Mirage (Camel album)
| Mirage | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
AIR Studios, London | ||||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
| |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | David Hitchcock | |||
| Camel chronology | ||||
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Mirage is the second
There are five tracks on Mirage, two over 9 minutes. Those two are multi-part songs: "Lady Fantasy" and "Nimrodel/The Procession/The White Rider", the latter being about The Lord of the Rings. The album was released on Gama Records/Deram Records. Mick Rock shot the inner sleeve photo.
Creation
Gama Records was looking for an outlet for their projects and quickly signed a long-term deal with Decca/London branch label,
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Sputnikmusic | [3] |
There was no promo single, nor did it chart in the UK, but the general media response to the finished record was very promising. The prestigious
In a Sputnikmusic album review, critic Matthijs van der Lee declared Mirage as Camel's "magnum opus".[3] The album was voted no. 51 in the Top 100 Prog albums of All Time by readers of Prog magazine in 2014.[4]
Prog Sphere considered Mirage to be the band's best album, writing that it is a prog classic that should be owned by anyone that is a fan of progressive rock.[5]
Release details
- 1974, U.S., Janus Records
- 1974, UK, Deram Records SML 1107, Release Date 1 March 1974, LP
- 2002, UK, London 8829292, Release Date 3 June 2002, CD (remastered edition)
- 2023, Deram Records, Release Date 20 October 2023, Digital (2023 Remastered & Expanded Edition)[6]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Freefall" | Peter Bardens | 5:53 |
| 2. | "Supertwister" (instrumental) | Bardens | 3:22 |
| 3. | "The White Rider"
| Andrew Latimer | 9:16
|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Earthrise" (instrumental) | Bardens, Latimer | 6:40 |
| 2. | "Lady Fantasy"
| Bardens, Latimer, Andy Ward, Doug Ferguson | 12:44
|
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Supertwister" (Recorded Live at The Marquee Club - 30 October 1974) | 3:14 |
| 7. | "Mystic Queen" (Recorded Live at The Marquee Club - 30 October 1974) | 6:09 |
| 8. | "Arubaluba" (Recorded Live at The Marquee Club - 30 October 1974) | 7:44 |
| 9. | "Lady Fantasy: Encounter/Smiles for You/Lady Fantasy" (Original Basing Street Studios Mix - November 1973) | 12:59 |
Personnel
Camel
- Andrew Latimer – guitars, flute; vocals on "The White Rider" and "Lady Fantasy"
- Hohner clavinet, celesta; vocals on "Freefall" and "Lady Fantasy"
- Doug Ferguson– bass
- Andy Ward – drums, percussion
Production
- Produced by David Hitchcock
- Engineered by Howard Kilgour and Bill Price
Charts
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[7] | 149 |
References
- ^ Thomas, Stephen. "Camel – Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
- ^ Jehnzen, Daevid. "Camel - Mirage (1974) album review at AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
- ^ a b van der Lee, Matthijs. "Camel – Mirage (1974) Album Review". SputnikMusic.com.
- ^ Havers, Richard (1 March 2021). "Mirage: The Album That Brought Camel Into Focus". Udiscovermusic.com. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
- ^ Sphere, Prog (22 May 2017). "Camel Albums Ranked". Prog.
- ^ Deaux, John (5 October 2023). "Celebrating the 50th anniversary of their self-titled debut album Camel A 32-disc super deluxe box set 'Air Born: The MCA & Decca Years 1973-1984'". All About The Rock. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ "Camel Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
