Camel : Air Born : The MCA and DECCA Years 1973 - 1984 : Box Set- Unboxing Review

Camel : Air Born : The MCA and DECCA Years 1973 - 1984 : Box Set Review
Progressive Rock at it's finest ! I am still wading through the discs so this is about the box and presentation. Justifiably my number one box set of 2023. The remixes are just stunning.
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Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine

[@trevorpugh6475]

Well Phil, you’re obviously as blown away in awe by this box set as I am! I’ve played and enjoyed every disc (apart from the blu ray 5.1 discs, I don’t have surround sound but never mind) I love this band and I would like to thank everyone involved in producing this superb collection of an underrated British band’s studio and live recordings on the MCA and DECCA label, plus the book, plus the packaging. Hand on heart, I’m not as enthused as you, Phil about the remixes, preferring the original but beautifully remastered studio albums but hey, this is undoubtably a triumph of a box set and I’m over and indeed ON the moon with delight…cheers Phil, a cracking review!!

[@user-rk8oe9ok2o]

Latimer/Barre/Fripp/Bornemann The guitar lords. Camel fantastic. Hopefully we get an Eloy 73-83 box too

[@jerrygeorgopolis8015]

Phil, Amazing box set ! Thanks for the review.

[@jegarajramoo3873]

I have noticed that creating box sets have truly evolved into an art form. This sheer creativity is compelling audio buffs to purchase them in huge numbers, thus ensuring physical media would never go extinct. And Phil, I salute you for your own creativity in the. narrative that you use in describing these items. It is like listening to a university professor!

[@NowSpinningMagazine]

Thank you 🙏

[@marhill77]

Thanks Phil. Been waiting for this 👍

[@raymondmitchell7582]

Hi Phi, I got in touch with Universal who put the box out, and they say there is a second press coming out in March. Which is great news, because i missed it first time round. I have been into Camel since I first bought ' The Snow Goose ' in 1975, this Box looks amazing. Thank you Phil.

[@darcyska]

This is a set I've got on my list! There is so much here and it just feels absolutely perfect! It's a love letter to fans, old and new, and just feels like the kind of thing where you couldn't ask for much more - COMPLETE!

[@franciskocher200]

Amazing box...

[@jonathanpearman1052]

"Pastoral Prog"... sums Camel up nicely! The music is excellent and whatever might have been lacking in packaging (no covers etc), the book more than makes up for it. Haven't done my list yet for my favorite box set 2023 but this one's in pole position. What we need now is a similarly loving box set treatment of Renaissance and Illusion. Thumbs up for the review!

[@iang1]

Hi Jonathan, have a look at Illusion's 'Everywhere You Go' 4 CD book-set by Edsel released last year, it's a limited set and Includes the lost album 'Enchanted Caress' and other rarities

[@jonathanpearman1052]

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I now have a copy; have yet to play it but very pleased that I now can give my vinyls a well deserved rest. Also got Cherry Red’s Renaissance clamshells so all’s good!

[@JonPickles]

Phil its a great set I’ll need to wait for a reissue. Like the VDGG box i missed having the proper sleeves but it sounds great. They then released the albums on CD/BR so bought those also to get the cover art. Maybe they’ll do this with this set?? Great video so thanks for sharing.

[@michaelwelton4910]

Great review. I had been looking forward to this boxed set for ages, and given that boxed sets of a similar size and quality have been retailing at £250+, this really is cheap considering what you get. Completely agree that this is the best boxed set of 2023. Although the Porcupine Tree luve document is pretty good!

[@billyfletcher9449]

Wonderful review and box set

[@frankstecker5675]

Wonderfull delux Box.. for the great band..CAMEL...i love Camel Musik..

[@cimarron7639]

What a wonderful box set and a great review. Camel have always been one of my favourite bands. I saw them twice in the late 70s and early 80s in Bournemouth and Poole. Love all of the early records but my favourite period would be from 1977 to 1981, Nude is a masterpiece. Love your channel. Thanks.

[@frednijsten7582]

I agree totally with you Phil. I have also a copy of this box. Good weekend. Cheers Fred.

[@douglasweston126]

Hi Phil - WOW that is truly amazing. I have the Rainbows End Anthology box set - brilliant. Just been revisiting YES's - Turn of the Century off Going For The One. What a piece of music that is - a masterpiece. Give it a listen and remind yourself what a great band Yes were. The sad thing in a way, is that these type of box sets are what we look forward to and keep us going, there's just not a huge amount of great music out there today to actually look forward to. Yes - there are some great bands, but they are few and far between. Can I ever afford "Airborn", probably not but the Rainbows End will do me. Thanks for the great review. Cheers Doug

[@timguzz8844]

I'm extremely jealous of you all. Looks like an outstanding box set

[@kevinmuldoon224]

Hiya Phil! Agree, great box. I never owned any Camel until this, but after sampling a few things on Spotify and so on I took the plunge before Xmas. Still haven’t listened to half of it yet (partly due to listening to Snowgoose about half a dozen times) but checked out ‘Ice’ following your recommendation. Wowsers! It’s fantastic and I’ve just listened to it three times in a row. Isn’t it fab when you discover something new and it instantly becomes a favourite. Just the thing to do as I await the latest storm to hit the UK. Anyway, I’ll stop now and let you get on with all that listening and video-making you’ve got to get through. Cheers!

[@davidsheppard7317]

Great stuff Phil 👍👍

[@leperlord7078]

This and Wilson's remixes of Gentle Giant. Chuffed

[@Af1st1]

Looks fantastic! Ocean Colour Scene did a great box set a few years back including all their albums! I would recommend that one also!

[@stephenscicluna5216]

Amazing box set by an amazing band! Lots to appreaciate here - excellent remixes, good quality live material, demos, concert footage, BBC stuff, and an outstanding book. To top it off, the price I got it for is absolutely a bargain. No bootleg sounding cds here, which is a relief (for me). Some 'all-inclusive' box sets of other artists included cds full of low quality live recordings. While these may have a historical value, IMO they inflate the cost of the box set, while having doubts how many times fans will listen to those cds. (A case in point is the Caravan box set, which I could have gladly purchased at a more reasonable price, had it included the BBC recordings and omitted the many live 'bootleg quality' live cds). As a general note, I think that the quality of box sets over the past years has been outstanding. Record labels have definitely stepped up the product and found the niche that made music lovers gladly spend money on physical media (as opposed to streaming). Thanks again, Phil :)

[@backrowbrighton]

Good stuff Phil. I think you did very well on the price you paid for this incredible looking set. I like Camel as a band but my interest peaks with their 1970s releases. This would be too much for me but this must be musical heaven for the dedicated fans.

[@jean-lucpernel2202]

Impressionnant,!mais n'est ce pas exagéré qui peut prendre !e temps d'écouter en entier tous ces enregistrements ??!! Pour ma part j'ai 2 cd remasters + bonus the firstCamel and the master pièce the snow goose, but beautiful box 😊

[@douganderson3403]

Camel are a band I was never really exposed to and the bits I dud hear ðidn't grab me at the time. I have bought sime of their albums more recently but not given them enough spin times. A bix set like this,at £150 would have me listening to what I had and deciding if I would appreciate this box. The price poi t is oretty good and compared to the Emerson set this looks far better value and has had more work on the albums done (remaster, 5.1 etc). Of the two this would probably attract my money, if it hadn't sold out

[@Louisejames23]

Looks nice. Took me a while to get into Camel, saw them a few years ago, brilliant. JPC in Germany still has them for £150. 😊

[@ledzep9501]

I believe there will be another box set for 1985 up to now, with studio albums, extras, live archive material and more live blu rays

[@iang1]

I got mine from CD Services who say a 2nd run will appear in mid February, they're doing pre-orders at £149.99 + postage

[@joshuak4372]

This is a good one.

[@ianemery4355]

It's an Amazing looking set! Camel are a gap in my collection! Go on Phil as a start what do I go for first?

[@NowSpinningMagazine]

Moonmadness is a great place to start.

[@calummcgregor3662]

Superb band ... you could "do two birds with one stone" by getting any of the 2CD or DVD or BluRay of the recent set recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall ... 1st set of gig is Moonmadness live ... 2nd set is an extended mix from their catalogue ... I bought the BluRay which lets you see a stellar band in top form ... CMcG, Aberdeen, Scotland

[@backrowbrighton]

You can't go wrong with their first four albums.

[@ianemery4355]

​@@NowSpinningMagazineOK Phil Moondance it is 👍

[@ryansimpson2158]

you’re making me go broke lol

[@lie188]

who else sleeps on the 🆒️ side of the pillow with 🐫 & 🦋..? 🙂👍

[@andrewcarr5923]

A cracking set, sadly out of my reach even when it was available.

[@normanmacfarlane6724]

Looked this up on Amazon . . . $750

[@NowSpinningMagazine]

It is being repressed in February, so the price will drop !

[@tonyjedioftheforest1364]

Phil this is an extremely cruel review, as it’s completely sold out what chance have those people that want one have of getting one? Looks brilliant though and I sincerely hope that they do a second run as this would have made me a great birthday present for my landmark birthday. Keep your enthusiastic reviews coming.

[@NowSpinningMagazine]

Hi Tony, don’t panic! It is being repressed in February!! - Phil :)

[@tonyjedioftheforest1364]

@@NowSpinningMagazine brilliant, looks like it will have to be a late birthday present! Camel were a band that passed me by in the seventies. I think I am a similar age to you and like you I could not buy everything back then but I am enjoying catching up on these classics, just rapidly running out of space to store them.

[@neilbower9052]

It's being repressed and will be available at the end of Feb 2024

[@markgreene1162]

Good because I can't really find it anywhere, or at least for a reasonable price.

[@neilbower9052]

JPC in Germany posted it on their website on the box set details. They won't post it to the UK though. "Artikel wird nachgefertigt. Voraussichtlich wieder lieferbar Ende Februar 2024" (Item will be re-manufactured. Expected availability end of February 2024)@@markgreene1162