Camel self-titled album

Camel, Camel's excellent debut album from 1973.

Camel is undoubtedly one of my favorite progressive rock bands, and this album marked the beginning of their story.

Bardens and Latimer are superb, not only on this album but also on their subsequent ones. A very young Andy Ward impresses with his energetic style. They began as Camel as the opening act for Wisbone Ash. Having been unable to find a singer during the recording of the album, the band split the vocals between Latimer, Ferguson, and Bardens.

- Latimer sings "Slow Yourself Down." The organ part is beautiful, and shortly after, a strong, hard guitar follows.
- "Mystic Queen" is simply fantastic, sung by Ferguson, with beautiful acoustic guitar, drums, bass, and organ played with great taste. Latimer also has a beautiful solo.

- "Six Ate" is a jazzy piece with splendid organ and great drum work.
Separation features great drums, sung by Latimer, and a very aggressive guitar.
- "Never Let Go" is my favorite song, the only one sung by Bardens and the only one with a mellotron. Great acoustic guitar at the beginning, a spectacular flute and mellotron part, fantastic drums. Exciting.
- "Curiousity" starts softly but explodes with a beautiful guitar solo, a beautiful piano, and Ferguson sings.
- "Arubaluba" is an instrumental that closes the album, the longest, with great organ and excellent drums towards the end.

Memorable songs, deep organ and mellotron that create an almost spacey atmosphere, drums always excellent.

A fantastic debut, which I recommend without hesitation.

Tracks
1. Slow Yourself Down (4:45)
2. Mystic Queen (5:40)
3. Six Ate (6:05)
4. Separation (3:57)
5. Never Let Go (6:22)
6. Curiosity (5:56)
7. Arubaluba (6:29)
Running Time: 39:14

The Lineup
- Andy Latimer - guitar, vocals (1, 4)
- Peter Bardens - organ, Mellotron, piano, VCS3 synthesizer, vocals (5, 8)
- Doug Ferguson - bass, vocals (2, 6)
- Andy Ward - drums, percussion
Featuring:
- Eddie - congas (1)
- Tony Cox - synthesizer