Kit Watkins

Kit Watkins has played keyboards for Happy The Man, Tone Ghost Either, and between 1979-1982 was a member of Camel (recording on I Can See Your House From Here as well as On the Road 1981 and On The Road 1982). He has also perfomred on recordings by Forrest Fang, The Blind Messenger, Richard Sinclair, Paul Adams and Djam Karet.

Can See Your House from Here is the seventh studio album by English progressive rock band Camel. Released in 1979, a new line up was introduced with founding members Andrew Latimer (guitar) and Andy Ward (drums) joined by bassist Colin Bass (to replace Richard Sinclair) and keyboardists Jan Schelhaas (who joined in 1978 for the Breathless tour) and Kit Watkins (ex-Happy The Man) who replaced Dave Sinclair. At one point, the album was going to be called Endangered Species.

Although not an honest representation of the band's character, this is undoubtedly their most popular work. The one-time addition of American Kit Watkins produces some fine keyboard lead work. Rupert Hine's resourceful production and appearances by Phil Collins and Mel Collins round out this strong import release. "Survival" and "Who We Are" feature some fine orchestrations, and guitarist Latimer delivers some exceptional lead work on the album's closer, "Ice." ~ Matthew Plichta

Andy West - Rama 1 (2002) {Magna Carta MA9061-2}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 300 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 99 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 19 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2002 Magna Carta | MA 9061-2
Jazz Fusion / Prog Rock

Although billed as Andy West and Rama, this is actually a solo album from the former bass player for the Dixie Dregs. As one might expect from an album by an alumnus of that group, this one definitely falls into the progressive rock genre. As a subgenre, the disc is instrumental, and feels a lot like much of the other instrumental prog being released these days. Therein lies the album's appeal – but also a complaint. The appeal is that since it does not wander far from the sound of the hard-edged instrumental prog that seems to dominate much of the style these days, it should appeal to the people who are aficionados of that sound.

On the Road 1982 features the band's tenth anniversary tour performance from The Hague, Netherlands. Unfortunately, as the liner notes explain, the original tapes were lost, and the recording presented here draws from the version that passed through the mixing desk. While the end result is still better than your garden-variety bootleg, the sound of the "Camel Live" ladle scraping the bottom of the proverbial barrel is inescapable. Camel was promoting The Single Factor at the time (no wonder they called it the tenth anniversary tour), with a cast that bore little resemblance to any popular incarnation of the band.

The history of this legendary US group started in 1972, when guitarist Stanley Whitaker and bassist Rick Kennell met in Germany and shared the same admiration for British Progressive Rock.Whitaker was back in USA by the next year and Kennell, who remained in German grounds for a while, introduced him two of his former bandmates, drummer Mike Beck and singer/flautist Cliff Fortney…