Camel 5.1

Camel are an English progressive rock band formed in Guildford, Surrey, in 1971. Led by guitarist Andrew Latimer, they have released fourteen studio albums and fourteen singles, plus numerous live albums and DVDs. Without achieving mass popularity, the band gained a cult following in the 1970s with albums such as Mirage (1974) and The Snow Goose (1975). They moved into a jazzier, more commercial direction in the early 1980s, but then went on an extended hiatus. Since 1991 the band has been independent, releasing albums on their own label.

In August 1972, Camel signed to MCA Records and headed into Morgan Sound Studios to record their debut album, which was released on February 28, 1973.

Camel's Coming of Age DVD begins with a fly on the wall style mini documentary showing the band in rare form rehearsing for a show. They discuss various chord structures and movements to get that distinct Camel sound and they play full pieces effortlessly. It is a wonderful start to this fabulous DVD. The sound check follows which is basically the band preparing prior to a show on a stage with an empty auditorium…

Released on March 26, 1976, Camel’s ‘Moonmadness’ was a stratospheric flight from one of prog rock’s finest bands, and it remains a career high.

Big debut for Camel! It contains more jazzy sound than most of the albums in progressive rock music. But it has a little harder sound, too. The strongest songs are in the middle of the album which is unusually for most of the albums. Songs like Six Ate, Separation and Never Let Go make the album essential.

Although Stationary Traveller is a concept album, it musically falls into line with its predecessor The Single Factor, which found Camel trying to refashion themselves as the Alan Parsons Project. Where The Single Factor suffered from Camel's attempts to write pop hooks, Stationary Traveller finds the band breaking down the barriers, opening up their relatively concise songs with long, atmospheric instrumental passages…