Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Camel
Label: Decca Records
Release: 1981
Rating: 5/5
When Camel released “Nude,” they probably didn’t even realize they had once again created one of their greatest masterpieces after a long time, and an album that would go down as one of the best progressive rock albums of the early 80s, when most of their peers had long since switched over to pop and AOR. “Nude” marked a stylistic about-face back to their epic compositions and a considerable step away from the AOR influences that dominated the previous album, “I Can See Your House From Here” (1979). It’s also a far more ambitious project, their first concept album since the legendary “The Snow Goose” (1975), which more or less set the band’s quality standards. After a long while, “Nude” once again features extended improvisations, orchestral passages and even a few world music influences. Those influences had been missing since the days of their debut. I’ve always felt that this kind of world music, especially oriental music, fits Camel’s sound extremely well, and you can feel it on “Nude” too. It was their first album since “The Snow Goose” without one long epic piece, made up instead of several shorter, well-connected ones. The album also has plenty of new age touches as well as a few rare AOR attempts they just couldn’t give up, even though they already knew they’d never reach major commercial success that way. All these elements that define the album played a key role in the development of neo prog, and helped revive interest in progressive rock in the 80s.
Camel kept most of the lineup from the previous album, with the exception of American keyboardist Kit Watkins, who was replaced by the equally excellent Duncan MacKay (ex-Colosseum II, The Alan Parsons Project, Budgie), and they brought in a string of interesting guests, among them former official member Jan Schelhaas, who this time plays only piano. Longtime flutist and saxophonist Mel Collins became a member of the band again, though his official membership was never a given because of his many collaborations with other groups. Although the album is mostly instrumentals that flow into one another, it also has a few vocal moments. Where there are vocals, Andy Latimer delivers some of the best vocal performances of his career. As so many times before, his guitar is the recognizable, load-bearing instrument of the band’s whole sound, and once again he doesn’t hold back on those exceptionally subtle solos so typical of him. The rhythm section, especially Ward’s drumming, is again at an enviable level, and it’s a real shame this album marks his last chapter with the band. Keyboards are once again an important element and the symphonic arrangements are back at an enviable level after a long time. So Camel returned to their roots, but with a production typical of the 80s.
As mentioned, “Nude” is a concept album telling the strange and dramatic story of a Japanese soldier who stayed “trapped” on a lonely Pacific island long after the end of World War II, without knowing the war had been over for ages. Nude is a simple guy leading a somewhat dull city life (City Life/Nude) until he’s drafted into the army (Drafted) and, along with the other soldiers, shipped off to a nearby port (Docks), where they board a ship that takes them far out into the Pacific. They land on some unknown island, where a sudden clash with the enemy breaks out. Nude gets separated from his unit by chance and wanders into a nearby forest without firing a single shot at the enemy. After days of fruitlessly searching for his company, he suddenly realizes he’s lost, that the battle ended long ago and that his comrades-in-arms have sailed off without him (Beached). He realizes he’s all alone on a deserted island with not a soul around, so he starts exploring his surroundings (Landscapes/Changing Places). He settles into a cave and spends his days on routine marches in full combat gear. From time to time he heads up to the island’s highest peak, where he ceremonially raises the flag and lights a signal fire (Pomp & Circumstance). But no visitors ever come, and the years pass while he stays convinced the war is still on. One day he spots a plane overhead, dropping leaflets. They say the war is long over and that his acquaintances have been eagerly searching for him for years, hoping to bring him home (Please Come Home). But for him the war was never over, since for him it never really began (given that he never fired a shot), and over those years he has fully embraced his new surroundings, far from the crazed “civilization” (Reflections). So it goes until one day, as he stands on top of the mountain again, strangers take him by surprise, knock him out with an injection and carry him off the island back toward Japan (Captured). When he comes to, he sees familiar faces full of fake smiles, who welcome him as a national hero and tell him they’ll throw a grand parade when they land on home soil. And they do, with fat newspaper headlines about the “return of the long-missing war hero,” while Nude has to march in a costumed, sanctimonious procession among the cheering mob (The Homecoming). Soon after, the authorities send him to a retirement home as a war veteran, where he’s kept under watch like a caged animal, under the false pretense that they’re looking after their ”honorary citizen.” Nude increasingly sees the hypocrisy and artificiality of modern society and longs for the free days on his island, unable to fit into the social order after 30 years away (Lies). On his birthday the home’s administrators bake him a big cake shaped like an island, partly to soothe his yearning and partly out of mockery of his fate (The Birthday Cake). That night Nude makes a dramatic decision, escapes from the home and boards a boat in the nearby port the next morning. The following morning, when the administrators, or rather the guards, come to check whether he’s up yet, the “war hero” is nowhere to be found. In the days that followed, the papers reported that the hero they’d found had vanished again, who knows where. Nude had gone back to his beloved island, where he lived happily and carefree until the end of his days (Nude’s Return).
The opener “City Life” is basically a great AOR track, even with hit-single qualities, marked by exceptionally spontaneous melodies. It’s a relatively atypical song for Camel, the only one on the album written this way, and it suggests they still had some ambitions of getting radio play. The saxophone solos are especially interesting, as are Latimer’s ultra-melodic vocal tone and his fragmented guitar solos. A short instrumental, “Nude,” follows and leads into the next track. The ballad “Drafted” is, despite its seeming simplicity at first, set up incredibly ambitiously. Latimer once again takes your breath away with his melancholic guitar solos and vocals, which weave together with the piano and a building rhythm line. After that Camel give themselves over to symphonic progressive rock in its finest form for a while. Then comes “Docks,” which dramatizes the mood well with superb orchestral arrangements, first-rate guitar solos and a marching rhythm. The atmosphere while listening is truly stirred up, and it even includes a short jazzy improvisation. The drama ramps up further with the ultra-dramatic “Beached,” where the blazing-fast Bass/Ward rhythm line and Latimer’s quick-fingered guitar solos create a real battle of instruments, which also serves the concept as the fighting on the shore begins. Next is the esoteric, new age-tinged “Landscapes,” which pleasantly calms the mood with glorious keyboard and flute arrangements and Andy playing the authentic Japanese string instrument, the koto. With its oriental motifs it gives the feeling of a real Pacific island atmosphere. That special mood deepens on “Changing Places,” which has a genuine Pacific ethnic flavor through Ward’s percussion and Latimer’s flute. Camel also play successfully with new age elements on “Pomp & Circumstance,” which conjures up a true tropical idyll. “Please Come Home” is built on piano and Andy’s melancholic yet deliberately somewhat mocking vocals. It’s the only lyric on the album he wrote himself, since his wife wrote the rest. “Reflections” is another esoteric moment, dominated by soothing soundscapes that easily lift the listener to a higher plane of feeling. The mood then slams on the brakes again with “Captured,” which offers a whole palette of breathtaking instrumental passages on keyboards, winds and guitar. “The Homecoming,” with the sounds of a brass-band march of the kind that usually greeted victorious soldiers at a street parade, fits the album’s concept perfectly as Nude returns home. “Lies” is without a doubt one of the album’s highlights, where Camel once again expertly combine their classic symphonic, spacey motifs with first-rate jazz fusion. Latimer is in top form here, both vocally and instrumentally, and his weeping slide guitar solos simply tear your heart out. With his deeply emotional vocals he also proves he was always somewhat overlooked as a singer, staying in the shadow of his guitar prowess. The suite “The Last Farewell” follows, made up of two parts. “The Birthday Cake” is another short instrumental that leads into the closing, triumphant-sounding epic “Nude’s Return,” as Nude goes back to his beloved island. Interestingly, this excellent creation contains many elements we’d call neo prog rock today, through its outstanding interplay of synthesizers, weeping guitar passages and marching rhythm line. It’s an exceptional finale that easily leaves the listener wanting to hear this great album all over again.
“Nude” is one of the band’s greatest gems, undoubtedly among their best work, and in my opinion it’s also been somewhat overlooked by most of the band’s fans. I’d happily put it right alongside masterpieces like their first four records, “Camel” (1973), “Mirage” (1974), “The Snow Goose” (1975) and “Moonmadness” (1976). “Nude” doesn’t quite reach the symphonic epic scale of those albums, but it’s no less atmospheric and is a completely unique album that thrills from start to finish with a hugely convincing story that comes to life effortlessly through the music alone. Camel can be truly proud that with this album they were one of the few legendary 70s prog rock bands to match the level of their classics and, at the same time, create one of the most important albums that was instrumental in the resurrection of progressive rock. This sudden turn back to their roots didn’t last long, though, and harder times soon followed for the band (among them the departure of original drummer Andy Ward and a return to commercialism), but that year they were undoubtedly at the very top of progressive rock.
Lineup
Andrew Latimer – guitar, vocals, flute, koto, keyboards
Colin Bass – bass guitar, backing vocals
Andy Ward – drums, percussion
Mel Collins – flute, saxophone
Duncan Mackay – keyboards
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Jan Schelhaas – piano
Chris Green – cello
Gasper Green – percussion
Herbie Flowers – tuba
Production
Camel, Tony Clark and Haydn Bendall
Track List
1. City Life (4:41)
2. Nude (0:23)
3. Drafted (4:13)
4. Docks (3:50)
5. Beached (3:32)
6. Landscapes (2:39)
7. Changing Places (4:10)
8. Pomp & Circumstance (2:05)
9. Please Come Home (1:13)
10. Reflections (2:39)
11. Captured (3:12)
12. The Homecoming (2:48)
13. Lies (4:58)
The Last Farewell:
14. The Birthday Cake (0:30)
15. Nude’s Return (3:41)
Album length: 44:52
