The Snow Goose

Camel's inspiration for their third album, The Snow Goose, was a novella written by Paul Gallico, for which the author won an O. Henry Award in 1941. The band did not receive the author's blessing, however, and subsequent pressings would be retitled (Music Inspired By) The Snow Goose to avoid copyright infringement. The all-instrumental album was again produced by Genesis and Caravan cohort David Hitchcock, and featured orchestral arrangements from David Bedford. Set during WWII, Gallico's short story concerns an old man who is befriended by a young girl and an injured goose; so, it goes without saying that there's precious little heavy rock inside! Nonetheless, Camel uses precise arrangements to provide a cohesive uniformity to the album's 16 vignettes, and ends up with one of progressive rock's better-executed concept albums. "Rhayader" features a light and melodic main theme that sets the album's course. Andy Latimer's lead guitar takes a rare spotlight on the following "Rhayader Goes to Town;" but in general, the album forgoes soloing for tightly controlled arrangements. Pete Bardens's keyboard work is first-rate, offering a variety of textures. Doug Ferguson and Andy Ward never stretch out too much either, instead providing a solid anchor throughout. The second side drifts towards a more introspective feel, with "Preparation" and "Epitaph" both reprising a simple, haunting melody. David Bedford's orchestrations of "Friendship" and "La Princesse Perdue" are rich and judicious, but never overfilling. The album sounds spacious, inspired and relaxed; if not everything needed to "rock out," Camel certainly would take top honors. The album was Camel's first in a long stretch of charting records, reaching No. 22 in the UK.