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Camel - The Snow Goose CD (album) cover

THE SNOW GOOSE

Camel

 

Symphonic Prog

4.30 | 2605 ratings

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Rune2000
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
4 stars What were Camel to do in order to top a strong album like Mirage? Well, since the band were in the middle of the golden age of prog, why not try to do an instrumental concept album?

The results of this experiment were quite pleasant to say the least! The Snow Goose is a great interpretation of a short story making it listenable almost on any occasion. The arrangements are symphonic but with a strong rock flavor to them and results in a very gentle sound combination which makes for a soft introduction to Camel's music. Of course nothing is without its flaws and even though the Snow Goose is an excellent piece of music, for me this doesn't come any near the greatness Camel achieved on Mirage. Unlike some of the lengthier compositions of Mirage, this follow-up album keeps the material quite short. But it's those slightly longer compositions, like Rhayader Goes To Town" and "Dunkirk, that really show the band's true potential.

I have to admit that I never really considered this album to be a serious progressive rock record, which has to do with the very gentle approach that Camel is going for with their sound. I rarely listen to it as a main course of my day's prog intake and instead either put it as an appetizer or a soothing desert. This doesn't in any way imply that the Snow Goose is a lesser release in comparison to albums like Moonmadness, but merely that there is a difference of moods connected to each of there experiences.

The Snow Goose is a second of the three fan-favorite releases by Camel at the time where this band just could do no wrong. In a way, this release can either be considered as a very daring attempt at trying something new with Camle's music or the complete opposite, due to it's pleasant arrangement that rarely diverse from the overall sound scheme. Either way, this is still a very strong album well worth your time and money!

***** star songs: Rhayader (3:01) Rhayader Goes To Town (5:20) Dunkirk (5:19) Epitaph (2:07)

**** star songs: The Great Marsh (2:02) Sanctuary (1:05) Fritha (1:19) The Snow Goose (3:12) Friendship (1:44) Migration (2:01) Rhayader Alone (1:50) Flight Of The Snow Goose (2:40) Preparation (3:58) Fritha Alone (1:40) La Princesse Perdue (4:44) The Great Marsh (1:20)

Rune2000 | 4/5 |

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