The Snow Goose (album)

The Snow Goose
Studio album by Camel
Released	April 1975
Recorded	Island Studios, Decca Studios (overdubs), London
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	43:05
Label	Decca Records
Producer	Dave Hitchcock
Camel chronology
Mirage (1974) The Snow Goose (1975) Moonmadness (1976)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information.

The Snow Goose is the third album by the band Camel. released in 1975. The success of "The White Rider" suite (based on J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and appearing on the band's previous album, Mirage), inspired the group to write more novel-inspired conceptual suites. The band considered several novels on which to base their next album. For a time they settled on Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse, and some songs were written before the idea was abandoned in favor of Paul Gallico's novella The Snow Goose. The album's name, originally simply "The Snow Goose", was altered to Music Inspired by The Snow Goose to accommodate legal protests by Gallico. The album was originally due to feature lyrics based around Gallico's text, but due to his objections, an instrumental was made instead.

The album reached silver status in 1981, and is considered by many to be their most accessible work. It is remarkable for having no lyrics and orchestral (plus rock) instrumentation. This, along with the band's subsequent release Moonmadness, is considered by fans to be the band's greatest albums.

Track listing

All songs by Peter Bardens and Andrew Latimer.

Side One

1. "The Great Marsh" – 2:02
2. "Rhayader" – 3:01
3. "Rhayader Goes to Town" – 5:19
4. "Sanctuary" – 1:05
5. "Fritha" – 1:19
6. "The Snow Goose" – 3:11
7. "Friendship" – 1:43
8. "Migration" – 2:01
9. "Rhayader Alone" – 1:50

Side Two

1. "Flight of the Snow Goose" – 2:40
2. "Preparation" – 3:58
3. "Dunkirk" – 5:19
4. "Epitaph" – 2:07
5. "Fritha Alone" – 1:40
6. "La Princesse Perdue" – 4:43
7. "The Great Marsh (Reprise)" – 1:20

Bonus Tracks on 2002 Remaster

1. "Flight of The Snow Goose" (Single Edit, A-side of Decca F-R 13581, Previously unreleased on CD) – 2:05
2. "Rhayader" (Single Edit, B-side of Decca F-R 13581, Previously unreleased on CD) – 3:09
3. "Flight of the Snow Goose" (Alternate Single Edit) – 2:49
4. "Rhayader Goes to Town" (Recorded Live at The Marquee Club) – 5:07
5. "The Snow Goose / Freefall" (Recorded Live at The Marquee Club) – 11:01

Japanese SHM 2CD on 2009 Disc2

track1 - track11 : Recorded Live From BBC Radio One Concert 1975

1. Rhayader Goes To Town
   
2. Sanctuary
   
3. The Snow Goose
   
4. Migration
   
5. Rhayader Alone
   
6. Flight Of The Snow Goose
   
7. Preparation
   
8. Dunkirk
   
9. Epitaph
   
10. La Princesse Perdue
    
11. The Great Marsh
    
12. Selections From The Snow Goose (BBC 2 Old Grey Whistle Test 1975)
    

Personnel

• Andrew Latimer – Electric, Acoustic and Slide Guitars, Flute, Vocals
• Peter Bardens – Organ, Mini Moog, Electric Piano, Acoustic Piano, Pipe Organ, ARP Odyssey
• Doug Ferguson – Bass
• Andy Ward – Drums, Vibes, Percussion

• David Bedford – Orchestral Arrangements
• Rhett Davies – Recording Engineer
• Original Sleeve Design by Modula.

Release details

• 1975, UK, Decca Records 291 034, Release Date April 1975, LP
• 2002, UK, London 8829292, Release Date 3 June 2002, CD (remastered edition)
• 2009, Japan, Universal, UICY-94132/3, 27 May 2009, 2CD (SHM)

External links

• "KEI" - Short animation inspired by "Camel" music "The Snow Goose" (Sanctuary)

References

1. ^ Erlewin, Stephen Thomas. "The Snow Goose - Camel | AllMusic". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r3167. Retrieved 24 June 2011.