Camel-Rajaz (1999)

We continue with this Camel album quadrilogy of the last two decades (Dust and Dreams, Harbors of Tears, Rajaz and A nod and Wink)

After his two previous works of conceptual type "Dust and Dreams" and "Harbor of tears" predominantly instrumental albums, Rajaz comes to light in 1999, a magnificent album that is one of his greatest achievements in the musical career of Camel.

The original idea of ​​the album is based on a guide about world music that he gave to Andy Latimer, his good friend and colleague Colin Bass. In the section on Arabic music, there was talk about the "Rajaz", a canteen that the Bedouins murmured during the desert crossings, based on the rhythmic pace of the passage of the camels. This gave rise to one of Camel's best albums, a work full of sensitivity, oriental rhythms (impressive the song “The last encore”), guitar solo as in no other Camel album (“Sahara”, “Lawrence”) , which evokes those monotonous landscapes, but at the same time of impressive beauty, those red sunsets, and those cold nights (listen loudly “Sahara”, think of a sunset with a landscape of reddish sands, close your eyes and travel).

Andy Latimer himself is responsible for putting the voice to the issues, and this time he sings with a special sensitivity. Predominantly guitar player, who has his old colleagues Colin Bass on bass, an impressive Dave Stewart who on songs like "Three Wishes" or "Sahara" seems to be Andy Ward himself behind the drumsticks, and another regular the band that is the Dutchman of Kayak Ton Scherpenzeel, who for the recording of this album, sent the parts of the keyboards recorded in his studio in Holland, via internet to the USA for Latimer to mix them. And the good thing about Ton has a real phobia to travel by plane. It also has the collaboration of Barri Phillips al cello, which gives a touch of serenity to the album and even sadness (listen to the introduction of the song "Rajaz").

The album cover perfectly expresses what we are going to find inside, a world of sensations, poetry, oriental rhythms, smells and warm flavors, in short, a journey through the burning sands of the desert, but that finally reaches its destination, leaving us the feeling that it should never end.

The production of the disc is perfect. The sound of the impressive album, and the compositions, with their oriental rhythms, with a slight jazz touch at times, are pure anthology.

Rajaz supposed the return to the old spirit Camel, and it is an album that at first listen makes us vibrate as they did not do it from “Moonmadness” or Rain Dances and to a lesser extent with “Nude”, another album of the majestic band.

And when we thought it would be very difficult to match or overcome this album, the surprise jumped when some time later they published another jewel: "A node and a winck". Wonderful!.