Camel - 1979-09-22 - Golders Green Hippodrome, London, UK

Camel
1977-09-22
Golders Green Hippodrome, London, UK
"Moon Dance"

FM Broadcast (BBC Sight and Sound) recording, excellent quality
Available in both Lossless (FLAC) and mp3 (320 kbps) versions

Here's more from Camel, from a couple years later, following their albums Moonmadness (1976) and Rain Dances (1977). Thus, this show reflects the lineup change after Moonmadness, with Richard Sinclair (of Caravan) replacing Doug Ferguson on bass, and Mel Collins (King Crimson, Kokomo) on sax and winds, and marked the beginning of a bit jazzier direction for the band. A fine show, primarily featuring songs from Rain Dances, in very good quality from a BBC broadcast. The version I received of this show contained a couple of bonus tracks from a later date, si I included these as well. These are from a 1980 show in Japan, by which time there were additional lineup changes and a move toward a more commercial sound

Tracklist:
1. First Light            5:01
2. Metrognome        4:56
3. Uneven Song        5:56
4. Rhyader-Rhyader Goes to Town 7:20
5. Skylines               5:22
6. Highways of the Sun 5:15
7. Lunar Sea            8:53
8. Rain Dances-Never Let Go 6:33
9. One of These Days I'll Have an Easy Night 7:01

Bonus Tracks (Tokyo - 1980-01-27)
10. Echoes        7:24
11. Nobody Knows    6:22

Andrew Latimer - guitar, vocals
Andy Ward - drums, perscussion
Peter Bardens - keyboards
Richard Sinclair - bass, vocals
Mel Collins - sax, clarinet, flute
(except bonus tracks - Dave Sinclair, Jan Schelhaus-keyboards, Richard Schelhaus - bass)

FLAC - Camel_1977-09-22_London_FLAC.rar

mp3 - Camel_1977-09-22_London_mp3.rar

Camel - 1975-12-18 - Reading, UK - PRRP-051 - "The Last Flight"

Camel
December 18, 1975
Reading Town Hall, Reading, UK
PRRP-051 - "The Last Flight"
Remastered audience recording (PRRP-051), very good quality
Available in both Lossless (FLAC) and Mp3 (320 kbps) versions

Moving on with my featured Progressive Rock bands, next up is Camel. Camel plays a form of progressive rock that incorporates many influences, from jazz, classical, Baroque, blues, and electronic music. Their sound has been favorably compared with bands such as Genesis and King Crimson, however, their style tends to be calmer, more atmospheric and melodic than most other progressive bands. Although they never quite achieved more than a dedicated cult following, most progressive fans now consider their first four albums to be essential prog listening and among the classics of the era. Camel was formed in 1971 in the Guildford, Surrey region of England, featuring Andy Latimer (guitar), Andy Ward (drums), Doug Ferguson (bass), and Pete Bardens (keyboards). Their debut LP, Camel (1973), however, garnered little attention, and they were dropped by MCA. Switching over to Deram, their 2nd album, Mirage (1974), garnered much critical acclaim, but still only limited sales and recognition, although it was initially more appreciated in the U.S. than England (it now is listed among the Top 25 Progressive Rock Albums of all-time, according to rankings by Rolling Stone Magazine). Their next album, an orchestrated all-instrumental concept album, The Snow Goose (1975), was the breakthrough album that brought them somewhat wider attention and success. They followed that with Moonmadness (1976), also acclaimed, but which was their last album to feature their original lineup, as bassist Doug Ferguson left and was replaced with ex-Caravan bassist Richard Sinclair, and Mel Collins (ex-King Crimson, Kokomo) was added on saxophone. The first album to feature this new line-up was Rain Dances (1977) which introduced a somewhat different sound and overall style to their music. After another album (Breathless-1978), keyboardist Bardens also left, but the band continued through the early 80's before breaking up, but then re-forming in the '90's and continuing on from there. However, most agree that those first 4 albums were by far the best of the band. Here is a show from 1975, which features the full Snow Goose show bookended by a few songs from earlier albums, for a wonderful show. This is the PRRP (Progressive Rock Remasters Project) remaster and has very good sound. This was also billed as the very last performance of the full Snow Goose show (Thus titled "The Last Flight").


Tracklist:
01 The White Rider
02 Supertwister
03 Introduction to the Snow Goose
04 The Great Marsh
05 Rhayader
06 Rhayader Goes to Town
07 Sanctuary
08 Fritha
09 The Snow Goose
10 Migration
11 Rhayader Alone
12 Flight of the Snow Goose
13 Preparation
14 Dunkirk
15 Epitaph
16 Fritha Alone
17 La Princesse Purdue
18 The Great Marsh (reprise)
19 Homage to the God of Light
20 Lady Fantasy

Pete Bardens - keyboards
Doug Ferguson - bass
Andy Latimer - guitars, flute & vocals
Andy Ward - drums, percussion

FLAC - Camel_1975-12-18_Reading_PRRP051_FLAC.rar

mp3 - Camel_1975-12-18_Reading_PRRP051_mp3.rar

National Health - 1978-03-10 - Bordeaux, France

National Health
March 10th, 1978
Béret Cosmique, 
Bordeaux, France
Audience Master recording (by Erathostene), very good quality
Available in both Lossless (FLAC) and Mp3 (320 kbps) versions

Here's more from National Health, a couple years later, at a 1978 show, featuring songs from their 2nd album, Of Queues and Cures (1978), and more of their whimsically eclectic jazz/rock, with Phil Miller and Dave Stewart still there, but with Alan Gowen now gone (temporarily) and Pip Pyle on drums. Gowen would return after this tour (but then Stewart left) and continue until 1981, when Gowen died. After that, Stewart returned to do a final album with the band, D.S. Al Coda (1982), which featured primarily previously unreleased songs written by Gowen, as a tribute and finale for the band.  

Tracklist:
disc1
1-1. Also Sprach Zarathustra/The Bryden 2-Step (18:12)
1-2. The Lethargy Shuffle (11:40)
1-3. A Legend In His Own Lunchtime (12:02)
1-4. DS Improv/ The Collapso (7:21)
disc2
2-1. Dreams Wide Awake (12:33)
2-2. Mostly Twins and Trios (12:16)
2-3. Tenemos Roads (12:31)
2-4. Improv/ Elephants (18:50)
Total time : 01:46:38

Phil Miller - Guitar & Backing Vocals
Dave Stewart - Keyboards
John Greaves - Bass & Lead Vocals
Pip Pyle - Drums

FLAC - National Health_1978-03-10_Bordeaix_FLAC.rar

mp3 - National Health_1978-03-10_Bordeaix_mp3.rar
 

National Health - 1976-02-22 - Dundee, UK

National Health
February 22nd, 1976
Dundee, University of Dundee, UK
Soundboard recording, very good quality
Available in both Lossless (FLAC) and Mp3 (320 kbps) versions

Continuing with progressive rock bands associated with the Canterbury Scene in the '70's: In 1972, upon leaving Matching Mole, keyboardist Dave Sinclair and guitarist Phil Miller joined up with cousin Richard Sinclair again (who had also left Caravan by this time), along with Pip Pyle on drums to form the Canterbury jazz/rock band Hatfield and The North. However, Dave didn't stay long (returning to Caravan in 1973), and Dave Sinclair was replaced by keyboardist Dave Stewart. Hatfield and The North recorded 2 albums for Virgin (Hatfield & The North-1974, Rotter's Club-1975) before they split, with members Dave Stewart and Phil Miller, along with keyboardist Alan Gowen (from Gilgamesh), and drummer Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson) forming National Health in 1975. Bruford didn't stay long (as he was touring with both Genesis and Brand X around this time), and was replaced with Hatfield drummer Pip Pyle. Although the lineup shifted regularly (with a string of bass players and Stewart and Gowen alternately leaving and returning periodically), they recorded 2 albums in 1978 (National Health and Of Queues and Cures) and remained as a band until 1981 and the death of Gowen. A progressive, spacey, jazz/rock band that played lengthy, mostly instrumental compositions in the Canterbury groove, here's National Health in a show from 1976, while Bill Bruford was still with them.

Tracklist:
1. Tenemos Roads
2. Paracelsus
3. Trident Asleep
4. Clocks And Clouds
5. The Lethargy Shuffle
6. Agrippa
7. Elephants

Lineup:
Alan Gowen: Keyboards
Dave Stewart: Keyboards
Phil Miller: Guitar
Mont Campbell: Bass
Amanda Parsons: vocals
Bill Bruford: Drums

FLAC - National Health_1976-02-22_Dundee_FLAC.rar


mp3 - National Health_1976-02-22_Dundee_mp3.rar