Camel - 1978 [1991] "A Live Record"

A Live Record is the first live album by the progressive rock band Camel, released in 1978. It is a double LP, composed of recordings from three different tours.
LP one features recordings from the Mirage tour in 1974, and the Rain Dances tour, in 1977. Tracks 1–4 on the LP are from the Rain Dances tour, and 5–6 are from the Mirage tour.
LP 2 features the original line-up all the way, and is devoted to a complete performance of the band's instrumental concept album, The Snow Goose, during the tour for the album in 1975, performed with the London Symphony Orchestra.

Camel never quite attained the level of popularity that some of their progressive rock peers managed during the genre’s 1970s heydey. They did manage to gain a fairly dedicated following which has kept their music alive over the years. Vocalist and guitarist, Andrew Latimer, has been Camel’s main driving force and the band’s only ever present member. Their changing line ups have at times also featured several members from fellow prog rock band Caravan. Camel produced a total of 14 studio albums over a thirty year period, with their last release coming in 2002. And although they haven’t released a studio album in over 10 years, the band still performs live across Europe.
Camel were originally formed in Surrey, England in 1971, going on to release their self-titled debut album in 1973. After Mirage in 1974, their breakthrough came in 1975 with with The Snow Goose, an instrumental concept album inspired by the Paul Gallico short story with which it shares its name. Gallico would bring a lawsuit against the band for copyright infringement, which would force them to add the prefix “Music inspired by…” to the album’s front cover. The Snow Goose was followed up in 1976 by the another successful album, Moonmadness, their last to feature the original line up.  A new look Camel would release their fifth studio album, Rain Dances, in 1977. It is the music produced on these first five studio albums that A Live Record is made up of.
A Live Record was Camel’s first of many live albums and it is arguably their best. It is the only one that features the original line up, capturing the band when they were at their peak. It consists of material recorded from three different tours over a three year period between 1974 and 1977. The first LP is made up of recordings from the Mirage tour of 1974, and also the Rain Dances tour of 1977. It features a mixture of tracks from their four studio albums recorded either side of The Snow Goose and is performed by two different line ups. The Snow Goose is played in full on the second LP. It is performed by the original line up who are accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra and is taken from the album tour in 1975.


Tracks Listing

CD 1: (49:45)
1. Never Let Go (7:21)
2. Song Within A Song (7:01)
3. Lunar Sea (8:56)
4. Skylines (5:38)
5. Ligging At Louis' (6:34)
6. Lady Fantasy (14:15)

CD 2 (46:01)
1. The Great Marsh (1:45)
2. Rhayader (3:07)
3. Rhayader Goes To Town (5:13)
4. Sanctuary (1:09)
5. Fritha (1:23)
6. The Snow Goose (3:02)
7. Friendship (1:35)
8. Migration (3:52)
9. Rhayader Alone (1:47)
10. Flight Of The Snow Goose (2:59)
11. Preparation (4:10)
12. Dunkirk (5:26)
13. Epitaph (2:35)
14. Fritha Alone (1:22)
15. La Princesse Perdue (4:46)
16. The Great Marsh (1:50)

Total Time: 95:46

Line-up / Musicians

- Peter Bardens / keyboards
- Andrew Latimer / guitar, flute, vocal
- Andy Ward / drums, percussion
- Mel Collins / saxophones, flute
- Richard Sinclair / bass, vocal
- Doug Ferguson / bass