No strangers to the concept that of idea albums, storied soft-proggers Camel added every other staple to their conceptual canon (which incorporated 1975’s Song Impressed Through The Snow Goose, 1981’s Nude, and 1984’s Desk bound Traveller) with Harbour Of Tears. Seemed by way of many long-term Camel connoisseurs, on its unique free up on January 15, 1996, as a welcome re-engagement with the band’s melodious and neo-symphonic first rules, the album represents a longer rumination at the emotive subject of Nineteenth-century Irish famine immigrants heading to The united states, alluded to by way of a easy word at the rear sleeve: “Cóbh Harbour is a gorgeous deep-water port in County Cork, Eire. It was once the closing sight of Eire for masses upon hundreds of fractured households who departed her shores for fates unknown. They known as it the Harbour Of Tears.”
Patently, the subject material was once of the maximum seriousness, impressed by way of familial memories and revelations following the dying of guitarist Andy Latimer’s father, Stan, in 1993. (Latimer’s grandmother was once amongst those that set sail from Cóbh Harbour.) On the other hand, whilst the undertaking exudes a completely suitable gravitas, it’s Camel’s “film for the ears” manner, with evocative, scene-setting instrumental vignettes (ie, “Cóbh,” “Underneath The Moon” and “Generations”) bridging maximum tracks, that concurrently brings a time and position to shiny existence and serenely lays the ghosts to relaxation. Moreover, as Latimer’s signature, thick-toned guitar leads are central to Camel’s attraction, trustworthy fanatics welcomed a in my view vital catharsis that spurred the grieving guitarist into generating a few of his maximum impassioned taking part in.
Through 1996, Latimer was once the one unique Camel member within the line-up, regardless that bassist Colin Bass were available since 1979, changed all the way through his early-80s sabbatical by way of Pilot/Alan Parsons Undertaking bassist/vocalist David Paton. The latter was once considered one of a number of notable visitor musicians contributing to Harbour Of Tears, showing at the sprightly “Ship House The Slates” along cellist Barry Phillips and a brace of violinists, Anita Stoneham and Karen Bentley. Vocalist Mae McKenna was once additionally hired to memorable impact, necessarily topping and tailing the album with the lambent, unaccompanied “Irish Air” (barring a bravely unadorned 15-minute coda of gently lapping waves).
It’s Latimer who deservedly grabs the garlands, regardless that, with the prolonged, delirious lead traces of “Observing The Bobbins,” the intertwined slide guitar and tin whistle of “Operating From Paradise,” and the elegiac, self-explanatory “The Hour Candle (A Music For My Father).”
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