With
Rain Dances,
Camel began exploring shorter, more concise songs, but it wasn't until its follow-up,
Breathless, that they truly made a stab at writing pop songs. Although they didn't completely abandon improvisational prog rock -- there are several fine, jazzy interludes -- most of the record is comprised of shorter songs designed for radio play. While the group didn't quite achieve that goal,
Breathless is nevertheless a more accessible record than
Camel's other albums, which tend to focus on instrumentals. Here, they try to be a straightforward prog rock band, and while the results are occasionally a little muddled, it is on the whole surprisingly successful. ~ Daevid Jehnzen