Camel: Camel (50th anniversary, 2023 reissue, remastered) [MCA]

Why you'll love it

This 50th anniversary pressing is remastered from the original master tapes. It's where the band behind The Snow Goose and Moonmadness began, with Andrew Latimer's guitar and Peter Bardens' keyboards already working as one.

This edition

• 50th anniversary edition
• Remastered from the original master tapes
• Pressed in the Czech Republic
• Stereo mix

About the album

Every great prog band needs a name, and this one went through Brew first. Guitarist Andrew Latimer, drummer Andy Ward and bassist Doug Ferguson started as a blues-rock trio in Guildford, Surrey, spent time backing singer-songwriter Phillip Goodhand-Tait, then brought in keyboardist Peter Bardens. They played their first show as Camel at Waltham Forest Technical College in December 1971, opening for Wishbone Ash.

MCA signed them to a three-album deal in August 1972, and producer Dave Williams helped them make this self-titled debut, which arrived in February 1973. "Slow Yourself Down" opens with a swirl of organ and guitar, "Mystic Queen" drifts somewhere gentler, and "Separation" and "Curiosity" stretch out with the long, melodic instrumental passages that became the band's calling card. "Never Let Go" was the single and went on to be a live staple, and "Arubaluba" closes the record at full gallop.

Camel went on to become a fixture of 1970s progressive rock, with a devoted following that still turns up for every archival reissue. There's also a track called "Six Ate," which we've decided not to think about too hard.

Also at Kops: more Camel on vinyl · browse Rock

Tracklist

Listen

On MCA / Decca (cat# 456 829-1), a reissue of the 1973 album.