Camel – The Snow Goose (1975/2013)
Artist: Camel
Album: The Snow Goose
Genre: Symphonic Prog
Label: Camel Productions
Year Of Release: 1975/2013
Quality: FLAC (tracks+.cue)
Tracklist:
01. The Great Marsh (2:04)
02. Rhayadar (3:02)
03. Rhayadar Goes To Town (5:20)
04. Sanctuary [revised edition] (1:06)
05. Fritha (1:19)
06. Snow Goose (3:12)
07. Friendship (1:44)
08. Migration [revised edition] (2:02)
09. Rhayadar Alone [revised edition] (1:50)
10. Flight Of The Snow Goose (2:01)
11. Preparation (3:53)
12. Dunkirk (5:25)
13. Epitaph [revised edition] (2:07)
14. Fritha Alone (1:39)
15. Princesse Perdue (4:46)
16. The Great Marsh (1:34)
Personnel:
– Andrew Latimer / guitars, keyboards, flute, arrangements, producing & mixing
– Guy LeBlanc / organ (2,3,6,8,12), Moog (5,15), piano (14), keyboards (15), wordless vocals (8)
– Colin Bass / bass guitar
– Denis Clement / drums, percussion, keyboards (11,13,15,16), bass (12), sounds (12), arrangements, producing & mixing
Releases information:
Re-recording of the 1975 album, with compositions revised by Andy Latimer (tracks 4,8,9,13)
Music Inspired on the short story from Paul Gallico by the same name “The Snow Goose”
In spite of Camel being one of my favorite prog bands of all times, I completely missed this reissue/remastered in 2013 up until 2022. What a shame, but in my defense that proves that prog music is well and alive. There are so many good bands and albums around that it is very difficult if not impossible to keep track of all the releases.
In any event, this year I finally found out about the existence of this album in the strangest way. While surfing the net for the short story from Mr. Gallico, I came across a different cover album for Snow Goose. Honestly, Snow Goose was not my favorite album from Camel [I will explain later] and I was never a fan of that cover. So when I saw there was a new cover, I was blown away by it and did my research in finding this release.
I have never been a fan of reissues from the 70’s, but there are some exceptions like the reissues/re-mixes by Steven Wilson, the new 2021 reissue/re-mixes of VDGG, and a few others. But in general I really try to avoid reissues of albums, because in my humble opinion the music loses the flavor from that era.
Anyway, after this clarification let’s go over the album itself. I am not going to describe every song, since many of my fellow reviewers have done this already and also in the past with the original version. Instead, I would try to give the novice explorer of prog music and of Camel, and maybe some of the old dudes like myself, a guide on how to enjoy this album to the maximum.
Camel throughout the year has been very prolific in good releases. In my opinion, they have several excellent albums and while some are not as good as others, they do not have any stinkers. I know some prog heads will disagree, but that is a discussion for another time.
Many people would consider “The Snow Goose” as the pinnacle of Camel as a band, and rightfully so. But in spite of this, it was never my favorite album. For a good period of years, I would say Mirage was, but over the past decade I have grown more fond of “Moonmadness” from their old stuff and “Harbor of Tears” from their latest years.
This epic and conceptual album was outstanding in 1975 and the same applies to 2013, as CAMEL and Mr. Latimer were able to keep the flavor of the original album and reshape in the process some passages and tracks, without being “pretentious or pompous.”
In my opinion, this release should stand alone since it is not just a reissue. There have been some changes that make this album unique. First, starting with the cover and then going through the band members [Guy LeBlanc (R.I.P) all keyboards, Colin Bass Bass guitar, Denis Clement on Percussion and more, and of course Andy) into the music itself [with many polish arrangement and passages] which keep you pretty engaged in the music.
Also, I do believe that Mr. Latimer and Co. have kept the concept and the inspiration for the music faithful to the original album. I know some people will disagree, but hear me out, I strongly feel this way since if you place the original album against this one, the 1975 album does not lose any of its magic. And for me that is one, if not the most important aspect. Yes, of course production and maybe sound is better, but then again it has been more than 40 years! It’s a real recognition for his old pals and band members [Peter, Andy and Doug].
I do not have a favorite track, or at least cannot pick one in particular, as I always try to enjoy it as a whole. But certainly, if you burn the CD you must try to join tracks [1-3, 4-9, 10-12 and 13-16) and see how that sits in your mind.
I was lucky enough to still be able to obtain a Mini-Japanese copy [as well as having a second CD with the live version). If you can afford and find a copy, I would suggest getting that version.
My advice is for you to listen to the whole album entirely while you read the short story. You will find out that you should be able to read the entire story in about the same time you finish listening to the album.
This is probably in my opinion the best way to really enjoy the album, as it will show you the connection with the book and the story line, and the inspiration they had at the time.
A tale of a human and society rebuff, two people and their bond with not only the “Snow Goose” but with each other in spite of their differences. It is a simple and short story of war, courage, human spirit and a marvelous ending that is unforgettable!!. I am not going to ruin the end for you if you are planning to check it out.
It is a multi-sensory experience of vision, imagination, and listening. What better way to spend 50 minutes of your day, for a life-time lesson of hope and strength, while enjoying good music on top of that?
I did promise myself to start using less than 5 stars on my critiques, but if I do this with this album, it would be a real tragedy. So 5 stars Andy Latimer, keep on going please?
Review by Prognut, progarchives.com
