Camel News: Latimer health, new DVD, new album!

One of the most commented posts I've ever put up here had to do with the health of Camel guitarist/vocalist Andrew Latimer. It's thus that I feel very happy posting this bit of excerpts from the most recent Camel Productions eBeast newsletter:

Andrew's Health

This is officially the last time we will talk about Andrew's health. The bone marrow transplant has been a complete success, and I think the dark days are well and truly behind us. As I've said in past newsletters, he continues to have some challenges to face, but he is a strong-willed individual, and he will find way to overcome them. So, it's no longer about health problems. It's about the music...

The Opening Farewell

Andrew and Denis have now finished work on the DVD, and Denis has completed mixing the audio. Once all editing and mastering is complete, we'll send the masters off to the plant and it will be a matter of weeks before it's on sale in our shop.

Track listing:

Lady Fantasy
Lunar Sea
Unevensong
Another Night
Hymn to Her
Ice
Echoes
Spirit of the Water
Stationary Traveller
Slow yourself Down
Drafted
Mother Road
Rhayader
Rhayader goes to town
For Today

Time: 2 hrs 7 mins
Format: NTSC*
Region: 0 (no restrictions)
(*This format will play on all equipment enabled for NTSC)

It would be hard to believe this was from 2003 had we not been through such an intense passage of time since then. In my darkest hour, I had not wanted to even consider releasing it posthumously. And so, it is with tremendous pleasure, that I announce the pending release of this DVD.

In The Meantime...

In between work on the DVD, Andrew and Denis have been writing material for the next Camel album. It is still in an embryonic state, but the two seem to be expanding their musical relationship and lots of good sounds have been emitting from the studio of late. No definitive dates are going to be announced until a cohesive body of work has been created. However, I think it safe to say that a Camel album is in the future and I, for one, am just about breathless with anticipation.

Looking back at my NEARfest acquisitions

Here's a quick look, one week later, at how I am faring with the new music acquired at NEARfest 2008:

Le Orme - Live in Pennsylvania 2-CD/1-DVD set. Sound quality is excellent. Video is also very very good...of course, I had a 20 minute tease of this on the NEARfest 2005 DVD. UNFORTUNATELY, this is not their full set, as it excises the material from Collage as well as their rendition of Rondo. Still, a wonderful reminder of seeing this great Italian progressive band.

The Red Masque - Fossileyes. Very good stuff. A bit shocking, actually...their last release had several expansive tracks. The material here is shorter, punchier, more metallic...and every bit as edgy and avant as their past efforts. This is a long awaited album indeed...

Pure Reason Revolution - Live at NEARfest. Post production helped boost what was an energetic set marred by level issues. Harmonies sound richer, thanks to the ability to bring Chloe's voice up in the mix. Are they prog? Who cares! They were energetic, trippy, and very cool.

Strawbs - Live at the Calderone on Witchwood Records. With yesterday's surprising yet not overly so announcement that John Hawken was leaving the Strawbs again, buying this live release (which does not feature him) seems almost...prophetic. Sound quality is a bit rough, as I think this was sourced from a multiple generation off air recording...but this is Strawbs at their rocking best. Well nigh essential.

DFA - Work in Progress Live and 4th. Haven't gotten in as many listens to these, but I like what I am hearing so far. Mostly instrumental Italian prog with a bit of a jazzier bent.

Progday 2001 2-CD set. Only one listen in, and there's a lot to swallow here. Only really familiar with the Muffins and Ars Nova, so there's some work to do here.

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Di Terra and Canto di Primavera. Two totally different sides to Banco. Di Terra is all instrumental and an unmitigated classic of the genre, while Canto di Primavera is shorter, song based vocal music, almost verging on pop. But both are excellent, and easily reward multiuple listens.

Kingfisher Sky - s/t. Haven't listened to yet :-)
Gerard - Sighs of the Water. Again, no listens yet. But I liked them when they played live at NEARfest 2002.