SUPERTWISTER - BEST

The roots of Camel can be found in 1969 when guitarist, flutist and vocalist Andrew Latimer, bassist Doug Fergusson and drummer Andy Ward formed a band called The Brew. In 1970, the trio joined with keyboardist and vocalist Phillip Goodhand and changed the name to Tait. But, at the end of the same year, Goodhand quit the band. In 1971 keyboardist Peter Bardens, an ex member of Them, came to strengthen the trio. The new quartet formed in Surrey chose the name Camel. The end of 1971 saw the day the band made their first musical performance as a support band of Wishbone Ash.

"Supertwister - Best" covers the career of Camel released in the 70's and in the 80's. So, it includes some of their best works between 1973 and 1984. The tracks span the great career of the band. Almost all the studio albums released in that time are represented here. The only exception is their ninth studio album "The Single Factor" of which no tracks were chosen. Still, this wasn't a real problem. As many of we know, "The Single Factor" is in general considered the weakest studio album released by them. So, we can say that some of their best tracks are included on this compilation.

So, "Supertwister - Best" is a compilation of Camel and was released in 2006. It has thirteen tracks. "Never Let Go" and "Six Ate" are from "Camel". "Never Let Go" is my favourite track on that album and one of my favourite songs from the band. It's a wonderful piece with the presence of Bardens on vocals. He made a great keyboard solo well accompanied by a nice Latimer's flute work. "Six Ate" is really the weakest point on that album, for me. It isn't really a bad track but it's a bit repetitive, for my taste. Anyway, it has a pleasant instrumental work, really. "Supertwister" and "Lady Fantasy" are from "Mirage". "Supertwister" is a nice and peaceful track. It's a great instrumental track partially dominated by a great flute work by Latimer. With this track, he proved to be a great flute player too. "Lady Fantasy" is a multi-part epic track. It's the most celebrated track on that album and it's one of the most famous tracks written by Camel. This track contains one of the most progressive tracks made by them and is a good example why Camel is one of the best and most respected bands in the progressive rock universe. "Rhayader" and "Rhayader Goes To Town" are from "The Snow Goose". "Rhayader" is a track with a powerful melody combining flute, guitar and organ. It has a memorable flute melody supported by a solo of an organ. "Rhayader Goes To Town" brings the music into a faster tempo, with great combination of guitar and organ with energetic beats. It has an extended guitar solo too. "Song Within A Song" and "Lunar Sea" are from "Moonmadness". "Song Within A Song" is a calm, beautiful, and melancholic track which contrasts with the deepest voice of Ferguson. It's an excellent track with some nice and relaxing guitar and flute works. This is a typical Camel's track. "Lunar Sea" is an instrumental track. It's the lengthiest track on that album and it's also one of the best tracks on it. It's a track with great individual and collective performances. The melody changes and evolves all over the theme. It reminds me something spatial, as its name suggests. "Elke" is from "Rain Dances". "Elke" is almost a Latimer's solo piece, featuring the usual excellent electronic experimentation by Brian Eno. This is a nice, peaceful and atmospheric instrumental track. "Echoes" is from "Breathless". "Echoes" is a typical Camel's track and represents one of the most progressive tracks on that album. It's a track with a great Latimer's guitar working. This is certainly the best track on that album. This is Camel at their best. "Wait" is from "I Can See Your House From Here". "Wait" represents a good starting point to that album. It's a track in the vein of Camel's usual opening tracks on their albums. This is a good track with some nice and interesting keyboard work. It has also a nice Latimer's guitar solo. "Drafted" is from "Nude". "Drafted" is a track with great melodies and guitar themes in the classic Camel's style. It proved, beyond any doubt, that the band was back at their best and most pure progressive roots on that album. "Fingertips" is from "Stationary Traveller". "Fingertips" is a beautiful, melodic and a cool ballad on that album. This is a love song, one of the most commercial tracks on that album. Thus, despite it has the return of the nice sound of the saxophone of Collins, it doesn't represents one of highest points on that album. Still, this remains to me a good track.

Conclusion: "Supertwister ? Best" is another good compilation of Camel. It covers all their studio albums released in the 70's and in the 80's, with the exception of "The Single factor". But, above all, it covers all their albums that usually are considered as belonging to their golden era, "Camel", "Mirage", "The Snow Goose" and "Moonmadness". From those albums were chosen two tracks from each one. All those tracks are great with the exception of "Six Ate" that I consider the weakest track on that album. Anyway, those four albums are so good that if they were chosen other tracks, it would be great too. About the other five tracks all are great, despite "Breathless" and especially "I Can See Your House From Here" not being such good albums as the others. So, we can say this is a well representative compilation of Camel almost without weak points. It has songs with enough quality to be considered good and be rated with 3 stars.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)