel, and it is absolutely perfect, and not one of their best songs is missing. I don't know for sure, but it sounds like some of these tracks have been remastered, but it might just be my imagination. Besides Camel's best songs, there are also live version of some great tracks strewn throughout this set, which varies up the collection and makes it appealing to people who already have Camel's classic albums.

This is a terrific buy that I would recommend to anyone looking for a complete introduction to the wonderful music of Camel.

There are a lot of compilation albums of Camel. Almost every compilation covers their discography from 1973 up til 1985. Because Camel was and is a conceptual band, most of the short compilation albums fall short.

To really compile a band like Camel you need at least a double album. The first compilation album that succeeded in doing so, was "Lunar Sea - An Anthology 1973-1985". But this album was released without the permission of Camel (or Camel Productions). It featured some live versions and other rare material. The liveversion of Summer Lightning (for instance) has never been released before.

But this album really takes the cake. Compiling almost every single song of their studio-album, completed with (rare) live songs, alternate versions etc.

For the ones, who bought the remasters, a lot of these songs were already added as bonustracks. But the plus of this compilation, is the extended booklet, the chronology and the fact that non-fans only have to buy this one.

The fans can buy it aswell, because it's a beautiful boxset, with (as said) a nice and extended biography. The only thing missing are some outtakes like: Riverman and Autumn.

Also the period 1990 uptil now hasn't been compiled yet.

Hard to go wrong here. This collection covers tunes from 1973 until 1985, a truly classic period in the music of Camel. 18 songs on 4 discs with many live classics to boot. Not a real classic song is missing here and some are not needed, such as the ones from A SINGLE FACTOR, but this is an anthology, so you take what is offered. ANy true fan of Camel would love this set, although I think a Camel novice might just be overwhelmed with everything this has to offer. I can't give 5 stars for a Greatest Hits package, but an easy 4 stars is gladly given.

Homage to the gods of Symphonic Prog

As the title indicates this is an anthology covering the period of 1973 to 1985 (when Camel was singed to the Decca label). Any self-respecting progressive Rock fan has at least a handful of Camel's studio albums from this period as well as a couple of live albums. Insofar as this applies to you, the present four-disc anthology set--though brimful of excellent music--is not essential in addition to the band's regular album output unless you are a major fan and serious collector of everything Camel.

Some people may perhaps suggest that a set like this is useful to the newcomer as an introduction and overview of the band's career, but I would insist that a newcomer would be better off just going straight to Camel's regular albums. Before you are half-way through the first disc of this anthology, you're going to want to rush out and buy Camel's first two albums anyway, if you don't have them already. And if you have the re- mastered CD version of Camel's self-titled debut, you also have (as a bonus track) Homage To The God Of Light already which also opens disc two of this anthology set. I am not certain that this is the very same recording of this live number as I haven't compared them side to side, but I do believe they are the same (the running time is the same: 19 minutes and a couple of seconds). It is an early number that Camel never recorded in the studio (but it came originally from Peter Bardens' first solo album The Answer from 1970). This instrumental is more of a Psychedelic jam kind of thing than a structured Symphonic Prog epic in the vein of The Snow Goose. As such, it is rather uncharacteristic of Camel, being somewhere between Pink Floyd and Santana. A good one though it is.

This anthology follows a roughly chronological order with a few exceptions. There is a mix of studio and live tracks with most of the studio tracks being identical to the familiar album versions. As far as I noticed, the only exception to speak of is the song that gave its title to this set, namely Rainbow's End, which here is presented in an edited "single version". Another exception is the very slightly elongated "original mix" of Lady Fantasy. But if you have the re-mastered CD version of Mirage, you will have that version too already (among the bonus tracks). There is also one studio track here that I had never heard before (in any version), and that was In The Arms Of The Waltzing Frauleins. But if you have the expanded re-release of Stationary Traveler (which I obviously don't!), then you do have this one as well (plus an extended studio version of Pressure Points).

When it comes to the live tracks included in this set there are a few interesting ones. On the first disc we find live versions of Ligging At Louis and Arubaluba from BBC Radio One "In Concert" and Supertwister live at the Marquee Club. I believe the latter was also a bonus track on the Mirage CD, but the former two I think might not be available elsewhere in these exact versions. On disc two there are live versions of Preparation and Dunkirk (originally from The Snowgoose) recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall with The London Symphony Orchestra. I believe that these versions are identical to those that appeared on A Live Record. Later on the same disc there are a further couple of live tracks in Chord Change and Another Night (both originally from Moonmadness). On disc three there are a few tracks recorded live at Colston Hall. I suspect these are the same as those that appear on A Live Record (some as bonus tracks). Finally, on disc four there are two sets of live tracks. At the beginning of the disc there are four ones from BBC Radio One "In Concert" featuring tracks originally from Nude plus Summer Lightning originally from Breathless. The latter I don't think I have heard in any live version before. At the end of the disc there are a further handful of live tracks from the Stationary Traveler tour. Again, I'm not certain if these are the exact same recordings that are featured on Pressure Points, but if you have that live album you have all of these songs.

Camel is one of the very best progressive Rock bands and this set contains many of their best works. However, as usual with this kind of anthology, the best sources for this material are the regular studio and live albums. Rainbow's End probably makes a fine collectors item (I have it only through Spotify), but otherwise it is primarily for fans.

Review Nº 462

"Rainbow's End ? A Camel Anthology 1973 - 1985" is a compilation of Camel and was released in 2010. It's a four CD compilation with fifty eight tracks. This is a compilation album that follows basically a chronological order with some few exceptions. It has a huge amount of tracks that cover all their discography, ten studio albums since 1973 to 1984. It has really a mix of studio and live tracks with most of the studio tracks being identical to the original album versions.

The CD 1 has eleven tracks. "Slow Yourself Down", "Never Let Go", "Curiosity" and "Mystic Queen", are from "Camel". "Camel" is a great debut album with great tracks. The two best tracks are present here, "Never Let Go" and "Mystic Queen". "Slow Yourself Down" and "Curiosity" are also two excellent tracks. "Nimrodel/The Procession/"The White Rider", "Freefall", "Earthrise" and "Lady Fantasy" are from "Mirage". "Mirage" is a masterpiece. It's considered by some, Camel's best work. All tracks are great and could be part of this compilation. But, there's one that deserves a special mention, "Lady Fantasy". It's the most celebrated track on that album and is one of their most famous tracks too. This is an original mix version. "Ligging At Louis" is an unreleased track and "Arubaluba" is from "Camel". Both were from the BBC Radio One "In Concert". "Supertwister" is from "Mirage". This is a live version at the Marquee Club.

The CD 2 has fourteen tracks. "Homage To The God Of Light" isn't a Camel's track, really. It was originally released on Peter Bardens' solo album "The Answer". It's a fantastic track. This is a live version. "The Great March", "Rhayader", "Rhayader Goes To Town", "Preparation" and "Dunkirk", are from "The Snow Goose". "The Snow Goose" is another masterpiece. It's Camel's breakthrough album. Despite be a concept album, all are great tracks. "Preparation" and "Dunkirk" are live versions at the Royal Albert Hall. "Aristillus", "Song Within A Song", "Air Born", "Spirit Of The Water", "Chord Change" and "Another Night", are from "Moonmadness". "Moonmadness" is also a masterpiece. All tracks are excellent. "Chord Change" and "Another Night" are live versions at the Hammersmith Odeon. "First Light" and "Elke" are from "Rain Dances". "Rain Dances" is a balanced piece with some great moments and some changes.

The CD 3 has fifteen tracks. "Tell Me", "Metrognome" and "Unevensong" are from "Rain Dances". "Metrognome" is a live version at the Colston Hall. "Lunar Sea" is a song originally recorded on "Moonmadness". This is also a live version at the Colston Hall. "Rain Dances" is from "Rain Dances". This is a live version at the Colston Hall too. "Echoes", "Starlight Ride", "Breathless" and "Rainbow's End" are from "Breathless". "Breathless" is the weakest album with Latimer and Bardens in Camel. "Echoes" is one of the best tracks on that album but the other three aren't really bad. "Rainbow's End" is a single version. "Survival", "Hymn To Her" and "Ice" are from "I Can See Your House From Here". "I Can See Your House From Here" isn't a bad album but is the weakest album of Camel with "The Single Factor". "Ice" is the best track on that album but the other two are decent tracks. "City Life", "Nude" and "Drafted" are from "Nude". "Nude" is the best Camel's album in the 80's. As a concept album all tracks are linked and all are great.

The CD 4 has eighteen tracks. "Docks", "Beached" and "Captured" are from "Nude". All were from the BBC Radio One "In Concert". "Summer Lightning" is from "Breathless". It's from the BBC Radio One "In Concert". "Sasquatch", "Heroes", "Selva", "A Heart's Desire" and "End Peace" are from "The Single Factor". "The Single Factor" is the weakest Camel's album. Still, it isn't a bad album either. These four tracks are some of the best tracks on that album. "In The Arms Of Waltzing Frauleins", "Cloak And Dagger Man", "Stationary Traveller", "Long Goodbyes", "Pressure Points", "West Berlin" and "Fingertips" are from "Stationary Traveller", except "In The Arms Of Waltzing Frauleins" that was released in 2004 on the digital remastered edition. "Stationary Traveller" is a very good album of Camel in the 80's. These tracks are good enough to be present here. "Pressure Points", "West Berlin" and "Fingertips" are live versions at the Hammersmith Odeon. "Rhayader" and "Rhayader Goes To Town" are live versions at the Hammersmith Odeon.

Conclusion: "Rainbow's End ? A Camel Anthology 1973 - 1985" is focused on Camel's long association with Decca which yielded some of the best and most prog material ever made by them. It features key album tracks plus rare studio and live recordings. Housed in a hardback book package, the lavish booklet contains previously unseen photographs, memorabilia and an essay by Mark Powell. Taken as a whole, the compilation does an admirable job of showing the various sides of Camel. A judicious selection of live and studio cuts, single oriented tracks and especially deep album numbers paint an accurate and fascinating portrait. While not as timeless as some of their contemporaries, Camel produced a body of work that well worth investigation. The newcomers will be very well served by "Rainbow's End". However, they may also want to seek out for the more straightforward "Lunar Sea" compilation, or even "Echoes".

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)