The Desire Factor

Not for the last time, Camel – or, more specifically, guitarist Andy Latimer, the last man standing from the original group – a polarised opinion with the release of their ninth studio album, The Single Factor, issued on May 6, 1982, during a time when interest in prog was flatlining. Robert Fripp had admittedly rejuvenated, repurposed, and modernized King Crimson, and parochial holdouts such as Marillion were conspiring among themselves in the wings; but for most prog veterans it was clearly a case of adapt to survive.

Following the ambitious song cycle Nude, Camel attempted their version of an Alan Parsons Project album with The Single Factor. Considering that Parsons was having hits that year with songs like "Eye in the Sky," it's not surprising that Camel tried to capture the same audience, yet their talent didn't lay with pop music – it lay with atmospheric instrumentals and creating detailed soundscapes. Consequently, The Single Factor sounds a little forced and often fails to capture the group's magic, even though there a few strong moments on the record.