Seeing Doubles in Camel's "Mirage": Prog Review #21

Camel - Mirage

Through the haze, the sound of Camel rings across the desert, distorted by all that it's not:

• It's the jam band of classic prog, yet without the ponderous pretense of ELP.

• A sound dominated by blues-based rock stretched to its creative limits, but without the idiosyncratic lyricism and histrionic virtuosity of Genesis.

• Jazzy flute and rhythm sections that swing, but never stray into the folkish territory of Jethro Tull.

• Tinged with touches of experimental production that are yet never themselves the focus, as in Pink Floyd's masterpieces.

• Complex, technical drumwork and basslines working overtime, yet without the hard edge of Rush.

• Where King Crimson is sprawling and discordant, these airs are tight and melodic.

• Sophisticated and challenging like Yes, but still warm and engaging.

Camel or Chameleon?

Saw you sitting on a sunbeam / In the middle of my daydream - “Lady Fantasy”

Shimmering within the mirage, Camel evokes much of the more successful progressive bands of the 70s. Like the band's animal namesake, Camel drinks in and absorbs the water of music from all that was happening in prog and rock at the time—the synthesizer counterpoint on parts of “Lady Fantasy” evokes the Doors, and the many extended solos suggest more mainstream rock aspirations on top of the proggy arrangements.

If I had discovered Camel in my teens or early 20s, they would probably be one of my favourite bands right now. There was nothing more exciting about the first listen on a new alt rock album than a final track that faded out from a 5-minute instrumental. Mirage is all about long instrumental jams bound together with the bare minimum of verse-chorus structures. Yes, 3 of the 5 tracks have lyrics, but you could be forgiven for forgetting this while getting lost in the irresistible solos that seem to last forever.

The foundation of this album is in the unassuming rhythm section. The drums and bass are always busier than you realize, but it's the guitar, synthesizer, or flute that take the spotlight most of the time. The combined force of each instrument is most obvious on "Earthrise," an epic, fast-tempo instrumental track full of showy noodling, complex synths, furious bass runs, and relentless drumwork.

Camel is another prog band that doesn't necessarily sound like prog. There's very little genre blending or odd structures: just extended instrumental sections and sudden mood shifts, like the one near the end of "Lady Fantasy" when the album reaches its climactic finish.

Mirage is a highly accessible and satisfying album that gets better with each listen. It's not groundbreaking or incredibly unique, but Camel loads up on its back a whole lot of what early prog rock had to offer, making for a wonderful trek, start to finish.

Rolling Stone Rankings

1. Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon

2. King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King

3. Rush - Moving Pictures

4. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

5. Yes – Close to the Edge

6. Genesis - Selling England by the Pound

7. Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick

8. Can - Future Days

9. Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

10. Yes - Fragile

11. Rush - Hemispheres

12. ELP - Brain Salad Surgery

13. Pink Floyd - Animals

14. Genesis - Foxtrot

15. King Crimson - Red

16. Gentle Giant - Octopus

17. Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells

18. Frank Zappa - One Size Fits All

19. Premiata Forneria Marconi - Per Un Amico

20. King Crimson - Larks’ Tongue in Aspic

21. Camel - Mirage

ASK Rankings

1. Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

2. Genesis - Foxtrot

3. Camel - Mirage

4. Yes – Close to the Edge

5. King Crimson - Red

6. Gentle Giant - Octopus

7. Genesis - Selling England by the Pound

8. Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick

9. ELP - Brain Salad Surgery

10. Rush - Moving Pictures

11. King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King

12. Premiata Forneria Marconi - Per Un Amico

13. King Crimson - Larks’ Tongue in Aspic

14. Pink Floyd - Animals

15. Frank Zappa - One Size Fits All

16. Yes - Fragile

17. Rush - Hemispheres

18. Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon

19. Can - Future Days

20. Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells

21. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here