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Review Summary: Another winner and a splendid concept album of Camel. Its beautiful concept is centred by the content and feeling of the Irish immigrants leaving for America. “Harbour Of Tears” is the twelfth studio album of Camel and was released in 1996. The line up on the album is Andrew Latimer, Colin Bass and Mickey Simmonds. The album had also the participation of some additional musicians: David Paton, Mae McKenna, Neil Panton, Barry Phillips, John Burton, John Xepoleas, Karen Bentley and Anita Stoneham.
“Harbour Of Tears” was released five years later of their previous studio album “Dust And Dreams”, which was the first independently released Camel album, after Latimer moved to the USA and got Camel back on his hands. Again, it's a marvel that the band continues to invest so much skill and vision into their music at this late juncture in their journey, but that's certainly the advantage of be able of choosing their own path.
"Harbour Of Tears" is the Latimer’s third concept album about a small piece of the world history in a row. The lyrics are mostly written by Latimer’s wife Susan Hoover. Bass is also the other only permanent member of the band. The concept of the album this time tells the story of an Irish family who is painfully separated, with their young ones that depart to the United States to seek a better future. In the period of 1845-1850 Ireland was not only to current European standards, poor, but also in absolute terms. Some bad harvests in a row, mainly due to blight, later combined with typhoid and cholera epidemics, produced a famine that cost more than a million of Irish lives. This period is now known as “The Potato Famine”. In that time, many did the Irish crossing into the land of unlimited opportunities to generate resources for their home or to build a new life in a new world. Bursting ships set sail from the port of Cobh. Also on board, the conditions were so austere that of every ten passengers two or three have died during the crossing of the ocean.
Latimer learned that the last sight of Ireland that his grandmother’s family would have seen was Cóbh Harbour. As he explains on the back cover of the album, the Cóbh Harbour is a beautiful deep-water port in County Cork, Ireland. It was the last sight of Ireland for hundreds upon thousands of fractured Irish families who see their sons and daughters departed for unknown fates. Those families called to that port, the “Harbour of Tears” and thus, the album itself was also titled as the common alias name of the port, “Harbour Of Tears”.
Musically, "Harbour Of Tears" pretty much follows the "Dust And Dreams" format. Latimer is a romantic guy and the music is pretty much on par with what it was made on "Dust And Dreams", a bunch of instrumental tracks and a bunch of vocal tracks. However, there is for sure more variety on "Harbour Of Tears", than on the 1991 album, I think. As expected, with the subject that is, and as on "Dust And Dreams", the majority of the "Harbour Of Tears" has a quite gloomy and melancholy tone. The mix of Celtic influences in progressive rock music is a phenomenon that the head pops up here and there, and, understandably also intervenes Latimer for this record and to that plea. A whole army of guest musicians, including the necessary string musicians may further enhance the musical revelry. All this, certainly includes some great very enjoyable moments all over the album.
On “Harbour Of Tears” some of the tracks are short and others big. The music flows in a familiar fashion from start to finish, only adding drums and vocals when the energy picks up. The music is very often interspersed by folk elements, which are accentuated by the use of typical instruments. Despite the mood of the album is continuously melancholic, especially through the numerous soft keyboard pads, it never comes to be bored or even lard. The songs, of which about half of them are instrumental, usually go seamlessly one into another. The whole work is a perfect unit. The vocal numbers are too much like the mid-80's Camel. The only exception is the closing instrumental suite, the last track “The Hour Candle (A Song For My Father)”, which has 23:00 minutes long, which makes this disc worth owning for all progressive fans of Camel. After that, it's almost 20 minutes of gentle waves, literally, in honour of Latimer's late father.
Conclusion: “Harbour Of Tears” is a very special album into the Camel’s discography. It’s a very Irish album, very intimate, sensitive, tragic, sad, melancholic and nostalgic, but it’s at the same time very beautiful. Its music gives to the listener the sadness and the tragic feelings of the Irish families who see their sons and daughters departed for unknown lands, towards the distant America. There is plenty to enjoy on "Harbour Of Tears". "Irish Air" has the most real Irish traditional sounds, but "Eyes Of Ireland" has probably even more. "The Hour Candle" is the decision of three beautiful quarters. Three? Yes, because the last fifteen minutes giving the final exit from Cóbh Harbour, is perhaps very sense, but musically, and quite literally, it has nothing to add. Of a total running time of approximately 60 minutes, the last 15 minutes consist solely of a barely audible murmur of the water. The CD has only 45 minutes of music imprinted.
Music was my first love.
John Miles (Rebel)
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menawati (4)
Beautiful Celtic folk influenced concept album. Camel returned to form again after their forgettable...
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Album Rating: 4.0
Your comments are very well received, as usual.
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Great review, man! Pos'd. I appreciate your including the bits on the Cobh port history. There's some very emotional music on here.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Yeah, man. This is really a great Camel's album. In the 90's they returned in a great shape. Unfortunately, Camel is an underrated band and especially their last four studio albums are unknown for many people.
About the bits on the Cobh port history, I think they're essential to understand the concept of the album. As what is usual on all my reviews about concept albums, I spend a good part of the review of the album with the concept of the album. I think it's a very fundamental thing on any concept album, especially in this case, where the concept is very beautiful and touching.
Thanks man for your support and comment. You will always very well come on my reviews.
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I need to check this, great review. I think you can organize your thoughts a little better, but I enjoyed reading this and it makes me want to give this a listen. Pos.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Thanks, RunOfTheMill. Do that man. This is a very beautiful album of a great band.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off
Under the Moon is short but so vibrant. Latimer's guitar playing shines everywhere on here. The Hour Candle is another good example of his incredible soaring guitar melodies. Album is really a moody, emotional ride. I might bump it up to a 4.5/5 in a near future.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
^Agreed on those tracks, Under the Moon especially. Those melodies hit hard.
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This is such a soothing album.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Yeah, dude. This is really a great album. I'm very glad you like it. Despite the tracks mentioned by Jethro, I really think the album worth by its all.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Great review man. Have a pos.
As with bnelso55 I appreciate your including the bits on the Cobh port history.
By the way. What do you mean with: "Harbour Of Tears is the Latimer’s third concept album about a small piece of the world history in a row."
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Dude, when I say that, I mean that this is their third concept album based in some historical events.
So, we have:
These album, Harbour Of Tears, whose story is about the Irish immigration to America in search of a better land.
Dust And Dreams, which is their previous studio album also previously reviewed by me. The story, despite is based on the novel The Grapes Of Wrath of John Steinbeck, is about an historical event about the Great Depression of the small family farms of the American West in search of the false Eden called California searching of a better life.
Nude, which is an album with its concept based in a true history. The story is about a Japanese soldier lost in a desert island, its discovery and the difficulty of his adaptation to his previous life in the society.
So, as you can see, these three albums are based in small pieces of the world history.
I hope my explanation is sufficient for you, man.
Anyway, thanks for your support.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Thanks man, for your explanation. Of course it's sufficient. I need to check the other two albums. For instance, I hadn't noticed that you had made a review about Dust and Dreams. I' going to check this very soon.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Do that, man.
By the way. When I wrote: "Harbour Of Tears is the Latimer’s third concept album about a small piece of the world history in a row.", probably I wasn't truly completely right. To those three albums, we can probably add The Snow Goose.
The concept of the album, despite be based on the novel of Paul Gallico, The Snow Goose: A Story Of Dunkirk, it addresses to us about an historical episode of the WWII, the retreat of the British soldiers from Dunkirk.
So, as you can see, Came made several concept albums about some small pieces of the world history.
All of this albums are great and deserve to be known, dude.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Thanks man, but I already know The Snow Goose.
However, thanks for your help. I will check the others.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
You're welcome, dude. I'm glad to be a help to you.
And yes, do that man. Those are all great albums of a great band
| | | Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off
Nice review, e21. Lots of detailed informations thrown into it. I haven't taken the time to read it before now. Have a pos.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Thanks, Jethro. As I wrote before, a conceptual album deserves a detailed information about its concept.
You is always very welcome, dude.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Hey, man. I have another doubt. When you wrote:
"...there is for sure more variety on Harbour Of Tears, than on the 1991 album, I think."
It was supposed expect you prefer by Harbour Tears than to the Dust and Dreams. However, I can see that you rated both albums with the same rating.
Is there any kind of contradiction, or not?
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Ok, dude. I see what you mean.
This wasn't a very easy decision, to rate both albums equally. You're right. I've a slight preference for Harbour Of Tears. However, as a question of coherence, I decided to classify both albums with the same rating.
So, let's see it. As you can see in my list of ratings on Sputnikmusic, my rating of Stationary Traveller is of 3.5. By the other hand, my ratings of Rajaz and A Nod And A Wink is of 4.5. Because I consider Rajaz and A Nod And A Wink better albums than Dust And Dreams and Harbour Of Tears, and Stationary Traveller inferior to these both albums, you can see that I haven't a great leeway with the rating of Harbour Of Tears.
So, I prefer to give the same rating to both albums because their quality level is more akin than with the other three albums.
I hope that my explanation is sufficent to you.
Cheers, man. I'm always disposable to explain all you want, if I can to do that.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Ok, and thanks, man. I'm completely satisfied with what you wrote.
Cheers, too.
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