Nude is one of Camel’s most affecting concept albums — a largely instrumental song-cycle telling the extraordinary true story of a Japanese soldier who kept fighting a war that had ended decades before. Released in 1981, it marked a welcome return to the ambitious, narrative approach of The Snow Goose, and features some of Andrew Latimer’s most emotional, Gilmour-like guitar playing.

The short version

Nude (1981) is the eighth studio album by Camel, and a return to the concept-album format after several song-based records. Based on the true story of Japanese soldier Hiroo Onoda — the album’s title comes from his surname — it was recorded by Andrew Latimer, bassist Colin Bass and drummer Andy Ward, with keyboardist Duncan Mackay. Mostly instrumental, with lyrics by Latimer’s future wife Susan Hoover, it’s a warm, melodic, emotionally rich record, widely loved by Camel fans.

The story behind the album

By 1981, Camel had pared down to a small core around Andrew Latimer, and for their eighth album they returned to the storytelling ambition that had served them so well on The Snow Goose. The concept came from Latimer’s wife and lyricist Susan Hoover, inspired by the remarkable true story of Hiroo Onoda, an officer in the Imperial Japanese Army who was stranded on a Philippine island and, unaware that the Second World War had ended, held out in the jungle for nearly thirty years, not surrendering until 1974. The album’s title, Nude, is drawn from Onoda’s surname, and its songs follow a soldier’s journey from enlistment through decades of isolation to an eventual, disorienting return home.

The sound

Nude is largely instrumental — only a handful of tracks carry vocals — and its short, interlinked pieces flow together to tell the story, much as on The Snow Goose. The mood is melodic, atmospheric and often melancholy, perfectly suited to a tale of loneliness and endurance. Latimer’s guitar, frequently compared to David Gilmour’s for its rich tone and lyrical, unhurried phrasing, is the emotional heart of the album, complemented by his own flute and koto, Duncan Mackay’s keyboards and Mel Collins’s saxophone. If the production carries a distinctly early-1980s sheen, the musicianship and feeling are pure Camel.

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The songs

The album opens in pre-war Japan with the vocal tracks ‘City Life’ and ‘Drafted’ — sung by Colin Bass and Latimer — before the soldier is shipped out and stranded. From there it becomes mostly instrumental: ‘Docks’ and ‘Beached’ feature some of Latimer’s finest fusion-tinged guitar, ‘Landscapes’ and ‘Changing Places’ evoke the passing years in the jungle, and ‘Please Come Home’ — the album’s emotional centre, with lyrics by Latimer — captures the ache of separation. The story moves through ‘Captured’ and ‘The Homecoming’ to a poignant close, mirroring the soldier’s long-delayed and bittersweet return.

Reception and legacy

Nude was warmly received on release, reaching number 34 in the UK and cheering fans who had felt the previous couple of albums lacked direction. It’s widely regarded as one of Camel’s strongest later works and their best since Moonmadness, admired for its emotional depth, its cohesive storytelling and Latimer’s expressive playing. It was, however, the end of an era in one important respect: it was the last Camel album to feature original drummer Andy Ward. Soon afterwards the band went quiet, and Latimer would spend years tangled in business difficulties before reviving Camel independently in the 1990s.

The verdict

Nude is a beautiful, underrated album, and a rewarding listen for anyone who loves melodic, atmospheric, largely instrumental progressive rock with a strong story at its core. Like The Snow Goose, it’s best experienced as a whole, allowing its narrative and moods to unfold. Come for Andrew Latimer’s gorgeous, Gilmour-esque guitar and the moving tale at the album’s heart, and you’ll find one of the quiet gems of Camel’s catalogue — a heartfelt, dignified concept album about loyalty, loss and the long road home.

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