Camel - Rajaz

    Camel ‎– Rajaz

    23 Mar

    By

    Label: Camel Productions ‎– CP-009CD
    Format: CD, HDCD, Album
    Country: UK
    Released: 1999
    Genre: Rock
    Style: Prog Rock, Classic Rock

    “I’d walk a mile for a Camel!”

    Sorry, couldn’t resist the play on words. In 1946, RJ Reynolds advertised their Camel cigarettes as being the favourite choice among doctors “from every branch of medicine”, making smokers believe it was safe to smoke them.  The slogan “More doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette” became the mainstay of Camel advertising until 1952.

    Not being a smoker myself I can now look at those bygone marketing slogans (and the lung damage they caused) in a different light (there I go again – sorry for the Dad puns).

    “This” Camel actually has nothing to do with “that” Camel and more to do with the musical / geographical connection of “ships in the night” in a desert context.

    Camel are an English progressive rock band formed in Guildford, Surrey, in 1972. Led by founder-member guitarist Andrew Latimer, they have produced fourteen original studio albums and fourteen singles, plus numerous live albums and DVDs. Predominantly instrumental, with melody paramount, Camel’s music combines elements from rock, pop, jazz, blues, folk, classical and electronica.

    I missed out on this music growing up as the “innernet” wasn’t there to stream it out to the cosmos. I first heard Camel in the mid-eighties and via the Tangerine Dream Klaus Schultz back catalogue spearing off into Prog Rock bands. Pink Floyd was of course a regular audio habit but some of the more obscure British Prog Rock bands of the era were not easy to get hold of.

    No LP of this is album is available. Well sometimes if you got lemons you got to make lemonade. So I guess I’ll have to go digital (about time say about 1,000 audio buddies). Camel does have LP’s of their earlier Prog Rock work from the 70’s. This one is from late 90’s was when CD was in peak mode.

    Without achieving mass popularity, the band gained a cult following over the years with albums such as Mirage, The Snow Goose and Moonmadness. Surviving punk rock, they moved into a jazzier, more commercial direction, but then were put on a seven-year hiatus in the mid-1980s. Since 1991 the band have been independent, releasing albums including Dust and Dreams, Harbour of Tears and Rajaz on their own label.

    In 1999 Latimer, Stewart, Bass and Scherpenzeel recorded Rajaz, a record inspired by an ancient Arabic poetic metre of the same name that reflects the rhythm of camel footsteps in the desert.

    For those who love the music of classic era CAMEL you will surely love “Rajaz” with the vintage sounds and excellent song writing. This version of CAMEL put Andy Latimer (guitars, vocals) up with Colin Bass (bass), Tom Scherpenzeel (keyboards), Barry Phillips (cello) and Dave Stewart on the drum kit.

    “Rajaz” blends the sharp Arabic sounding guitar fretting of Latimer with the symphonic keys of Scherpenzeel all encased with the soft vocals of Latimer. Songs are exceptionally well written and offer a great mix of themes and moods. “Rajaz” was also recorded in HDCD so the sound is impressive with great deep bass from Colin Bass and the cello of Barry Phillips.

    Recently George Moraitis introduced me to the phenomenal Porcupine Tree an English progressive rock band formed by musician Steven Wilson. I immediately liked their work – like really dug it. Steven Wilson has commented that Camel was a huge influence on his work. You can definitely hear the connections.

    Munich High End show last year (2019) had a guest musician open the show. It was Steven Wilson as the event’s brand ambassador. Maybe Prog Rock’s time has come again and we’ll rediscover the art-form.

    Despite no new studio release since 2002, the band continue to tour. Their music has influenced several subsequent artists, including Marillion and Opeth. The music journalist Mark Blake described Camel as “the great unsung heroes of 70s prog rock”.

    Latimer was presented with a Lifetime Achievement at Orange Amplification’s 2014 Progressive Music Awards and the 2013/14 Snow Goose tour was nominated in the category of Live Event.

    Now back to those puns…..

    For a taste of Camel (filtered) try the title track Rajaz. You’ll hear a master-crafted blend of only the finest hand-picked guitars and keyboards with a robust drum and percussion blend which creates Camel’s distinctive flavour and world-class smoothness.

    More audiophiles play Camels than any other prog-rock dromedaries.  I say play em if you got em…

    Oh please Dad stop………………!

    Ok, time for those headphones and that single malt so I can be banished to the Sahara……………

    Track listing

    Three Wishes                          6:58
    Lost And Found                      5:38
    The Final Encore                     8:07
    Rajaz                                           8:15
    Shout                                          5:15
    Straight To My Heart            6:23
    Sahara                                        6:44
    Lawrence                                  10:46

     

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