ECHOES

Excellent double set compilation. Definitely for the completeist Camel fan and for those just wanting the best of a few decades. Sure there are some jewels missing but overall what is on offer is highly listenable. From the excellent Echoes, Freefall, Ice to name a few.

Back in the 1990s I was just rediscovering what prog was all about and after spending much time perusing the old GEPR web site, I came across a band with a very lengthy discography that I had never heard of before. That band was called Camel. The descriptions made them out to be in the same league as our trusty favorites from that era: Genesis, Yes, ELP, Van der Graaf Generator, etc. As to why I had never heard of them is beyond me. Their music was never played on the radio in the 1980s. Their albums apparently went unnoticed to me as I perused used record stores all those years ago. Thanks to the Internet, another undiscovered gem has graced my ears.

After having found Camel on the Internet, finding them in CD stores was another story (maybe I just live on the wrong part of the planet?). But perseverance and a little luck brought me to Echoes, a 2-CD compilation released in 1993. Right from the first track I could tell I came across something special and right then I knew the descriptions of this band as being one of the best of the 1970s progressive rock era were absolutely true. As the disc continued to play, I became ever more enthralled with my discovery. Freefall, Lady Fantasy, Rhayader, Song Within a Song, and Lunar Sea (one of the greatest songs ever!). What an amazing band this was. Latimer and Bardens were quite a skillful keyboard/guitar duo. Their interplay was impeccable.

Then I started to hear the same signs that many of the prog greats went through. As the disc progressed and then onto the second disc, I literally saw the transformation of a symphonic prog band into a band coerced into making radio-friendly pop rock. In many ways, Camel's transformation was worst than Genesis or Yes. At least for them, I could stand their pop rock. Camel was a different animal altogether. For most of the second disc, it was truly a skipping affair in my CD player.

Even though the second disc of Echoes leaves much to be desired, I still think this is an absolutely wonderful introduction to Camel. After all, it lead me to start acquiring all the important Camel albums of the 1970s. Also the historical notes contained within the accompanying booklet are very well done. However, in the grand scheme of things this compilation isn't for everyone. It's primarily for the uninitiated and completionists. If you're familiar with Camel, I would instead recommend getting their albums from their 1973-1976 period, skip over their 1980s output and jump right into their 1990s-2000s period. For those of you who have never heard of Camel, Echoes is a good start. Three stars.

For some reason I played this CD this weekend because I really wanted to play seventies music. And the package of this double CD made me pay attention to grab from my CD shelf, and also because Camel is a definitely a seventies band with one critical member who never left the band: Andy Latimer. It's similar with King Crimson who has always had Robert Fripp as main member. So I spun it and I was amazed with the music, coming from selection of the band's twenty years career from 1972 to 1992, especially with some masterpiece tracks (Lady Fantasy, Rhayader, etc). The beauty of Camel music is basically in its blend of various kinds of music from popo, rock, jazz, classical and symphonic. And each individual album of Camel is basically different from one to another even though Latimer always involved.

AS far as this compilation concern, I recommend you to have this boxed set whether you are newbie or old fans. For newbies, this is an excellent selection of the band's excellent tracks so that it may satisfy you even though it does not represent the whole story of the band. For an old fan this compilation tracks the band's journey in 20 years span of career. The fans must recognize very well with legendary tracks like 'Lady Fantasy' which has everything that requires a band being called as prog band because it has nice changes of style over the span of the song duration.

Great tracks here including "Lady Fantasy" that moves dynamically from one segment to another, coupled with a inventive Hammond organ work. 'Rhayader' and 'Rhayader Goes To Town' are also very nice song followed with 'Lunar Sea". You may find also 'The Sleeper' that has an exploration into jazzy music. 'Hymn to Her' is another legendary track in symphonic style. For those of you who like mellow style, 'Ice' as an excellent one to enjoy.

The CD package come with thick double CD jewel case that is my favorite. The booklet and sleeve note clearly defines the compilation CD and I really enjoy reading the booklet. Recommended!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

Review Nº 440

"Echoes" is a compilation album of Camel and was released in 1993. It was made to cover all the musical career of the group until that moment. It's comprehensively two discs set that include many of their musical work all over the years and lays it out over an hour and an half. The tracks spanning twenty years of a great musical career and all the eleven studio albums released by Camel till that moment are represented. So, obviously it includes some of their best tracks.

"Echoes" has twenty-six tracks. "Never Let Go" is from "Camel". It's a wonderful piece with Bardens on vocals. He made an amazing keyboard work, accompanied by a marvellous Latimer's flute work. "Freefall" and "Lady Fantasy" are from "Mirage". "Freefall" is almost an instrumental track with nice moments. It's influenced by several styles, with an excellent melody. "Lady Fantasy" is the most celebrated track on that album, is one of the most famous Camel's tracks and is also one of the most progressive tracks of them. "Rhayader" and "Rhayader Goes To Town" are from "The Snow Goose". "Rhayader" has a powerful melody combining flute, guitar and organ. It has a memorable flute melody supported by an organ solo. "Rhayader Goes To Town" brings the music into a faster tempo, with great combination of guitar and organ with energetic beats. "Song Within A Song", "Air Born" and "Lunar Sea" are from "Moonmadness". "Song Within A Song" is a beautiful and melancholic track with a nice and relaxing guitar and flute works. It's a typical Camel's track. "Air Born" is an excellent developed track. It begins with flute and piano, which suddenly explodes with all instruments and vocals. "Lunar Sea" is an instrumental track. It's a track with great individual and collective performances. The melody changes and evolves all over the theme. "Unevensong", "Tell Me", "Elke" and "Skylines" are from "Rain Dances". "Unevensong" is a track with great variations. It has a lot of breaks and tempo changes and has also great Latimer's guitar solos. "Tell Me" is a calm, delicate and beautiful ballad with a fine Latimer's flute working. It's a very dreaming track. "Elke" features an excellent electronic experimentation by Brian Eno. It's a nice, peaceful and atmospheric instrumental track. "Skylines" is an instrumental track with great jazz influences. It's a good number well performed by all band's members. "Breathless", "Echoes" and "The Sleeper" are from "Breathless". "Breathless" is a beautiful and melodic track with a touch of pop. It's an excellent example how a prog band can make a good pop song. "Echoes" is a typical Camel's track and one of the most progressive songs on that album. It has a great Latimer's guitar work. "The Sleeper" is an instrumental track. It's a typical Camel's track with a slight jazzy touch. "Your Love Is Stranger Than Mine", "Hymn To Her" and "Ice" are from "I Can See Your House From Here". "Your Love Is Stranger Than Mine" is a melodic track with a pop style. It has nice vocal harmonies in the wave of the commercial hits. "Hymn To Her" is a song with a traditional Camel's sound. It's a beautiful ballad with a good instrumental section. "Ice" is a classic Camel's instrumental track, the only progressive on that album and that shows Latimer at his best. "Drafted" and "Lies" are from "Nude". "Drafted" is a track with great melodies and guitar themes in Camel's style. It shows the band was back at their best and pure roots on that album. "Lies" is a strong vocal track. It delivered a Mackay's organ solo proving he could understand the kind of keyboards that a prog band should use in the 80's. "Sasquatch" and "You Are The One" are from "The Single Factor". "Sasquatch" is an interesting instrumental track. It's the only track on that album that features the presence of their former keyboardist, Peter Bardens. "You Are The One" is a commercial track, well structured. It's a good track that keeps the good quality on that album. "Refugee" and "West Berlin" are from "Stationary Traveller". "Refugee" is a solid track with a modern sound. The final result is a well balanced track. "West Berlin" is a good track with a nice rhythm and good musical passages. It's influenced by the new wave style, with fine textures and well produced. "Mother Road" and "Whispers In The Rain" are from "Dust And Dreams". "Mother Road" is a nice Camel rocker that starts innocently but develops well along the way. The harmonies are created through guitar, keyboards and vocals. "Whispers In The Rain" is a very short and a nice instrumental track.

Conclusion: "Echoes" is a good compilation, really. It appeals to me because it has the ingredients that a compilation must have. It's a good overview of Camel's work of those years. It revisits the entire career of Camel, at the time, and it has some of the best tracks of Camel. It has good sound and a nice booklet too. As all big Camel's fans like me know, the musical style of Camel changed a bit all over the years. As many of us know, Camel has two great musical periods, the 70's and the 90's. Like most of the progressive rock bands of the classic era, and Camel wasn't an exception, they lived in the 80's a terrible period for them, a terrible period for all progressive rock music. Concluding, I sincerely think that "Echoes" is, in general, a good compilation that represents very well the musical career of a great band, until that moment, and represents a great introduction for those who are newbies with Camel. So, I'm going to give it 3 stars.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)