Breathless is the 6th studio album by the English progressive rock

Progressive rock

Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...

 band Camel, released in 1978. It is the last album to feature the group's original keyboardist Peter Bardens

Peter Bardens

Peter Bardens was a keyboardist and a founding member of the British progressive rock group Camel. He played organ, piano, synthesizers and mellotron and wrote songs with Andrew Latimer...

, who left the group before the tour for the album. He was replaced with two keyboardists for the tour: Dave Sinclair

Dave Sinclair

David Sinclair , is a keyboardist who has been part of the progressive rock Canterbury Scene...

 (Bassist Richard Sinclair

Richard Sinclair

Richard S. Sinclair is a progressive rock bassist, guitarist and vocalist who has been a member of several bands of the Canterbury scene.-Biography:...

's cousin) and Jan Schelhaas

Jan Schelhaas

Jan Russell Schelhaas is an English musician, mostly known as the keyboard player from the bands Caravan and Camel....

.

The album focuses on shorter, radio-friendly songs, as the group was trying to gain some airplay. Also, the group gives their sound another feel on some tracks. For example, the humorous "Down on the Farm" sounds like Caravan

Caravan (band)

Caravan are an English band from the Canterbury area, founded by former Wilde Flowers members David Sinclair, Richard Sinclair, Pye Hastings and Richard Coughlan. Caravan rose to success over a period of several years from 1968 onwards into the 1970s as part of the Canterbury scene, blending...

 (in the song's feel, this is reinforced by having Richard Sinclair as the lead singer on the track), and "Summer Lightning" has a disco-feel with extended solos from Bardens and Latimer.

However, the group retained its jazz influence and progressive sound on other tracks. Notable examples of this are "The Sleeper" and "Echoes", which sound similar to music contained on early albums like Mirage

Mirage (Camel album)

Mirage is Camel's second album, released in 1974. It features some of their best-known songs, including "Nimrodel" and "Lady Fantasy". It is also a showcase for Andrew Latimer's flute, notably on "Supertwister"....

and Moonmadness

Moonmadness (album)

Moonmadness is an album released in March 1976 by English progressive rock band Camel. It was their 4th album and the last to feature the original line-up...

. Both songs are highlights of the album, and "Echoes" also became a favorite on the group's live repertoire, and is considered among fans as one of the best songs the group ever recorded.

This album shows how the band continued transforming their sound into a pop-like sound, while it also displays the group's progressive and jazz roots and other styles as well.

Side one

1. "Breathless" – (Andrew Latimer
   Andrew Latimer
   Andrew Latimer is an English musician and one of the original members of the progressive rock band Camel. He is mainly a guitarist and singer, but also a flautist and keyboardist....
   
   , Peter Bardens
   Peter Bardens
   Peter Bardens was a keyboardist and a founding member of the British progressive rock group Camel. He played organ, piano, synthesizers and mellotron and wrote songs with Andrew Latimer...
   
   , Andy Ward) - 4:19
2. "Echoes" – (Latimer, Bardens, Ward) - 7:18
3. "Wing and a Prayer" – (Latimer, Bardens) - 4:45
4. "Down on the Farm" – (Richard Sinclair
   Richard Sinclair
   Richard S. Sinclair is a progressive rock bassist, guitarist and vocalist who has been a member of several bands of the Canterbury scene.-Biography:...
   
   ) - 4:24
5. "Starlight Ride" – (Latimer, Bardens) - 3:25

Side two

1. "Summer Lightning" – (Latimer, Sinclair) - 6:09
2. "You Make Me Smile" – (Latimer, Bardens) - 4:17
3. "The Sleeper" – (Latimer, Bardens, Ward, Mel Collins
   Mel Collins
   Mel Collins is a British saxophonist and flautist and session musician.He has worked in a wide variety of contexts ranging from R&B and blues rock to jazz, but is perhaps known for his work in progressive rock, as with King Crimson, Camel and the Alan Parsons Project.-Career:Collins has worked...
   
   ) - 7:06
4. "Rainbow's End" – (Latimer, Bardens) - 3:00

Personnel

• Andrew Latimer
  Andrew Latimer
  Andrew Latimer is an English musician and one of the original members of the progressive rock band Camel. He is mainly a guitarist and singer, but also a flautist and keyboardist....
  
   – Guitar, Yamaha CS80/50, Vocals (A 2, 5, B 2, 4)
• Peter Bardens
  Peter Bardens
  Peter Bardens was a keyboardist and a founding member of the British progressive rock group Camel. He played organ, piano, synthesizers and mellotron and wrote songs with Andrew Latimer...
  
   – Keyboards, Organ, Vocals (A 3)
• Mel Collins
  Mel Collins
  Mel Collins is a British saxophonist and flautist and session musician.He has worked in a wide variety of contexts ranging from R&B and blues rock to jazz, but is perhaps known for his work in progressive rock, as with King Crimson, Camel and the Alan Parsons Project.-Career:Collins has worked...
  
   – Flute, Saxophones
• Richard Sinclair
  Richard Sinclair
  Richard S. Sinclair is a progressive rock bassist, guitarist and vocalist who has been a member of several bands of the Canterbury scene.-Biography:...
  
   – Bass, Vocals (A 1, 4, B 1)
• Andy Ward – Drums, Percussion
• Dave Sinclair
  Dave Sinclair
  David Sinclair , is a keyboardist who has been part of the progressive rock Canterbury Scene...
  
  – Keyboards (uncredited) (B 2, 4)