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The story behind the album cover: The Snow Goose (1975) - CAMEL

"Finally, Fritha, the 12-year-old girl, overcame her fear and took the injured Snow Goose to Rhayader, the hermit who lived in a lighthouse. It was the late 1930s. England declared war on Germany but 40,000 British soldiers fell into a trap at Dunkirk and had nowhere to go. The music and cover of this Camel album is inspired by the story of writer Paul Gallico. I had not listened to this LP for quite a long time, because I dropped out on the opening tune with the flute. I don't know exactly how music works in the brain, but even now the tune lingers in my head all day long, now that I play the album once again, after more than forty years. But fair is fair, there are also touchingly beautiful pieces on the Snow Goose. I had never really studied the story. This week I was completely under the spell of "The Snow Goose". I empathized with Rhayader. A man misunderstood. In the village they didn't like him. He had a hunchback and his right arm was paralyzed. He didn't really care living in solitude. He was there for the wildlife and for the migratory birds on his terrain, 'The Great Marsh', where birds from all over the world would temporarily stay before the trek to warmer regions. Then Fritha showed up at his lighthouse with a rare bird. A white snow goose from Canada with black tips on its wings. Well depicted on the cover by design agency Modura, specialized in so-called 'tube/3D' sleeve designs. Place some reflective metal tube on the cover and the image comes to life in 3D. The animal was injured, but Rhayader tended to the bird and the Snow Goose recovered. A platonic love developed between Fritha and Rhayader. Love without sex. Fritha visited Rhayader regularly to care for the Snow Goose. Until the moment when the Snow Goose had recovered completely and could fly again and flew back to Canada. Fritha was very sad, but Rhayader explained that you should let nature take its course. There was no reason for Fritha to visit Rhayader anymore. After a number of years, the Snowgoose returned. Rhayader was happy because he had missed contact with Fritha. He left a message in the village and Fritha showed up again. Now a grown girl. A close friendship developed between Fritha and Rhayader. She ignored the prejudices of the people of the village. And then came this call from the English government. The only way to save the English soldiers from the beaches at Dunkirk was to use all boats and vessels, military and civil, and leave for Dunkirk. Rhayader also complied with this request. He knew he probably wouldn't survive, but his civic sense of duty was greater than his friendship with Fritha. He went out in his ramshackle boat. The Snowgoose flew with him. He ultimately saved seven lives. He himself died from shrapnel. In the village, the seven soldiers told the story of the hermit and the bird that showed them the way back to England. Fritha was left alone at the lighthouse. The Snowgoose stayed with her. She knew Rhayader's ghost had settled in the migratory bird. Through the cover, I can see the Snowgoose flying around. I can't get that image from my mind. The images of Rhayader in his boat are given an extra dimension by the 2017 film "Dunkirk", about the evacuation of the English soldiers from the beaches at Dunkirk. Recommended. With some imagination you can also see the Snowgoose flying around in this movie. Revaluation of a record cover and its music. Sometimes you encounter those moments when browsing through your record collection. I will quickly look for the next LP with a 'tube' design." By Gerrit-Jan Vrielink Translation: Alex Driessen

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