REVIEWS:
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(reviewed by Akis Katsman)
HIGH POINTS: Unevensong, First Light, Highways Of The Sun. LOW POINTS: some dull moments on side 2.
Rain Dances is a jazzier album than Camel's earlier ones. This is not necessary a bad thing, in fact it works very well in most cases. They also started experimenting with funky disco and ambient here (one track features Brian Eno on keyboards!), so this album is pretty diverse. It’s not one of Camel’s absolute best, though. I don’t mind that much the various “experiments” here, it’s just none of the songs here would make me say “wow!”. Fortunately, there aren’t any really bad songs either. Camel started writing shorter songs and more radio-oriented material like the poppy “Highways On The Sun” which was also released as a single. There is also a new member called Richard Sinclair (of Caravan, Hatfield And The North fame) who can sing pretty well.
Let’s go to the actual songs now, let’s start with the instrumental ones. There are –no more no less- five instrumentals on this record! The first one, that also opens the album, is called “First Light” and it’s a fast-tempo thrilling synthesizer ride. Great. In the second side, there is the soothing ambient track “Elke” (a collaboration with Eno) which is quiet pleasant. “One Of These Days I’ll Get An Early Night” has got a funky rhythm and cool instrumentation (electric piano, saxophone etc). If you are in a funky mood, you will enjoy it, in fact you can even dance to it! “Skylines” is another bass-driven instrumental and it’s very dreamy, you should listen to it with your eyes closed and your mind free (not stoned, though!). And then, the album closes with an orchestral reprise of “First Light”, simply called “Rain Dances”. Somewhat pointless, but not bad.
As for the vocal numbers, sung by Sinclair, there’s “Unevensong”, probably my personal favourite song on the album. It has a pseudo-complex rhythm and heavenly vocals. Gotta live the guitar too and the big instrumental break. “Tell Me” is very sleepy and not as good, but it’s a good way to calm yourself, especially if you let the vocal melody carry you away. There’s also “Metrognome” (cool title!), another pleasant tune that changes through calm, dreamy passages and fast instrumental breaks (like most of Camel songs). I like it a lot, and you should like it too. Oh, there’s also the single of the album “Highways Of The Sun” an attempt of releasing a poppier song. I can say it’s very good, even if somewhat “ordinary” for Camel’s standards. The vocal melody and the synths are really catchy, and I even like its pseudo-dreamy lyrics (duh!).
In conclusion, I can say this is a good record in overall, especially in the fucked-up 1977 year, although a small disappointment after the amazing Moonmadness. Just make sure it’s not your first Camel album and get it better after their first four albums. If you like jazz and/or fusion a lot, assuming you have an open mind, you may even love it, though.
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