A Compact Compilation

• Artist: Camel
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1986
• Total Time: 68:24
• Type: Compilation (best of)
• Genre: Rock

Review

Dating from the early years of the CD repackaging revolution, A Compact Compilation is an excellent sampling of, as the subtitle says, "songs from four of their most acclaimed albums." Cherry-picking Mirage, The Snow Goose, Moonmadness, and Rain Dances (which in turn means only the original lineup's first and final LPs are absent), the 13-track collection does not, of course, negate the need to pick up the original LPs. But it serves up sufficient highlights from each to let you know whether you want to dig deeper. Of the four, it is the first pair that have the greatest resonance, with the 12-minute "Lady Fantasy" (from 1974's Mirage) pinpointing Camel's debt to Caravan at the same time as the band strove to escape the gravitational pull of the entire Canterbury Scene. That they succeeded as quickly as they did is testament enough to Camel's own ambition, but still the following year's The Snow Goose is a remarkable achievement, one of the most successful "concept albums" in an era that was lousy with the things. Half a dozen tracks from the album testify to its magnificence, with the necessary disruption of the concept itself scarcely spoiling the show. It must have been difficult for the band to follow that masterpiece, but 1976's Moonmadness at least had a good go at it, delivering the delightful "Song Within a Song" and the epic "Lunar Sea" as undeniable peaks. Only with the fourth of the albums showcased here, 1977's Rain Dances, then, is Camel truly dislodged from its pedestal, although by the time you hit its contributions, you've already sat through an hour of superlative music. ~ Dave Thompson, Rovi

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