Moonmadness

Moonmadness
Studio album by Camel
Released	26 March 1976
Recorded	January–February 1976 at Basing Street Studios, London
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	39:15
Label	Gama/Decca
Producer	Rhett Davies and Camel
Camel chronology
The Snow Goose (1975) Moonmadness (1976) Rain Dances (1977)

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Moonmadness is an album released in March 1976 by English progressive rock band Camel. It was their fourth album and the last to feature the band's original line-up (Latimer, Bardens, Ferguson, Ward). After the success of the tightly structured, instrumental The Snow Goose in 1975, the band added vocals to their music again.

The album has an overall theme, just as their previous one did, but does not follow a storyline since it is mostly based on the band members themselves. As written in the CD Booklet: Overall, the tracks comprising the album were conceived as a loose concept based on the individual personalities that made up Camel; "Air Born" about Andrew Latimer, "Lunar Sea" about Andy Ward, "Chord Change" about Peter Bardens and "Another Night" about Doug Ferguson. The cover was designed by Field.

The last song on the album, "Lunar Sea", ends with a minute-long wind-blowing effect. On some LP pressings, the record arm would skip during the end of this part and naturally return to the beginning of the effect, playing it endlessly (the "terminal groove" effect).

In the Q & Mojo Classic Special Edition Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, the album came number 23 in its list of "40 Cosmic Rock Albums".^[4]

It was voted no. 58 in the Top 100 Prog albums of All Time by readers of 'Prog' magazine in 2014.

Track listing

Side one

1. "Aristillus" (Andrew Latimer) – 1:56
2. "Song Within a Song" (Latimer, Peter Bardens) – 7:16
3. "Chord Change" (Latimer, Bardens) – 6:45
4. "Spirit of the Water" (Bardens) – 2:07

Side two

1. "Another Night" (Latimer, Bardens, Andy Ward, Doug Ferguson) – 6:58
2. "Air Born" (Latimer, Bardens) – 5:02
3. "Lunar Sea" (Latimer, Bardens) – 9:11

Bonus tracks on 2002 remaster

8. "Another Night" (Single version) – 3:22
9. "Spirit of the Water" (Demo) – 2:13
10. "Song Within a Song" (Recorded live at Hammersmith Odeon 14 April 1976) – 7:11
11. "Lunar Sea" (Recorded live at Hammersmith Odeon 14 April 1976) – 9:51
12. "Preparation/Dunkirk" (Recorded live at Hammersmith Odeon 14 April 1976) - 9:32

Personnel

Camel

• Andrew Latimer – guitars, flute, vocals on "Another Night" and "Air Born"
• Peter Bardens – keyboards, vocals on "Spirit of the Water"
• Doug Ferguson – bass, vocals on "Song Within a Song"
• Andy Ward – drums, percussion, voice on "Aristillus"

Production

• Engineered by Rhett Davies
• Original LP Cover Design by Field

Release details

• 1976, UK, Gama Records/Decca Records TXS-R 115, Release Date March 1976, LP
• 2002, UK, London 8829292, Release Date 3 June 2002, CD (remastered edition)

References