Sunday, September 12, 2021

Druid - Toward The Sun (1975 uk, fine prog rock, 2015 japan SHM remaster)


Formed in 1971 by old schoolmates Dane Stevens and Cedric Sharpley, along with local bass player Neil Brewer, Druid spent years playing clubs as a trio before winning a competition by Melody Maker for the best unsigned band. At this point they added Andrew McCrorie-Shand, a recent London College of Music graduate.

The Melody Maker prize included new instruments and a recording contract, and their debut album appeared in July 1975 among envious whispers by rival bands and music publications. The band had a difficult time shaking the charge of hype, and they were also charged in some quarters as being Yes soundalikes -- Starcastle in the U.S. was later to be tarred with the same brush. () - In fact, Druid was an opening act at a number of Yes concerts. The Yes comparison, though an obvious one, is not entirely accurate. While Dane's vocals are clearly styled after Jon Anderson, and Neil Brewer's bass has the classic pick-driven Rickenbacker growl associated with Chris Squire, the rest of the band departs from the formula; McCrorie-Shand's unadorned keyboard parts, for example, have little in common with the lavishly baroque flash of Rick Wakeman or the martial Hammond pounding of Tony Kaye.

With the release of their second album in the spring of 1976, the band distanced themselves from their production and Melody Maker connections. It couldn't make up for the weaker material on their sophomore effort, and the band finally called it quits. Cedric Sharpley was to find success soon afterwards, though, by joining up with a new and unusual band led by an strange fellow named Gary Numan.
by Paul Collins
Tracks
1. Voices (Andrew McCrorie-Shand, Dane Stevens) - 8:14
2. Remembering (Dane Stevens, Neil Brewer) - 5:24
3. Theme (Andrew McCrorie-Shand, Cedric Sharpley, Dane Stevens, Neil Brewer) - 5:26
4. Toward The Sun (Dane Stevens) - 5:08
5. Red Carpet For An Autumn (Andrew McCrorie-Shand, Neil Brewer) - 3:09
6. Dawn Of Evening (Andrew McCrorie-Shand, Neil Brewer) - 10:03
7. Shangri-La (Dane Stevens, Neil Brewer) - 10:08

Druid
*Dane Stevens - Guitars, Vocals
*Andrew McCrorie-Shand - Keyboards, Choral Arrangements
*Neil Brewer - Bass
*Cedric Sharpley - Drums, Percussion

Saturday, September 11, 2021

Dragonwyck - Fun (1974-76 us, essential art prog psych rock, 2008 remaster)


This previously unreleased album from 1974 rounds off the World In Sound trilogy of Cleveland´s most celebrated 70s "art-psychedelic" rock groups. It´s Dragonwyck´s most professional piece of music and truly decent pioneering in combining 60s psych compositions with tape looping (comparable to the "Dark Side of The Moon" album) and symphonic elements: "Fun is what the name implies; hard work, a lot of sweat. Orchestrated rock that is orchestrated without an orchestra". Sure they were inspired by the conceptions of giants, like Genesis, 70s Pink Floyd, Gentle Giant or Yes and express a few Doors / Bowie-flashes to sound finally as a unique collage of detailed studiowork. 

Compared to the time when it was recorded it´s innovatively produced and became a great artistic statement with finally 10 original cuts (plus 2 bonustracks/8 p. colorbooklet). You´ll hear prog-psych and crazy symphonic perversions with weird vocals/voices, powerful guitars, violin and lots of keyboards. While the first album (WIS-1023) was minimalistic dark/heavy and strong Doors influenced, the second (WIS-1030) created more "British Invasion"-sounds a la Moody Blues or King Crimson, to make this third album the most variative and unexpected one.
Tasty Odds 
Tracks
1. The Music (Jack Boessneck, Tom Brehm, Bill Pettijohn) - 3:04
2. One More Goodbye (Jerry Moran, Bill Pettijohn) - 3:53
3. He Loves You (Bill Pettijohn) - 2:45
4. I Shall Stay (Tom Brehm) - 3:54
5. Relics (Tom Brehm, Bill Pettijohn) - 4:17
6. Doncha' Cry (Jerry Moran, Bill Pettijohn) - 3:21
7. You Gotta Have Fun (Bill Cavanaugh) - 1:00
8. Ain't That The Way She Goes (Tom Brehm, Jerry Moran, Bill Pettijohn) - 2:59
9. A Dream For Me (Jerry Moran, Bill Pettijohn) - 3:30
10.Forever (Tom Brehm) - 4:22
11.Not Over: Flying Turns (Bill Cavanaugh) - 5:07
12.I Am You (Jon Simonell) - 5:05
Tracks 11-12 as the Flying Turns

Dragonwyck
*Tom Brehm - Guitars, Violin
*Tim Layman - Bass
*Scott Barnes - Bass
*Dale Flanigan - Drums
*Butch Roth - Drums
*Bill Pettijohn - Lead Vocals
*Jerry Moran - Keyboards 
*Peggy Cella - Vocals

Flying Turns
*Bill Cavanaugh - Guitars, Vocals
*Tom Brehm - Guitars, Electric Violin
*Jerry Moran - Keyboards 
*Jon Simonell - Keyboards, Vocals 
*Michael McBride - Drums 

Friday, September 10, 2021

Fenton Robinson - I Hear Some Blues Downstairs (1977 us, awesome electric chicago blues)


Fenton Robinson was heralded as one of the most progressive guitarists in Chicago as well as one of the true intellectuals on the scene–a Tolstoy and Kafka reader also known as ‘The Mellow Blues Genius.’ He was one of the first acts to be signed to Alligator Records, and his considerable talents as a singer, instrumentalist, and songwriter were well showcased on his second album for the label. 

"I Hear Some Blues Downstairs", which in addition to the catchy title track also includes a remake of the classic ‘As the Years Go Passing By,’ which Robinson recorded in its original version for Duke Records in 1959. Sidemen on the album included Bill Heid, Steve Ditzell, Larry Exum, and Ashward Gates, with a horns arranged by one of Chicago’s other most advanced guitarists, Reggie Boyd.
Tracks
1. I Hear Some Blues Downstairs - 4:14
2. Just A Little Bit (Ralph Bass, Buster Brown, John Thornton, Fats Washington) - 4:34
3. West Side Baby (Dallas Bartley, Johnny Cameron) - 5:03
4. I'm So Tired - 3:53
5. I Wish For You - 3:13
6. Tell Me What's The Reason (Florence Cadrez) - 3:19
7. Going West - 3:43
8. Killing Floor (Chester Burnett, Howlin' Wolf) - 3:37
9. As The Years Go Passing By (Deadric Malone) - 4:48
All compositions by Fenton Robinson except where stated

Musicians
*Fenton Robinson - Guitar, Vocals 
*Billy Brimfield - Trumpet
*Earl Crossley - Tenor Sax 
*Steve Ditzell - Rhythm Guitar
*Larry Exum - Bass
*Ashward Gates, Jr. - Drums
*Bill Heid - Keyboards
*Bill MacFarland - Trombone
*Reggie Boyd - Horn Arrangements


Wednesday, September 8, 2021

Sam Apple Pie - East 17 (1972 uk, fine blues rock, 2005 remaster)


In 1970 they played the first Glastonbury Festival, after which Morley and Charles left to form Help Yourself and Steve Jolly to join Procol Harum offshoot Freedom. After several more line up changes, the band recorded their second album East 17 in 1973, with Sam Sampson and Bob Rennie from the first album supported by Andy Johnson and Denny "Pancho" Barnes on guitars, and Lee Baxter Hayes on drums.

They disbanded in 1974, but reformed the next year. During the hiatus, from mid 1974 to February 1975, the band members performed with Vincent Crane as Vincent Crane's Atomic Rooster. Further line up changes included bassist Gary Fletcher, who subsequently joined The Blues Band and drummer Martin Bell. The band continued into the late 1970s, changing its name to The Vipers, Gary Fletcher on GTA agency site Retrieved 11 November 29 (not to be confused with the new wave band of the same name) before disbanding.
Tracks
1.Good Time Music (John Sebastian) - 3:48
2.Louise (Andy Johnson, Sam Sampson) - 4:59
3.Out On The Road (Andy Johnson, Sam Sampson) - 4:28
4.Route 66 (Bobby Troup) - 2:32
5.She's The Queen (Andy Johnson, Lee Baxter Hayes) - 4:36
6. Old Tom (Andy Johnson, Sam Sampson) - 4:04
7.Flying (Andy Johnson, Sam Sampson) - 5:27
8.Call Me Boss (Andy Johnson, Lee Baxter Hayes) - 4:38
9.Another Orpheus (Andy Johnson, Denny Barnes, Bob Rennie, Lee Baxter Hayes, Sam Sampson, Eckersley) - 4:58

Sam Apple Pie
*Sam "Tomcat" Sampson - Harmonica, Vocals
*Bob "Dog" Rennie - Bass
*Andy Johnson - Guitar
*Denny "Pancho" Barnes - Lead Guitar
*Lee Baxter Hayes - Drums



Tuesday, September 7, 2021

Sam Apple Pie - Sam Apple Pie (1969 uk, great blues rock with brass section, 2003 digipak expanded and 2013 japan remasterd editions)



Formed in Walthamstow, London, where they ran their own club 'The Bottleneck Blues Club', Sam Apple Pie soon attracted a large live following, with a mix of goodtime blues and boogie, interspersed with humour. In October 1969 they played the Amougies festival, in Belgium, where Frank Zappa jammed with them. United Mutations (Zappa History) Retrieved 29 October 2009
 
They wrote all but one of the songs on their first album Sam Apple Pie (1969) which featured lead singer Sam "Tomcat" Sampson with Mike "Tinkerbell" Smith and Steve Jolly on guitars, bassist Bob "Dog" Rennie, Malcolm Morley on keyboards and Dave Charles on drums. 
by Richie Unterberger
Tracks
1. Hawk (Dave Charles, Mick Smith, Sam Sampson) - 4:06
2. Winter Of My Love (Andy Johnson, Sam Sampson) - 7:14
3. Stranger (Andy Johnson, Sam Sampson) - 4:26
4. Swan Song (Andy Johnson, Sam Sampson) - 7:12
5. Tiger Man (King Of The Jungle) (Joe Hill Louis, Sam Burns) - 2:23
6. Something Nation (Mick Smith, Sam Sampson) - 3:59
7. Sometime Girl (Andy Johnson, Sam Sampson) - 4:00
8. Uncle Sam's Blues (Andy Johnson, Dave Charles, Doug Renny, Mick Smith, Sam Sampson) - 2:36
9. Annabelle (Andy Johnson, Doug Renny, Sam Sampson) - 5:17
10.Moonlight Man (Andy Johnson, Mick Smith, Sam Sampson) - 7:17
11.Tiger Man (Joe Hill Louis, Sam Burns) - 2:23
12.Sometime Girl (Andy Johnson, Sam Sampson) - 4:01
Bonus Tracks Mono Single Mix 11-12

Sam Apple Pie
*Sam Sampson - Harp, Vocals, Whistle 
*Mick "Tinkerbell" Smith - Lead Guitar
*Dave Charles - Drums
*Andy "Snakehips" Johnson - Slide Guitar
*Doug Renny - Bass
With
*Andy Dark - Piano
*Steve Jolly - Guitar
*Harry Klein - Baritone Sax 
*Malcolm Morley - Electric Harpsichord, Piano
*Rex Morris - Tenor Sax



Monday, September 6, 2021

Fenton Robinson - Somebody Loan Me A Dime (1974 us, stunning electric chicago blues)


Fenton Robinson tirelessly strives to invent something fresh and vital whenever he's near a bandstand. The soft-spoken Mississippi native got his career going in Memphis, where he'd moved at age 16. First, Rosco Gordon used him on a 1956 session for Duke that produced "Keep on Doggin'." The next year, Fenton made his own debut as a leader for the Bihari Brothers' Meteor label with his first reading of "Tennessee Woman." His band, the Dukes, included mentor Charles McGowan on guitar. T-Bone Walker and B.B. King were Robinson's idols.

1957 also saw Fenton team up with bassist Larry Davis at the Flamingo Club in Little Rock. Bobby Bland caught the pair there and recommended them to his boss, Duke Records prexy Don Robey. Both men made waxings for Duke in 1958, Robinson playing on Davis' classic "Texas Flood" and making his own statement with "Mississippi Steamboat." Robinson cut the original version of the often-covered Peppermint Harris-penned slow blues "As the Years Go Passing By" for Duke in 1959 with New Orleans prodigy James Booker on piano. 

The same date also produced a terrific "Tennessee Woman" and a marvelous blues ballad, "You've Got to Pass This Way Again." Fenton moved to Chicago in 1962, playing Southside clubs with Junior Wells, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Otis Rush and laying down the swinging "Say You're Leavin'" for USA in 1966. But it was his stunning slow blues "Somebody (Loan Me a Dime)" cut in 1967 for Palos, that insured his blues immortality. Boz Scaggs liked it so much that he covered it for his 1969 debut LP. Unfortunately, he initially also claimed he wrote the tune; much litigation followed.

John Richbourg's Sound Stage 7/Seventy 7 labels, it's safe to say, didn't really have a clue as to what Fenton Robinson's music was all about. The guitarist's 1970 Nashville waxings for the firm were mostly horrific: he wasn't even invited to play his own guitar on the majority of the horribly unsubtle rock-slanted sides. His musical mindset was growing steadily jazzier by then, not rockier. 

One of the most subtly satisfying electric blues albums of the '70s. Fenton Robinson never did quite fit the "Genuine Houserocking Music" image of Alligator Records -- his deep, rich baritone sounds more like a magic carpet than a piece of barbed wire, and he speaks in jazz-inflected tongues, full of complex surprises. The title track hits with amazing power, as do the chugging "The Getaway," a hard-swinging "You Say You're Leaving," and the minor-key "You Don't Know What Love Is." In every case, Robinson had recorded them before, but thanks to Bruce Iglauer's superb production, a terrific band, and Robinson's musicianship, these versions reign supreme. 

His 1974 album Somebody Loan Me a Dime remains the absolute benchmark of his career, spotlighting his rich, satisfying vocals and free-spirited, understated guitar work in front of a rock-solid horn-driven band. Alligator issued Nightflight, another challenging set, in 1984, then backed off the guitarist. His 1989 disc Special Road, first came out on the Dutch Black Magic logo and was reissued by Evidence Music. Robinson passed away on November 25, 1997 at the age of 62 due to complications from brain cancer. 
by Bill Dahl
Tracks
1. Somebody Loan Me A Dime - 2:59
2. The Getaway - 3:21
3. Directly From My Heart To You (Little Richard) - 4:21
4. Going To Chicago (Traditional) - 3:50
5. You Say You're Leaving (Big Joe Williams) - 3:18
6. Checking On My Woman - 3:26
7. You Don't Know What Love Is - 3:57
8. I've Changed - 4:26
9. Country Girl (Rudy Toombs) - 4:56
10.Gotta Wake Up - 4:28
11.Texas Flood (Larry Davis, Don Robey, Joseph Wade Scott) - 4:22
All songs by Fenton Robinson except where noted

Personnel
*Fenton Robinson - Guitar, Vocals
*Dave Baldwin - Tenor Saxophone
*Cornelius Boyson - Bass Guitar
*Elmer Brown - Trumpet
*Tony Gooden - Drums
*Bill Heid - Keyboards
*Norval D. Hodges - Trumpet
*Bill McFarland - Trombone
*Mighty Joe Young - Guitar

Sunday, September 5, 2021

Bonnie Koloc - You're Gonna Love Yourself In The Morning (1974 us, warm tender folk rock)


The enduring and versatile voice of Bonnie Koloc has been heard in Chicago since 1968.  For a decade, Bonnie was a pivotal act at the Earl of Old Town, drawing crowds that stood in lines around the block, hoping, at least, for a place to stand to catch the hottest act in town.  In time her folk-oriented style merged with jazz and blues, and her versatility took her to Mr. Kelly’s, a long-time Chicago landmark.  While continuing to play at the Earl, Orphans and Holstein’s, she began appearing at festivals.

Along the way she received a Governor’s Award in 1973 for Best Singer, recorded ten albums, two of them with Epic. In 1984 her career took another turn when she starred in the Public Theater’s production of The Human Comedy, first earning her the theatre World Bronze Award for Outstanding New Talent on Broadway and a Drama Critics Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.

She had a minor hit with "Roll Me On the Water" from the 1974 album "You're Gonna Love Yourself in the Morning," but never achieved the national recognition many predicted for her. 
Tracks
1. You're Gonna Love Yourself In The Morning (Donnie Fritts) - 2:21
2. Colors Of The Sun (Jackson Browne) - 3:09
3. Crazy Mary (Mike Smith) - 3:10
4. Children's Blues (Bonnie Koloc) - 3:55
5. Guilty Of Rock And Roll (Neil Goldberg) - 3:18
6. Roll Me On The Water (Bonnie Koloc) - 3:48
7. I Have To Say I Love You In A Song (Jim Croce) - 2:50
8. 25th Of December (Bonnie Koloc) - 2:32
9. The Lion Tamer (Bonnie Koloc) - 2:59
10.Mother Country (Jack Smith, Jerry Liliedahl) - 3:35

Musicians
*Bonnie Koloc - Guitar, Vocals
*David Briggs - Piano
*Jerry Carrigan - Drums
*Johnny Christopher - Guitar
*Jim Colvard - Guitar
*Steve Goodman - Guitar
*Mike Leech - Bass
*Larrie Londin - Drums
*Kenny Malone - Drums
*Farrell Morris - Percussion
*Norbert Putnam - Bass
*Billy Sanford - Guitar
*Henry Strzelecki - Bass
*Pete Wade - Guitar
*Reggie Young - Guitar



Friday, September 3, 2021

Bonnie Koloc - Hold On To Me (1972 us, remarkable jazzy folk rock)


Bonnie moved to Chicago at the age of 24 and was recognized for her talent as a folk singer. Then she moved to New York with great ambition, but soon returned to Chicago with disappointment and released her debut LP, "After All This Time." Her first three albums,  have been widely recognized for their musicality not only in the United States, but also in the United Kingdom and Canada. 

Her singing ability is very good and she is overflowing with charm. Nine guest musicians support her playing skills, but her cool voice boasts a terrifying power that suppresses all instruments. For a moment, her voice reaches its peak when all the instruments stop playing and listen to her. Her voice sounds very familiar, very similar to the British folk rock singers like Linda Hoyle. 
Tracks
1. Sailing Ship (Bob Carpenter) - 3:02
2. Burgundy Wine (Bob Carpenter) - 2:36
3. The Lover In Winter Plaineth For The Spring - 0:50
4. Hold On To Me (Jim Glover) - 5:57
5. Sweet Mama (Bonnie Koloc, Ron Scroggin) - 3:12
6. We Are Ships (Bonnie Koloc, Norm Christian) - 3:41
7. Angel From Montgomery (John Prine) - 2:38
8. Jamaica (Jackson Browne) - 3:35
9. Diamond Lil (David Bromberg) - 5:32
10.Every Day II (Bonnie Koloc, Ron Scroggin) - 4:14

Personnel
*Bonnie Koloc - Guitar, Vocals
*Allen Barcus - Piano
*Bobby Christian - Percussion
*Norman Christian - Drums
*Bobby Lewis - Guitar
*Wally Pillich - Bass
*Ron Scroggin - Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
*Philip Michael Thomas - Congas
*Phil Upchurch - Bass, Guitar 
*Trevor Veitch - Guitar, Dobro



Thursday, September 2, 2021

Bonnie Koloc - Bonnie Koloc (1973 us, wonderful folk harmonies)



Bonnie Koloc came from a working-class background; her father worked in the local John Deere factory in Waterloo, Iowa. She had a difficult childhood, her parents divorcing when she was 12, but nevertheless became the first member of her family to go to university where she studied art and drama whilst singing to help pay the bills. Over time she became disillusioned with her studies and dropped out, moving to Chicago to pursue a musical career. She quickly established herself as a mainstay of the Chicago folk scene, playing regularly at the legendary Earl of Old Town and other folk venues. Her soft sweet voice was reminiscent of Joni Mitchell, although her music had a more jazzy-blues feel to it.

Bonnie Koloc’s debut LP ‘After All This Time’ was released in 1971, the same year as John Prine and Steve Goodman released their debuts. While her contemporaries were signed by established labels (Atlantic and Buddah respectively), Koloc’s record came out on Ovation Records, a local Chicago label. It therefore never gained the traction to launch her career to the heights that many had predicted. However, her brand of psych-folk now sounds ahead of its time. There followed three more albums on Ovation. ‘Hold on to Me’ (1972), ‘Bonnie Koloc’ (1973), and ‘You’re Gonna Love Yourself in the Morning’ (1974) that contain much of her best work. What is perhaps most striking about them is the consistent level of performance that makes it difficult to recommend any one single release ahead of the others.

The quality of the four Ovation releases won her a major label deal with Epic, which produced the equally excellent ‘Close Up’ (1976), one reviewer describing it as her “most consistent and enjoyable album”. However, whilst the album was being made Koloc lost her long time partner Curt Cole Burkhart to a heart problem. In memory of him she then made ‘Wild and Recluse’ (1978) which was partly based around the monologues of a Chicago street guy called Lucky, that her late partner had recorded. Following her well-received Epic debut with such an album was commercial suicide and Epic promptly dropped her.

It would be nine years before ‘With You on My Side’ (1987) which took Koloc back to her early folk style and marked a real return to form. Unfortunately, after this, Koloc only recorded sporadically as her attention turned to a successful career in acting, art and book illustrations. She still performs in Chicago but hasn’t released a new record since 2006’s ‘Here to Sing’. Two live collections have been released, ‘Beginnings’ (2009) features early 1970s live recordings, mainly from The Earl of Old Town shows and ‘Seems Like Yesterday’ is a complete show also from the 1970s. Both are well worth your attention.
by Clint West, May 19, 2020 
Tracks
1. Newport, Aug.14 (Bonnie Koloc) - 3:18
2. Charmer (Bonnie Koloc, Chuck De Meyer) - 3:54
3. Sunday Morning Movies (Bonnie Koloc) - 3:25
4. Wind On The Water (Tom Rush) - 4:14
5. On The Road (Carl Franzen) - 2:55
6. Mama's Blues (Bonnie Koloc, Chuck De Meyer) - 2:26
7. Kentucky Dream (Bonnie Koloc) - 3:56
8. Roll Away The Grey (Bob Carpenter) - 2:27
9. My Aunt Edna (Bonnie Koloc) - 2:43
10.Roslyn (David Van Delinder) - 3:41

Musicians
*Bonnie Koloc - Guitar, Vocals
*Bobby Christian - Percussion
*Norman Christian - Drums
*Chuck DeMeyer - Keyboards, Vocals
*Lonnie Knight - Guitar
*Harold Kritz - Bass
*Danny Long - Piano
*Jonathan Peartree - Guitar, Vocals
*Ron Scroggin - Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
*David VanDelinder - Guitar

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

Camel - Mirage (1974 uk, a prog rock milestone, 2013 japan SHM remaster and expanded)

 


Probably Camel’s most popular album and their best work, the group’s second effort Mirage both expanded and improved upon their self-titled début. Having truly found their sound and gained incredible confidence and daring in their writing and playing, this progressive classic opens strong and ends even stronger. “Freefall,” with its booming opening, outstanding guitar lines, seemingly effortless mood –and tempo changes and fitting vocals, is a definite statement about what Camel could unleash. Which, when listening to Mirage, was something quite astounding.

Split between the three vocal tracks that make up the beginning, middle and end of the album are two superb instrumentals. The shorter, more laid-back and playful “Supertwister” features a first appearance of Latimer’s abilities on the flute, introducing a new element that would play a part in Camel’s sound on many subsequent albums. The longer “Earthrise” is a free-flowing jam that features some fantastic interplay abilities between the quartet and is a perfect example of their strong chemistry.

Mirage’s most compelling moments are however its two epics. The middle track “Nimrodel/The Procession/The White Rider,” is once again full of signature Camel moments: Latimer’s gorgeous melodic guitar lines, relaxed vocals, Ferguson’s typical deep bass sound, and a smooth flow that makes it seem shorter than the nine minutes it actually takes. The group’s storytelling ability is most prominent here. Latimer wrote the song about the Gandalf character from The Lord of the Rings (those fantastical kind of themes were really hip among the rock bands of the era, after all), which is easily derived from the lyrics: “Once he wore grey/he fell and slipped away/From everybody’s sight/The wizard of them all/came back from his fall/This time wearing white.”

In traditional manner, the best epic is of course saved for last. Lady Fantasy, written together by the entire band (most of the band’s compositions were written by Latimer and Bardens), is one of the true highlights of Camel’s career. The lyrical content may actually be a little cheesy, but flows wonderfully with the music. Each section is extremely well though-out and Latimer’s playing, especially his highly emotional lead that recurs throughout the song, is to die for. These 12 minutes top off the accomplishment that is this record with proud determination, and are a reminder why it is held in such high regard. Mirage is a definite progressive classic, and should be owned by anyone who pronounces himself a fan of the genre.
Prog- Sphere
Tracks
1. Freefall (Peter Bardens) - 5:53
2. Supertwister (Peter Bardens) - 3:19
3. Nimrodel / The Procession / The White Rider (Andrew Latimer) - 9:17
4. Earthrise (Peter Bardens, Andrew Latimer) - 6:42
5. Lady Fantasy: Encounter / Smiles For You / Lady Fantasy (Peter Bardens, Andrew Latimer, Andy Ward, Doug Ferguson) - 12:45
6. Supertwister (Peter Bardens) - 3:15
7. Mystic Queen (Peter Bardens) - 6:7
8. Arubaluba (Peter Bardens) - 7:47
9. Lady Fantasy: Encounter / Smiles For You / Lady Fantasy (Peter Bardens, Andrew Latimer, Andy Ward, Doug Ferguson) - 12:59
Bonus Tracks 6-8 Live at the Marquee Club 30.10.1974
Bonus Track 10 Original Basing Street studios mix

Camel
*Andrew Latimer - Guitar, Vocals
*Peter Bardens - Keyboards, Vocals
*Doug Ferguson - Bass, Vocals
*Andy Ward - Drums, Percussion

Related Acts
1970  The Answer (2010 esoteric remaster with extra tracks)
1971  Write My Name In The Dust (Japan remaster)