COLIN BASS

More pleasant than expected, but hardly sensational.

My introduction to Colin Bass was via that disastrous CAMEL release "I Can See Your House From Here". Ditto for Kit Watkins of HAPPY THE MAN fame. Both contributors were filed away as of little - if any - interest in the future.

Later, I've seen footage of CAMEL with Mr Bass on bass and his lukewarm, almost indifferent attitude didn't really impress. Sure, he had some very big shoes to fill in CAMEL after Doug Ferguson's great riffs and Richard Sinclair's groovy Canterbury approach. Instead, he chose to decline the challenge and remain mediocre, not unlike a hired hand. Basically he suited Latimer's obsession with bittersweet concept themes that border on sorrow and misery without breaking, or maintaining musical grounds.

Having read some recent reviews of this album left me somewhat intrigues, so I've decided to check it out - after all. Firstly, I agree that Crossover is an appropriate genre for it as it's pleasant enough to be listed, but one that's lacking any "grunt" associated with Prog basics.

One can hear some bass for a change and the vocals are undoubtedly nice. Latimer - who's always been a great guitar player - is continuing his Gilmour inspired elegance of post- Bardens CAMEL and this comes off nicely. Flutes, orchestral arrangements add a nice touch, evoking comparisons with Latimer's CAMEL's better moments.

This album is far from great, but quite reasonable in Crossover territory. Has it made me more interested in Colin Bass? Probably not, but in all fairness, I could put it on repeat without being irritated by it. These days it's almost a plus...!

A 3.5 rating may be appropriate - unless you have plenty of more inspired works - like I have - in your collection to listen to. Excellent it isn't, only pleasant enough for a lazy Sunday afternoon with friends by the pool, in place of absolute commercial crap.

For over ten years I got this CD, I was recommended to be a inexhaustible follower of Camel. It is an exquisite music, at least for my taste in music. Some will find it mellow, but also has powerful parts.

Colin is fabulously supported by colleagues from Camel, Quidam and Abraxas. All musicians are more than acceptable, no amateurs, which is clearly reflected in each piece. Of course, perceived the great contribution of Latimer, on topics such as Macassar, As Far As I Can See, The Straits of Malacca.

There are good contributions from the flute performed by Jacek Zasada of Quidam and drums by Dave Stewart. Also add color parts of violin and orchestra in specific sections. Abraxas keyboardist and guitarist do a good job too.

Colin's work is seen mainly in the vocals and composition, along with the proper performance of his bass guitar. Aissa is the only song (instrumental) focused on his instrument.

The rest of the songs I did not mention, are enjoyable and suit well with the rest.

It is not a masterpiece from a progressive analysis, but it is a very good selection of music, with style and quality.

Years ago I have rated this album without writing a review, as I was thinking, reading the other's comments, that everything was already said about it. This morning I have found myself listening to it for the fifth time this week (It's Friday) while going to work so I have decided to write my own one.

First of all this is the album closest to Camel, in a good sense, that I've ever heard, not only because Colin played in the band since the 80s. There is plenty of good music in this album: the "Camelistic" songs like "As Far As I Can See" or "Holding Up My Hand", the various string quartets and songs like "Denpasar Moon" and "Goodbye To Albion" that give me something more. Regarding those two songs I think is the fact to have been in Denpasar and having lived for a period in "Albion" so they touch me in a particular way.

Technically speaking it's all well played and Colin's voice sounds incredibly good. It features Andy Latimer and Dave Stewart (not the Eurythmics one) and it should be enough to make this album appealing for proggers, but also the polish rest of the lineup deserves to be mentioned.

There's no need to go track by track with this review. This is an excellent album that together with Colin's live with Joszef Skrkzek I strongly suggest to all the fans of Camel.

Mr. Bass doesn't just play the bass

This solo album by Colin Bass represents the lighter side of Camel and strongly reminds of Camel's late 70's/early 80's Pop phase with albums like I Can See Your House From Here (the first Camel album after Colin Bass joined the band), Nude and The Single Factor, much more so than more recent (and much better) Camel albums like Dust And Dreams, Harbour Of Tears and Rajaz.

Colin Bass has been an important part of Camel since he joined in the late 70's and the mutual influence between him and the band can be clearly discernible on An Outcast Of The Islands. Those who know Camel's 90's live repertoire (see, for example, the fantastic live DVD Coming Of Age) know that Bass sang lead vocals on some songs and those songs give you a good idea of what you find on An Outcast Of The Islands. It is clear that Bass' favourite aspects of Camel's music - and music in general, I suppose - lie in the ballads and softer pieces. This is a rather laid back and soft album. Bass' vocals are similar to those of Andy Latimer, but less distinctive and more anonymous. Latimer plays some guitars here and he is amazing as always with his distinctive guitar sound.

An Outcast Of The Islands is not a typical bass players album, strongly based on songs rather than instrumental workouts. This can both good and bad, I suppose, but mainly good. The songs are mainly well written and this is by no means a bad album. But to say that it is 'the lost Camel album' or that it is up to par with albums like Dust And Dreams, Harbour Of Tears and Rajaz is strongly deceiving. To my ears this is in a different league altogether. As I said at the outset, I think that An Outcast Of The Islands is comparable both in style and quality to those late 70's/early 80's albums like I Can See Your House From Here, Nude and The Single Factor and these are among the least good Camel albums in my opinion.

One thing that I do not like about this album is the orchestral interludes. These are not bad, but they feel completely out of place on this album. It sounds as if you accidentally pushed the shuffle button with a play list of two very different albums, one orchestral album and one Pop/Rock album. Bass seems to be unable to integrate the different influences on his music. This is not a particularly progressive album at all.

As most of the songs are in a similar mood and tempo it is a relief to hear Burning Bridges towards the end of the album that rocks a bit harder compared to the rest of the album. But it is too late to save this album from being rather average. Still, this is a competent album that deserves three stars; a good album but not more than that. I can recommend it only to Camel fans who want to go beyond the Camel discography or for people who like the softer, poppier side of Camel.

This is one of those "outcast" albums, flying below the radar for no apparent reason, a true gem of cascading delight , surely as good if not better than most Camel recordings (for those of you who do not know, Colin Bass played eminently for Steve Hillage before joining Camel back in the 70s). With Polish friends/musicians from Quidam and Abraxas, as well as the magnificent Andy Latimer on guitar and the equally adept Dave Stewart on drums, this is a rousingly positive effort replete with wonder melodies, inspired soloing and marvelous ensemble playing. The opening instrumental "Macassar" is a stunning intro, full of emotion and harmony, with the axe taking a few soaring journeys. One of the finer mood pieces "sans" vocal you will ever hear. "As Far as I Can See" shows Colin's sweet voice (many actually think that its way better than Andy's wispy delivery) in a simple surrounding, very breezy and English, cherried by a couple of bluesy guitar solos from chef Latimer, pointing proudly towards the horizon. Things are kept interesting with a brief string quartet interlude played by members of the Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra, of which there will be another snippet later on.. "Goodbye to Albion" would perhaps fit well into the Camel repertoire, a very English disposition with whimsical singing, especially the wide chorus while Quidam's Jacek Zasada plays his flute and penny whistle with amusing élan. The treat here is Latimer's mandolin playing in the back ground and Bass's spirited farewell to friends in the mother country! (He spends a lot of time in Indonesia) "And I'll say goodbye to Albion, the green hills in the rain and I'll raise my glass to everyone I'll never see again". Nice. "Straights of Malacca" is another shimmering instrumental extravaganza, with Latimer raging with brash abandon, torturing his wobbly strings with composed tenacity. The guitar effects are spellbinding, heaving and howling like a banshee. Ever had doubts about his prowess, well here it is. On "Aissa" Bass showcases his tremendous fretless abilities, while e-bow guitar colorations add even more depth to the platform. "Denpasar Moon" is perhaps the highlight track here, a romping promenade with jangling rhythms undertone, a sensational vocal wrapped around an unpretentious melody front and center, Latimer displaying his amazing restraint in holding back the explosion that will inevitably never arrive, go figure, you cheeky fellow! "No Way Back" has Abraxas' Szymon Brzezinski taking over from the Camel front man on lead guitar and he acquits himself eloquently within a melancholic 6 minute arrangement that has all the ingredients for maximum enjoyment. Probably the most progressive track here, complete with another ravenous bass solo from Colin, perhaps the most underrated 4 stringer in prog and closing it out with some masterful symphonics. "Holding Out my Hand" leaves little respite, another victorious melody within a tight blues based envelope, a podium for a shimmering vocal très Pink Floyd and a chorus to expire for! Inspired ensemble playing as Meller, Florek and Blaszczyk supply massive doses of shine, a cool Hammond organ and synth blitz paired with an ultimate guitar burst from Mr. Latimer, all fervor and ardor in his own inimitable style . Stellar stuff! "Outcast" is another outright classically played orchestral piece from the PPO, where violins, violas and cellos find themselves bathing in luxuriant magnificence. The highly linear "Burning Bridges" starts of somewhat exuberantly but plods along much to my surprise, unable to ignite the flame. While a decent piece (great drumming), it has no bearing on the previous genius material, so I skip. "Reap What You Sow" is a colossal piece that has so many stellar moments: the low spark Traffic-like piano, the uncanny Bryan Ferry-like vocal lilt, the massed all-Polish female choir and Latimer's country/blues picking. The gentle acoustic finale "Trying to Get to You" puts this hour long joyride to rest. I can easily imagine myself listening to this on some tropical paradise island, the palms swaying to the pleasure sounds and instead of calypso/reggae, I would revel as an outcast of the islands. 4.5 Sandy sandals.

— First review of this album —

Was just browsing the Colin Bass page and I found that this EP hasn’t been rated yet. Coincidentally, this is the only thing I’ve heard form Bass solo, so I thought I’d give a little review.

So what can we say about it? It’s an EP with the duration of little more than 13 minutes… Not very generous, but every second is very enjoyable here. It starts with the title track Gently Kindly – you can here Celtic influence from the very first note! The song itself is mid-paced, upbeat, undemanding but very pleasant. Playing is excellent especially Bass-played bass.

Then comes One Small Moment, it’s an acoustic guitar-driven ballad with very beautiful melodies, it’s similar to Camel in style, just lighter. Very good.

Next one is The River & The Sea Part 1. This is my favorite song from here. One of the most beautiful Celtic-themed songs I’ve ever heard! So melancholic, so charming, so fantastic! Anyone who listens will have to thank Colin for 4 minutes of pure bliss. I think it would fit perfect on Camel’s Harbour Of Tears, it would be a highlight even there. Then mood changes unexpectedly when Part 2 starts, very upbeat, makes one dance!

So we get here 3 very good songs and one masterpiece, but unfortunately, that’s it. I’d like to have a full album filled with songs of such quality, but EP’s EP… Anyway, even this could be considered as an excellent addition to any prog collection, especially to Camel fans.

My first reaction to this album was, "Colin Bass has chosen to use Andy Latimer on guitars, that's fine, but why use him on vocals as well?" It turns out that Colin himself is doing the singing, and he happens to sound alot like Mr Latimer. And, as with Camel, the voice suits the music. Even if his is not the most technically blessed, Mr Bass makes up for it with emotion. As well as being very Camelish, albeit mellow even by those standards, "Outcast of the Islands" does sound more like a group effort than a solo album. Bass doesn't grandstand too much although his stellar bass work does come to the fore on occasion, such as on "No Way Back", but there is so much more here to enjoy.

The first half of this work is especially bright, and then it seems to falter in the latter stages like so many overly long CDs of this era. But before then we have such beautiful vocal and instrumental melodies as found in "Macassar", "As Far as I can See", "First Quartet", "Goodbye to Albion" and "Denpassar Moon".

While "this Colin Bass album is easily good enough to warrant 4 stars on a traditional length recording, I must unfortunately dock a star due to the lower quality of the last few songs, which are still not bad but feel like outcasts in the wake of what came before.

This album is very relaxing and it resembles the music of Camel as well as Pink Floyd in a happier mood, I guess. Colin Bass seems so familiar with my country which comprises many islands (thousands!) and it is shown with its opening track "Macassar" which is actually the name of our cities in Sulawesi. The opening part resembles the combination of gamelan sounds using keyboard and excellent guitar work by his colleague at Camel: Andrew Latimer. The music is quite stable as it contains little tempo or style changes. If you are a Camel fan, you would definitely like this opening track. The second track "As Far As I Can See" is less upbeat than the opening track and vocal (by Colin Bass) is added with this track. It's a relaxing music with good acoustic guitar rhythm. "First Quartet" is Colin Bass' exploration of string quartet music played by Members of the Poznah Philharmonic Orchestra, arranged by Kim Burton. It's a nice classical music outfit.

"Goodbye To Albion" bring Latimer backs on track with his a bit Floydian guitar style, performed in relatively upbeat tempo with Colin Bass vocal. Oh by the way, vocal quality wise, his voice resembles Camel's vocal or in a way, sometimes, similar to Steve Hackett's voice. It's not that excellent but it's not bad. The voice seems too flat for my taste. "Stratis of Malacca" has special meaning for me - not the song - as it was the place where I started my career as Off-shore Hook-Up Engineer installing two platforms of the oil companies. Unfortunately at the time I was not aware of this track. This track has aggressive guitar work by Latimer and it's heavier than previous tracks. "Aissa" is to me like a jazz improvisation outfit with good bass lines.

"Denpasar Moon"! Oh who the hell in my country has never heard this song? It was very popular in the seventies as it was sung by an artist (singer) Maribeth and became radio hits everywhere in the country. There is not much different with the Maribeth version except that this one is less energetic. It's probably the limit of Colin Bass high register notes. "The Second Quartet" continues the string work. "No Way Back" is a straight rocker with good guitar work. This time Szymon Brezzizki plays the lead guitar. "Holding Out My Hand" brings back Camel sound with the appearance of Andrew Latimer on lead guitar. "Outcast" is another string quartet outfit.

Overall, the music is a blend of pop with Camel-like composition. This album would favor those who like Camel music. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

For the first time I've heard Colin Bass, and I really enjoyed this CD. It's very, very good. It begins with title track, whick is very calm, and ends with very good solo. Then more rocky "Poznań pie", which is also enjoyable. The third song reminds the first track and is also great. Then two acoustic live tracks.

Unfortunatelly it's very short CD (22 minutes), but I can give three stars, and recommend it.

Basically this could be considered the lost Camel album. Bass tells the tale from Conrad's book through a series of Celtic-tinged soft-rock songs, interspersed with some instrumentals and a couple of slight string pieces. The sounds are identical to what we find on late-period Camel albums, a mixture of lush keyboards and Andy Latimer's widely featured lead guitar, and and Bass's own vocals are eerily close to Latimer's, so much so that if you played this for any casual Camel fan, they'd probably declare flat out that it is Andy singing. If anything, Bass's voice is a little more expressive than Latimer's. Also like Camel, the album tells an inspirational tale, which is very close to 1981's Nude album about a castaway. All in all, if you are a big fan of Dust and Dreams, Rajaz and A Nod and a Wink, then you need to have this fine, mature rock album.