JOURNEY'S END... AN ACOUSTIC ANTHOLOGY

"Journey's end" is a very different album from Caamora's epic "She" musical, and indeed from pretty much anything Clive Nolan has released before. The sub-title "An acoustic anthology" offers an immediate indication of what to expect here, the overall mood of this double CD collection being intimate and atmospheric.

Most of the recordings are taken from acoustic performances by Caamora in various parts of the world between 2006 and 2008. In the main, the music consists of the fine vocals of Agnieszka Swita accompanied by Clive on piano. This is by no means the whole story though with some tracks, especially those recorded in Argentina, featuring various vocal and instrumental guests. The acoustic tag is therefore used as a fairly loose caveat, in a similar way to that of the MTV unplugged series.

Most of the songs here either appeared on the "She" album in their finished form, or were candidates for inclusion. We do though also have several Arena songs ("Mea Culpa", "State of grace", "Salamander") a couple originally by Nolan and Wakeman and a Strangers on a Train number. The arrangements of these songs are radically different here, with "Mea culpa" lending itself particularly well to the simple approach which has been adopted.

There are a number of songs included which are not taken from live performances. The opening song, which gives the album its title, is a new studio recording. Clive explains in the sleeve notes, that the "Journey's end" is the completion of the three year long "She" project. We also have three demos recorded during the early days of "She", all of which appear in their completed form on the DVD version. Two of these songs have since been dropped from the live set for "She" to reduce the overall length.

The final three songs on the album are "bonus" studio songs which were intended for either "She" or for inclusion on the various EPs released by Caamora, but were not actually used. "In aeternum" is an Enigma like multi-part harmony piece, quite different to Caamora's other work. "Grunwald" is a rare composition by Agnieszka, sung mostly in Polish. Bearing in mind that she only entered the music industry after meeting Clive, it is quite remarkable how assured she is both on stage and in the studio. The final song is a reworking of Shadowland's "Father" with Nolan leading the vocals. The song is complemented by a pleasing harpsichord accompaniment.

The set is completed by a radio interview with Nolan and Swita where they explain the background to this release; this is followed by a further hidden song.

In all a fine double CD release from Caamora, which complements the lavish grandeur of "She" perfectly. Both Nolan and Swita make it clear that this is "Journey's end" only in respect of the "She" project, Caamora are already planning new voyages for the future.

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