Camel

In many ways, Camel always seemed a cut above many bands. The music, though stylish, and in keeping with a general prog rock tone, is focused and contained. The songs are always a standout, and I've been driven to listen to as much Camel as I could get my hands on. The first album I ever heard from them was called "Moonmadness." To me, this album is what prog was all about; moody, atmospheric, rock solid at times, and masterfully performed. The songs "Airborne" and "Lunar Sea" are magnificent, while "Another Night" is a rock standard full of flavor with a moody presence. One of my favorites is "Spirit of the Water."The song strikes a Moody Blues-Alan Parsons Project chord within me which is great; anything combining those two elements is fine with me. Andrew Latimer's guitar work is stylish and and technically driven. Much like David Gilmour, he "winds up", starting softly, then ending with dramatic crescendos.

Another nice piece, probably one of my favorites is the song "Ice", a nice 10 minute guitar opus that features one of the most beautiful solos I've ever heard, as poignant at times as Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb." "The Snow Goose" is a show-stopper, and probably many Camel fans' favorite LP. One can hear a lot of PFM flavor in their works. My favorite is still "Moonmadness." The use of flutes, synth, and chapter-like strong structure brings to mind musical images of Genesis and King Crimson, but with a flavor that only Camel delivers.