Camel - Mirage [1974]

Now it's time for some classic pro uploading! Whilst some newcomers to prog may be scratching their heads looking at the album cover rest assured that this is a prog classic up there with the likes of Red (King Crimson), Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd) and Selling England By The Pound (Genesis).

Camel's sound on this record is an interesting one as although it doesn't borrow too heavily from other bands its sound is what a lot of us would think of straight away when "70s prog rock". Interesting instrumentation, use of flutes, extended suits etc. Something interesting to note would be the singer who isn't a great singer like Jon Anderson or Peter Gabriel so consequently the vocals are not, in the owner of this blog's own words 'gay-prog-vocals', and this does count in Camel's favor as more focus is given to instrumentation which this album has in spades.

This is a 5 track affair; 2 of which are instrumental ('Supertwister' and 'Earthrise'... the former being fantastic), 1 "straight forward" sounding prog song ('Freefall') and 2 mind-blowing extended songs ('Nimrodel/The Procession/The White Rider' and 'Lady Fantasy Suite: Encounter/Smiles For You/Lady Fantasy')

Give this one a listen and don't let in fall wrongly in the shadow of the more famous prog greats

(enjoy the slightly predictable bonus tracks of live material and an early mix).

256kbps

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Persona 101: Edited for spelling and date settings, and I'll add that I agree, this is an awesome album.

Yes - Relayer [1974]

Following "Fragile" and "Drama", this is my third favourite Yes album. Complete with the longer song structures that Yes were well known for, but not as ridiculously overblown as some of their prior efforts (I'm looking at you, "Tales From Topographic Oceans").

"Relayer" was the first album cut by the band following Rick Wakeman's departure. It features Patrick Moraz in his place, but in a much less prominent role than his predecessor (owing to the fact that most of the album had been written when he joined). The album is very jazz fusion influenced, and a particular highlight is the intense "Sound Chaser" (although singling it out may be a little pointless given that it is one of only three tracks on the album). Of course, the 22-minute "The Gates Of Delirium" is mind-blowing in the way it builds up, peaks and winds down. The only slight disappointment is the final track, "To Be Over", which is considerably less memorable than the other two. Still, this album is one of Yes' most overlooked, but it turns out to be one of the most rewarding.

Mp3, 128 kbps

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King Crimson - Red [1974]

King Crimson are no strangers to variation and experimentation, and although this (the last album of their "classic" period) had a similar sound to their previous album ("Starless and Bible Black"), it would prove to be a very different listening experience, containing layered guitar overdubs, and only one live recording.

The album starts off with the title track, a guitar-driven instrumental, and only gets better. For me, the highlight of the album is "One More Red Nightmare", with a catchy verse and excellent solo from Mr. Fripp.

M4a, ~320 kbps (VBR)

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Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway [1974]

Did you want a concept album where you can understand what the hell is going on? No? Well ME NEITHER.

"The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" was Peter Gabriel's final album with Genesis, and perhaps the one which made the rest of the band realise the effect their singer's artistic vision was having on them. Following the story of Rael, an immigrant who travels to Manhattan in order to save his brother (although just how much of this album actually follows this idea is debatable), "The Lamb" is a bizarrely compelling 94 minutes of music, with Genesis' usual epic song structure overhauled into a (mostly) individual 23 songs, ranging from the stark and uncomfortable "Back In N.Y.C." to the catchy "Counting Out Time" to the chilling "The Waiting Room". Definitely worth a listen.

Mp3, 256 kbps

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