WATER COLORS

This early 90s release by Bardens sounds a lot like a soundtrack, and indeed it did appear as accompaniment to a nature oriented video in addition to the CD form, just so you know what you are getting into.

Only 2 of the tracks have vocals this time around, and both have strong memorable melodies and arrangements. "Higher Ground" is a rocker by Bardens' post Camel standards, with some harmonic rhythm guitar as well as fine lead guitar solos and sprightly keyboards. The beats are very Alan Parsons oriented, but the overall feel is much lighter and happier. The other "song" is "Is it Any Wonder", is another groove laced mellow tune that's hard to get out of your head.

The instrumentals are in the new age vein with admittedly more programmed rhythm, remind me of Patrick O'Hearn at times. The best of these are the opener "Journey", "Shape of the Rain" and "Ghostwater". One suspects that some of the remainder might work better in the context of a full audio visual experience.

If you want a Bardens' solo album that is more focused on his instrumentals, this might be the one to get, as long as you and electronic new age music mix together better than oil and water.

Journey

Water Colours is one of Peter Bardens better solo albums and also one of his more progressive ones. In my opinion, only Seen One Earth is up to par with this one. But while that 1987 album was more towards (Prog related) electronic music territory reminding of Vangelis and Larry Fast's Synergy, this 1991 release has a bit more of a New Age-feel. But don't let my use of that label scare you off, this is by no means pure relaxation. This is rather a mainly instrumental, keyboard-driven Rock album with a couple of Alan Parsons Project-like vocal numbers thrown in for good measure. Fans of that band as well as of Mike Oldfield might want to sit up and take note. There is some very tasteful lead guitar on several tracks. Anyone coming to this album expecting anything like a lost Camel classic is, however, bound to be disappointed (even if post-Bardens Camel albums like The Single Factor and Stationary Traveller might give you some vague hints).

I have the greatest respect for Peter Bardens for his brilliant contributions to one of my all-time favourite bands, but his solo career has generally been a disappointment for me. If you want to discover what Bardens achieved on his own after he left Camel, Water Colours and Seen One Earth are the best places to start.

This water is cold instead of cool and I don't see many colors. After the two albums released in the 80s Peter Bardens goes more deeply into the newage world with an album well produced, full of clean keyboards but very far from the Camel's days.

I don't dislike the newage, and effectively we can consider this album as borderline with what we call progressive electronic, but it lacks the hypnotic qualities of Tangerine Dream or the warm mediterranean flavor of Vangelis. Each track is good enough but I see no feelings inside it. Apart the opener, the title track and few moments here and there it leaves me completely cold.

This is often the limit of this kind of relaxing newage music: if there's not a big composing effort it results repetitive and boring.

Water Colors is a good album to be listened on a sofa in a night club or as soundtrack to a sequence of images (as it was effectively intended for), but in my opinion it doesn't match the requirements to be considered a progressive album.

I don't disagree with the 3 stars rating that this album currently has. It's not absolutely bad and is absolutely non-essential, however it's not much better than its two predecessors that I have rated as collector items, so I'm sorry for decreasing the current 3.00 rating of this album of an artist that I love, but to be honest this is good only for fans and newagers. I consider it as a follow-up to Seen One Earth and Speed of Light also because some ideas from those two albums seem to have been reused here.