- Messages
- 2,321
- Reaction score
- 428
- Points
- 83
At first glance at a detailed tracklist, one would notice that there are four instrumental tracks to found on Stationary Traveller, something that could give a prog-head from the 70s some hope that Camel turned back on these pop stylings that were hinted at in 1982. Upon hearing the opener, Pressure Points, it even sounds possible that Camel could combined what may have seemed like polar opposites, synths and progressive rock. However, once the album begins with its first real song, it is painfully obvious that this will not be the Camel album we had hoped for. Heavy synths are everywhere, electric basslines, pads, and synth strings are all put at the forefront ahead of guitar on far too many of the tracks. Andrew Latimer?s beautiful tone is forced to fills, mostly, on the distinctly 80s ridden tracks such as Vopos and Cloak and Dagger Man. Chris Rainbow?s immensely 80s pop sounding vocals on some tracks do not help Andrew Latimer?s cause at possibly creating one final masterpiece, as well.
Yet, it seems as if for one song the original Camel returned, for the five minutes of the title track, Stationary Traveller, everything came together, the synths were not a particular forefront, instead used to accent the mood that the piano and acoustic guitar created in the beginning of the song. And for a few minutes, Andrew Latimer gets to show off his lead skills, unveiling one of the finest solo pieces of any progressive rock guitarist, ever. This musicianship was able to carry on even to a very synthesizer-laden instrumental, Missing, which adds in more guitar leads than in previous songs to build up upon itself, and resolving like only Andrew Latimer can do it. After Words and Long Goodbyes work well together to form a strong ending to an otherwise relatively weak album from a band that formerly made top notch progressive rock in the 1970s.
Camel fans should more than likely stay away from this album, but the title track truly is a masterpiece that must be heard at least a few times. Even fans of 80s pop should not be inclined to purchase this, as many other former progressive rock artists produced much better pop music than Camel (Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Asia). For a good feel of what went wrong with the lesser known progressive rock acts in the 80s, Stationary Traveller by Camel is the album that represents it the best.
Tracklist for Stationary Traveller:
1. Pressure Points
2. Refugee
3. Vopos
4. Cloak And Dagger Man
5. Stationary Traveller
6. West Berlin
7. Fingertips
8. Missing
9. After Words
10. Long Goodbyes
Yet, it seems as if for one song the original Camel returned, for the five minutes of the title track, Stationary Traveller, everything came together, the synths were not a particular forefront, instead used to accent the mood that the piano and acoustic guitar created in the beginning of the song. And for a few minutes, Andrew Latimer gets to show off his lead skills, unveiling one of the finest solo pieces of any progressive rock guitarist, ever. This musicianship was able to carry on even to a very synthesizer-laden instrumental, Missing, which adds in more guitar leads than in previous songs to build up upon itself, and resolving like only Andrew Latimer can do it. After Words and Long Goodbyes work well together to form a strong ending to an otherwise relatively weak album from a band that formerly made top notch progressive rock in the 1970s.
Camel fans should more than likely stay away from this album, but the title track truly is a masterpiece that must be heard at least a few times. Even fans of 80s pop should not be inclined to purchase this, as many other former progressive rock artists produced much better pop music than Camel (Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Asia). For a good feel of what went wrong with the lesser known progressive rock acts in the 80s, Stationary Traveller by Camel is the album that represents it the best.
Tracklist for Stationary Traveller:
1. Pressure Points
2. Refugee
3. Vopos
4. Cloak And Dagger Man
5. Stationary Traveller
6. West Berlin
7. Fingertips
8. Missing
9. After Words
10. Long Goodbyes
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