Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Camel
Label: Decca Records
Released: 1982
Rating: 2.5/5
After the unexpected masterpiece “Nude” (1981), on which Camel briefly returned to the high standards of the symphonic prog rock they’d cultivated in the 70s, “The Single Factor” sees them swerve almost completely into AOR, aka melodic rock, built on clean electric guitar lines, synthesizers and a squeaky-clean, in places almost synthetic production. This sudden change of style (for the worse, in my opinion, of course) came down to heavy pressure from the label, which desperately wanted hit singles after realizing, to its horror, that the band had no intention of just quietly saying goodbye to their often layered and complex work. So the band, or rather Andy Latimer, who was by then the only original member left, had no choice but to go along with that logic if he wanted to survive in the merciless music market of the 80s. The unexpected departure of the excellent original drummer Andy Ward (the album booklet says he couldn’t take part because of a hand injury and would return on the next album, but that never happened) was yet another in a string of blows that hit the band at the time. For this album, apart from Latimer (who was from now on the main force in the band, as the album cover with his face on it also shows), the lineup was made up of session musicians.
Which means that on this album Camel were more Latimer’s solo project with session players than a band. Even though there are some top-notch, impressive names from the music world involved, like former keyboardist Peter Bardens (whose departure many fans of the band regretted for a long time), former Genesis guitarist Anthony Phillips (here as a keyboardist), drummer Simon Phillips (Toto), drummer Dave Mattacks (ex-Fairport Convention), bassist and vocalist David Patton, vocalist Chris Rainbow (both of The Alan Parsons Project) and so on, the album sounds the most commercial and the least progressive of any album in the band’s history. Latimer’s guitar and vocals remained one of the few recognizable trademarks that tell the listener they’re still listening to Camel, the prog rock legends. Camel thus joined the other legendary British prog acts who went heavily commercial in the 80s, although most of them kept their technical standards high. But thanks to the often synthetic-sounding 80s production, apart from Latimer’s contribution they sound almost completely unrecognizable. The result is a commercial album packed with potential AOR hits and a few rare pieces that remind the listener of the old days, when Camel were something else entirely. The modern, electronic sounds and synthesizers, plus a much simpler rhythm section that noticeably lost depth with Ward’s departure (he’d brought it with his layered jazz technique), will mostly win over fans of bands like The Alan Parsons Project, Asia or Foreigner.
“No Easy Answer” is almost perfect pop rock/AOR in the style of The Alan Parsons Project, and with better promotion from the label it would surely have been a radio hit. If it didn’t have Latimer’s guitar and vocals, which you can spot a mile away, I’d have a hard time saying it was Camel at all. “You Are The One” continues in a similar vein, commercial AOR rock born for radio play, which undoubtedly burned up the airwaves back then but today only stirs up nostalgia for the 80s. Guest vocalist and bassist David Patton sings on “Heroes”, which has a grand synth intro but quickly turns into an ear-friendly AOR power ballad. The romantic instrumental “Selva” finally manages to capture at least some of that true Camel spirit most fans of the band are used to. With ambient keyboards and Latimer’s gorgeous slide guitar solos, it’s one of the few genuinely thrilling moments on this album. “Lullabye” is, as the name suggests, a short instrumental lullaby that leaves the listener with nothing. The instrumental “Sasquatch”, on the other hand, is a very good piece, with outstanding triple-guitar melodies, melodic transitions, tasteful solos and a nice interplay of guitars and synths, while the rhythm section leans a bit toward the sort neo-prog bands often used back then. So in places Camel prove they hadn’t totally given up on progressive elements after all. “Manic” is, on the other hand, a complete detour from everything Camel stand for, pure AOR/melodic rock in the style of Asia or even Magnum, with synths pushed way up front and a steady but souped-up rhythm section. Latimer even indulges in a hard rock solo that’s very out of character for him. In the third minute there’s an interesting instrumental entry with thick waves of synthesizers, but it’s not enough to send the average fan of the band into ecstasy. “Camelogue” is a solid power ballad that symbolizes the tragic breakup of the band’s original, classic lineup (Latimer, Bardens, Ward, Ferguson), which created their best work, and its lyrics echo Andy’s nostalgia for the golden days when they weren’t yet prisoners of a greedy label and could play whatever they wanted. That nostalgia is deepened even more by his wonderfully subtle guitar solo as the track fades out. “Today’s Goodbye” opens with multi-part vocal lines that are atypical for Camel, and, especially in the choruses, it reminds me more of Styx (minus their frequent pathos, of course) than of legends of British symphonic prog rock. Even Andy’s ever-superb guitar work and his recognizable vocals can’t save this uncomfortable feeling (sometimes I wish he’d sung everything on the album without guests). “A Heart’s Desire” is a short ballad sung by guest vocalist Chris Rainbow that flows into the connected closing instrumental “End Peace”, the only moment on the album where we can hear orchestral arrangements and layered keyboards (played by none other than Anthony Phillips), which were once a beloved part of Camel’s musical heritage. These blend with extremely melancholic slide guitar and make for a satisfying finish to this rather controversial album, at least for the band’s fans.
“The Single Factor” is often labeled the band’s worst album, with people saying they “sold out” on it, even though technically it’s a good album. Its bad luck is simply that it doesn’t reach Camel’s usual high standards, and that AOR fans get more out of it than prog rock fans. While it contains many departures from prog rock waters, there are still enough good pieces on it that I can’t call it a complete miss. The main problem with “The Single Factor” is above all its inconsistency, since next to a handful of average tracks, the better ones quickly fade. After a masterpiece like “Nude”, it also marks a sudden, big creative drop, as it chronically lacks that true soul of the band that wowed us on their 70s albums with grand, innovative compositions. That’s why “The Single Factor” is only for AOR fans and for loyal fans of the band, who forgive even these rare signs of musical weakness and can accept the fact that even they are just mere mortals.
Lineup
Andy Latimer – vocals, guitar, piano
Graham Jarvis – drums
Peter Bardens – organ, mini moog
David Paton – bass guitar, vocals
Chris Rainbow – vocals
Dave Mattacks – drums
Haydn Bendall – keyboards
Duncan Mackay – keyboards
Simon Phillips – drums
Francis Monkman – keyboards
Anthony Phillips – keyboards
Tristan Fry – zither
Jack Emblow – accordion
Production
Tony Clark
Track List
1. No Easy Answer (2:55)
2. You Are the One (5:20)
3. Heroes (4:47)
4. Selva (3:30)
5. Lullabye (0:55)
6. Sasquatch (4:40)
7. Manic (4:24)
8. Camelogue (3:41)
9. Today’s Goodbye (4:04)
10. A Heart Desire / End Peace (4:00)
Album length: 38:16
