Whilst Camel were unable to tour for their 50th anniversary back in 2023, there was something for the fans to celebrate with Decca’s reissue of their entire back catalogue of Camel releases with various rare bonus tracks, demos and live performances. A mighty 27 CD and 5 BluRay collection, it enjoyed a limited run with a fairly hefty price tag of around £160. Copies of this collection, entitled Air Born after the finest cut off Moonmadness now fetch eye-watering prices, but if you missed out the first time then you have a second bite of the cherry courtesy of Cherry Red Records.
Although Camel have long been one of my favourite bands (and I’m still to hear any album better than Stationary Traveller), I decided to forego Air Born owing to the fact that I already had several different versions of Camel’s Decca output and the few extra tracks I lacked didn’t really merit the price tag. Listening through the collection later, though, I had some regrets about my decision because of the absolutely terrific job Stephen W Tayler did on the remixes. Not every album was given the Tayler treatment; there were five: the first four albums and Nude. Cherry Red have four of them (so far) slated for issue as discreet releases.
Remasters and remixes can be a bit hit and miss, and one can often be left wondering exactly how much of a difference the process makes. I must admit, I find remasters for anything after about 1990 a bit of a waste of time. Some remasters even make albums worse. For example, the last attempt to clean up Genesis’ …And Then There Were Three only exposed the album’s distortions. Remixes are a slightly different beast, and I would highlight the recent Marillion and Fish runs as examples of a good, fresh paint job. Tayler’s remixes give shape, vibrancy and colour to all five of these superb Camel albums. Nude, the only one of the five I find a bit patchy, which almost feels like a new album.
So, to Mirage, then, Camel’s sophomore release. I won’t say too much here about the album’s tracks as many reading this will already be familiar with the album. I will say, though, to anyone who has not taken the time to listen to one of the greatest prog acts of the Seventies and beyond, that what Camel offered distinctly from the other prog bands of that golden era was that their rock was wedded to jazz sensibilities. Nowhere was this more evident than in the early recordings with Barden’s organs sparring with Latimer’s signature guitar whilst the tight rhythm section of Ferguson and Ward carried the challenging, shifting beats and textures.
The mighty concert stalwart, Lady Fantasy, needs no introduction and is still Mirage’s best track, but the uplifting flute of Supertwister is a joyous palate cleanser between the more thunderous sections of Freefall and the Tolkien-inspired Nimrodel. Of special note on this release, though, is the melancholic Autumn which could easily have graced this or a later album and is undoubtedly the pick of all the bonus rare tracks from Air Born. Amongst the July 73 demos, there is another ‘new’ track in The Traveller which feels very much like the kind of blues-rock jam one might have expected to hear from a number of the other celebrated rock bands of this era.
The asking price is fairly steep at £30, and I release that if I (or, indeed, anyone reading this) buy all of these Tayler remix packages, they will have spent over £100 and probably should have just bought Air Born in the first place. Still, these are well presented and offer a remaster alongside the remix (with a handful of bonuses too). In the case of Mirage, any fan will want to get their hands on the two rare tracks, and I believe that the remix alone without these bonuses is worth picking this up this package for. Even for £30, this is a highly recommended purchase.
TRACK LISTING
DISC ONE: Mirage Remastered
01. Freefall (5:55)
02. Supertwister (3:23)
03. Nimrodel (9:17)
– The Procession
– The White Rider
04. Earthrise (6:42)
05. Lady Fantasy (12:48)
– Encounter
– Smiles For You
– Lady Fantasy
~ Bonus tracks – Demo Session July ’73
06. Earthrise (7:15)
07. The Traveller (9:26)
08. Supertwister (3:08)
09. The White Rider (8:36)
10. Lady Fantasy (13:42)
Disc Two: Stephen W Tayler Stereo Mix
01. Freefall (5:53)
02. Supertwister (3:20)
03. Nimrodel (9:23)
– The Procession
– The White Rider
04. Earthrise (6:40)
05. Lady Fantasy (12:55)
– Encounter
– Smiles For You
– Lady Fantasy
~ Bonus tracks
06. Autumn (4:41)
07. Lady Fantasy (AIR studios first mix) (13:01)
Disc Three: High Resolution 5.1 & Stereo Mixes plus Original Mix
01. Freefall
02. Supertwister
03. Nimrodel
– The Procession
– The White Rider
04. Earthrise
05. Lady Fantasy
– Encounter
– Smiles For You
– Lady Fantasy
~ Bonus track
06. Autumn
MUSICIANS
Andrew Latimer – Guitars, Flute, Vocals (3 & 5)
Peter Bardens – Organ, Piano, Minimoog, Mellotron, Fender Electric Piano, Hohner Clavinet, Celesta, Vocals (1 & 5)
Doug Ferguson – Bass
Andy Ward – Drums, Percussion
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Cherry Red Records | Esoteric Recordings
Country of Origin: UK
Date of Release: 11th April 2025
LINKS
Camel – Website | Facebook | Info at Cherry Red Records | YouTube | X
