Camel-I Can See Your House From Here (1979)

As the 1970s drew to a close, progressive rock wasn't at its peak. Other styles like new wave, punk, disco, and heavy metal were booming, so many of the leading bands in the symphonic genre tried to modernize their style towards more commercial sounds without falling into mediocrity or losing an ounce of their own identity. Camel was no exception to this rule, and with their seventh album, "I Can See Your House From Here", they reinvented themselves by brilliantly blending commercial appeal and virtuosity. By this point, the band had undergone several lineup changes. Pete Bardens and Richard Sinclair were no longer with the band, replaced by keyboardists Kit Watkins and Jan Schelhaas, and bassist Colin Bass, while guitarist Andy Latimer and drummer Andy Ward completed this new lineup. Produced by Rupert Hine, the album also featured collaborations with other musicians, including regular collaborator Mel Collins on saxophone and Phil Collins on percussion. Leaving behind the jazz and Canterbury sounds of yesteryear, the melodies here become more catchy, with great, highly addictive choruses, while retaining the excellent contributions of Latimer's guitar and the superb keyboards of Watkins and Schelhaas. Infectious tracks like "Your Love Is Strange Than Mine" and "Neon Magic" contrast with the frenetic "Wait", the more complex "Survival/Hymn to Her", and the expansive and progressive "Ice", the latter a clear nod to their glorious past. Despite its great diversity and appealing content, the album was rejected by a large part of their more purist fans, who accused them of selling out to the commercial soft pop sounds that were so fashionable in those final years of the 70s.