Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Camel
Label: Decca Records
Release: 1978
Rating: 5/5
“A Live Record”, Camel’s first live album, is a superb showcase of all the best qualities of this remarkable band. Sure, it may have come out a bit late, especially considering that the band had already put out four masterful albums by then and might have done better to record it at their peak (around 1976) rather than after the “Rain Dances” tour (1977), when some of the first signs of creative fatigue and a gradual commercialization of their sound were starting to show. But if we set that aside, since it has nothing to do with what’s actually on this live album, we’re looking at a top-quality double live release that will make every fan of the band, and of quality progressive rock in general, very happy. With their first live album, Camel clearly wanted to present all the band’s major works up to that point, across different venues and time periods. You could say they created a kind of live “best of”. The tracks played follow their original versions in both spirit and execution, so no big improvisations and a restrained concert pulse. The audience sits in the background on most recordings and is rarely heard. Those who love that “live” feel on concert albums, often delivered by intense audience participation, may be a little disappointed by this, but anyone who knows the band’s basic approach won’t sweat it too much.
The first part of the album features live recordings from three different British venues. First we get a few tracks from 1977, when the band, with then-new members Richard Sinclair and Mel Collins, was presenting their “Rain Dances” album, which is why material from that record dominates. The remaining tracks come from their earlier, classic era, with the original lineup that’s also the fan favorite. A careful listener will of course quickly notice the differences in style and in the approach to performing the material between the two incarnations of the band, though there’s no real difference in quality between them. But the best thing this live album has to offer is surely its second part, which contains a complete live performance of their greatest masterpiece, “The Snow Goose” (1975), with the help of the London symphony orchestra.
The first part thus offers interpretations of the band’s gems, most of their best and most beloved works among the fans. The live renditions stay remarkably close to the original versions, which proves that Camel live aren’t a band that would often allow themselves big improvisations or departures from their studio originals, although there’s still a noticeable difference between the pieces played by the original lineup and those by the 1977 lineup. But in their case that’s mostly a welcome trait. The first part, recorded at three locations, mostly covers material from the then-current album “Rain Dances” (1977) and from “Moonmadness” (1976). Right at the start we’re surprised by four pieces from “Rain Dances” (most of them are available for the very first time thanks to this reissue ), which barely deviate from the originals. Most of them sound even better, especially in the rhythm section, since Richard Sinclair enriches them further with his precise and wonderfully cohesive bass playing. From “Moonmadness” we get both pieces that best capture the mood of that album: “A Song Within A Song”, with Sinclair’s vocal upgrade over the original, and “Lunar Sea”. The latter, which many consider the best instrumental of epic proportions in the band’s history, is something of a high point of the first part of this live album. The 1977 lineup also delivers “Never Let Go” (Camel, 1973), the band’s first classic, this time with Richard Sinclair on vocals, played phenomenally. With the punchy, energy-packed “Chord Change” (Moonmadness, 1976), Camel once again show off their unique ability to combine complexity, melody and energy, which live often gets an extra dimension. “Ligging at Louis'” is an instrumental that’s a solo showcase for keyboardist Peter Bardens, and it doesn’t appear on any of the band’s studio albums. And to close, of course, you can’t skip the band’s best-known and best-loved piece, “Lady Fantasy”. This could easily be a high point of the first part too, since it presents the band at its very best. The first disc thus offers a little bit of everything from their colorful career and can serve the listener as a kind of live “best of”, a treat both for longtime fans and for those just discovering them.
As mentioned, the second part of the album is what will no doubt delight the average fan of their music most. Camel made a great move by offering everyone who loves their masterpiece “The Snow Goose” its complete live adaptation with the help of the London Philharmonic orchestra. The result is fantastic, as the live version of the album is almost better than the original. Mainly thanks to the fuller sound, partly through the orchestra’s presence, the greater intensity and the band’s tougher approach. The end result is a somewhat more energetic and less meditative version of this masterpiece. Within the individual pieces you can feel the remarkable chemistry between the band members and the orchestra the whole way through. Camel once again more than successfully confirm their reputation as one of the best symphonic prog rock bands, though a fan may at times fairly ask whether the accompanying orchestra was even necessary. I remember that the first time I listened to this performance of “The Snow Goose”, I just couldn’t believe how Camel had managed to upgrade their masterpiece so successfully. They play the classic “Rhayader”, for instance, live quite often, but that can’t be compared in any way to the live interpretation of the whole album, since all these pieces only get their true magic as a whole.
The remaining two tracks on the second disc, added as bonus tracks on the 2002 reissue, are “The White Rider” (Mirage, 1974) and “Another Night” (Moonmadness, 1976). Both were performed in 1976 and sound surprisingly fresh and even slightly improved compared to the original versions. And with the remastered reissue, “A Live Record” is also a top-notch release in terms of production.
“A Live Record” impresses from start to finish, both with the performance and with the varied selection of the band’s best works. On top of that, the album is a great jumping-off point for anyone discovering the band for the first time. And the complete live performance of “The Snow Goose” on the second disc secures the album a place not only as the best live album in the band’s history but also as one of the best live albums released in the second half of the 70s. “A Live Record” is the cherry on top of the band’s thrilling legacy up to that point and a fitting capstone to their first creative period.
Lineup
Andrew Latimer – guitar, flute, vocals
Peter Bardens – keyboards
Andy Ward – drums, percussion
Mel Collins – saxophone, flute
Richard Sinclair – bass guitar, vocals
Doug Ferguson – bass guitar
Production
Rhett Davies and Camel
Track List
The 2002 reissue includes bonus tracks*:
CD 1: (76:11)
1. First Light* (5:27)
2. Metrognome* (4:23)
3. Unevensong* (5:36)
4. Skylines (5:44)
5. A Song Within a Song (7:10)
6. Lunar Sea (8:59)
7. Raindances* (2:33)
8. Never Let go (7:28)
9. Chord Change* (6:52)
10. Ligging at Louis’ (6:36)
11. Lady Fantasy (14:25)
CD 2 (63:05)
1. Spoken introduction by Peter Bardens* (1:10)
2. The Great Marsh (1:44)
3. Rhayader (3:07)
4. Rhayader goes to Town (5:11)
5. Sanctuary (1:10)
6. Fritha (1:22)
7. The Snow Goose (3:02)
8. Friendship (1:39)
9. Migration (3:51)
10. Rhatader Alone (1:47)
11. Flight of the Snow Goose (3:03)
12. Preparation (4:10)
13. Dunkirk (5:28)
14. Epitaph (2:33)
15. Fritha Alone (1:22)
16. La Princesse Perdue (4:45)
17. The Great Marsh (1:57)
18. The White Rider* (8:48)
19. Another Night* (6:35)
