This is Camel's debut album, and terribly underrated. It is a great album and one of the best debut albums ive heard, yet it doesnt seem to get much recognition.
1) Slow Yourself Down (5/5)
Starts out very laid back and funky with laid back, almost whispering vocals. The verse is awesome and hooks you in like a magnet. Then it sort of meanders a bit and back into another repeat of the verse. I LOVE the harmonies here and everything and how all the instruments work together! Then it goes into a laid back instrumental thing for a while and suddenly gets fast paced and makes you feel like running with an energetic, soaring guitar solo. Ive never heard anything like this before. Then it goes into a cool deescending thing and now its the keyboards turn to soar. I cant even explain how cool this song is. Then both the keyboards and guitars play while the melody is sung in "naaanaaa" and makes you want to sing along too! Then more keyboard/guitar interactiaon. Until a neat ending, sort of like a volcano exploding, where it builds up, up, then down, then even higher, then down again, uppp uppp uppppppppp....BOOM! The end. Overall my fave song off this album.
2) Mystic Queen (3/5)
A slow, melancholy song which changes in the middle and gets interesting and then back to melancholy again. I dont really have much to say about it. It has some cool parts but overall doesnt stand out to me much.
3) Six Ate (6/8)....haha i mean (5/5).....yea lame attempt at a joke
This song starts out weird and quirky but interesting. Then it shifts a bit and gets more interesting. Nice interaction between all the instruments. Lots of meandering and mood swings, yet it all sticks and flow together. I always love how Camel managaes to do that. Then it builds up into a funky jam part with a neat keyboard melody thing. Then it turns weird for a bit and THEN it goes into a really cool thing around 4:00. Then back to the funky theme and a sweet guitar solo, almost sounds bluesy. Then it goes back into an earlier theme and ends very well!
4) Separation (4/5)
A cool hooking intro and an awesome verse. Sort of a hard-rock song, with cool riffs and licks everywhere. Then it goes into the "separation...all the way" chorus which i dont really like which is why i gave this a 4/5, then it goes back into the awesome verse, then after that a cool instrumental part which builds up and up into a cool galloping kind of thing. And fades out.
5) Never Let Go (5/5)
Starts out with an acoustic part> I think this was the inspiration for Opeth's Benighted because it sounds a lot like that song, but it has a different thing going on. Then it goes into a sort of sad verse, which morphs into something a bit more uplifting chorus. I love this singing and...just everything here. Then another verse and chorus and then it meanders into a cool funky part with keyboards. And then it slows down....and back to the acoustic thing and then it seems like it ends but suddenly you get attacked with another awesome verse and choruse and then it ends with a sweet guitar solo.
6) Curiosity (5/5)
It starts out with a sad riff, which makes you think it will be sad, but then oddly enough a sort of happy style of singing goes over it. Then a cool guitar part. I love all the melodies and stuff here. And the verse is awesome too. Then it goes into a guitar thing and another verse, then the awesome quirky chorus (i love the grooviness)...then a nice slow part and then explodesinto a burst of happiness and slows down for a while. Then it gets into a nother happy riff. And a cool mysterious part after that. This is like the musical equivalent of a sugar high. Then a nice mellow laid back keyboard solo...and then the guitar has its turn. Then it descends into another part which leads into a cool guitar melody and then which leads into the verse. Then it ends with repeats of "sail, sail away..." This is my second fave song off this album.
7) Arubaluba (4/5)
Begins with a cool slow thing and then suddenly it builds up to a fast happy excited rocking thing. Makes you think of surfing. I love this part. Then it goes into a cool chromatic-ish thing and then shifts back the surfing riff. There is a lot of fast paced and cool energetic drumming going on! It builds up and up into my favorite riff and is probably the climax of the song at 2:36 and sounds moe surfing-ish than ever. It is so awesome to listen to. Then it turns all quirky and into an interesing musical part with weird rhythms. The rest of the song is just the previous riffs again. It is almost a bit repetitive at that point, hence the 4, but its a neat hyper instrumental to end the album.
This is a great starting album if you want to listen to Camel. Very catchy and easy to get into. Amzaing for the first album that a band has ever done. Don't get repelled by the fact that its not very popular - this album is great and will stick to you like glue. I highlay recommmend it if you like rock or anything really...its a neat album with a lot of variety.
