Camel's classic period started with The Snow Goose, an instrumental concept album based on a novella by Paul Gallico.
Although there are no lyrics on the album -- two songs feature wordless vocals -- the music follows the emotional arc of the novella's story, which is about a lonely man named Rhayader who helps nurse a wounded snow goose back to health with the help of a young girl called Fritha he recently befriended.
Once the goose is healed, it is set free, but Fritha no longer visits the man because the goose is gone.
Later, Rhayader is killed in battle during the evacuation of Dunkirk.
The goose returned during the battle, and it is then named La Princesse Perdue, symbolizing the hopes that can still survive even during the evils of war.
With such a complex fable to tell, it is no surprise that Camel keep their improvisational tendencies reined in, deciding to concentrate on surging, intricate soundscapes that telegraph the emotion of the piece without a single word.
And even though The Snow Goose is an instrumental album, it is far more accessible than some of Camel's later work, since it relies on beautiful sonic textures instead of musical experimentation.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Great MarshPeter Bardens, Andy Latimer | Camel | Play | 01:20 | 3 MB | 4 MB |
| 2 | RhayaderPeter Bardens, Andy Latimer | Camel | Play | 03:01 | 6 MB | 18 MB |
| 3 | Rhayader Goes to TownPeter Bardens, Andy Latimer | Camel | Play | 05:20 | 12 MB | 31 MB |
| 4 | SanctuaryPeter Bardens, Andy Latimer | Camel | Play | 01:05 | 2 MB | 4 MB |
| 5 | FrithaPeter Bardens, Andy Latimer | Camel | Play | 01:19 | 3 MB | 6 MB |
| 6 | The Snow GoosePeter Bardens, Andy Latimer | Camel | Play | 03:12 | 7 MB | 17 MB |
| 7 | FriendshipPeter Bardens, Andy Latimer | Camel | Play | 01:44 | 3 MB | 7 MB |
| 8 | MigrationPeter Bardens, Andy Latimer | Camel | Play | 02:01 | 4 MB | 13 MB |
| 9 | Rhayader AlonePeter Bardens, Andy Latimer | Camel | Play | 01:50 | 4 MB | 7 MB |
| 10 | Flight of the Snow GoosePeter Bardens, Andy Latimer | Camel | Play | 02:40 | 6 MB | 15 MB |
| 11 | PreparationPeter Bardens, Andy Latimer | Camel | Play | 03:58 | 9 MB | 17 MB |
| 12 | DunkirkPeter Bardens, Andy Latimer | Camel | Play | 05:19 | 12 MB | 29 MB |
| 13 | EpitaphPeter Bardens, Andy Latimer | Camel | Play | 02:07 | 4 MB | 7 MB |
| 14 | Fritha AlonePeter Bardens, Andy Latimer | Camel | Play | 01:40 | 3 MB | 6 MB |
| 15 | La Princesse PerduePeter Bardens, Andy Latimer | Camel | Play | 04:44 | 10 MB | 29 MB |
| 16 | The Great MarshPeter Bardens, Andy Latimer | Camel | Play | 01:20 | 3 MB | 4 MB |
| 42 mins | 98 MB | |||||
| 42 mins | 221 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Anunziato | Photography |
| 2 | Robert Ash | Assistant Engineer |
| 3 | Peter Bardens | Arp Odyssey, Composer, Group Member, Keyboards, Mini Moog, Organ, Piano, Piano (Electric), Pipe Organ |
| 4 | David Bedford | Orchestral Arrangements |
| 5 | Dave Bryson | Equipment Technician |
| 6 | Skin Bryson | Equipment Technician |
| 7 | John Burns | Engineer |
| 8 | Camel | Primary Artist, Producer |
| 9 | Paul Cooper | Assistant Engineer |
| 10 | Rhett Davies | Engineer, Remixing |
| 11 | Doug Ferguson | Bass, Group Member |
| 12 | David Hitchcock | Producer |
| 13 | Geoff Jukes | Coordination |
| 14 | Masaru Konishi | Liner Notes |
| 15 | Andy Latimer | Composer, Flute, Group Member, Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Slide Guitar, Vocals |
| 16 | Graham Meek | Assistant Engineer |
| 17 | Modula | Cover Design |
| 18 | Rod Thear | Assistant Engineer |
| 19 | John Tracy | Coordination, Research |
| 20 | Andy Ward | Drums, Group Member, Percussion, Vibraphone, Vocals (Background) |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |