Bardens, Peter - Big Sky


Year of Release: 1995
Label: HTD
Catalog Number: CD22
Format: CD
Total Time: 42:37:00

He/she who thinks Peter Bardens only delivers purely keyboard flavoured albums should think again. Since his early days with Them, Bardens has always been a composer first. During his stint with Camel he often had to deliver an amicable "fight" with Andy Latimer, which might well be one of the main reasons why in the end he quit Camel.

With Big Sky, Bardens returns to his Heart To Heart period - a record filled to the rim with beautiful songs that by no means have to be an illustration for the man 's technical ability. On "China Blue," Bardens can use the skills of Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood Mac), whilst the rhythm gets the upper -hand in "Puerto Rico" where we can also hear the voice of Mychal Lomas (already to be heard on Watercolours. Title t-rack "Big Sky" gets in the mood of Wakeman 's Crimes Of Passion (Kathleen Turner!) especially by using a fake saxophone.

Bardens previously gave Southside Johnny one of his songs. It was probably so good that he re-discovered his own song! "On The Air Tonight" remains a superb song, this time sung by Neil Lockwood whose voice at times is very reminiscent of Chris Thompson. Put the intro for "A Brave New World" next to Everon 's "Face The World" and you get the inevitable chicken-or-the-egg question. There 's Camel revisited in the South-American flavoured "On A Roll" when Andy Latimer steps in the help out. The CD closes with three short instrumentals. "For Old Times Sake" has one of those typical Bardens melodies. "Scarletti" could well be a tribute for the classical master. Played solely on a Steinway grand it illustrates perfectly what we have known for a long time - Bardens is and remains a big one!


Tracklisting:
China Blue (4:53) / Puerto Rico (5:37) / Big Sky (4:58) / Gunblasters (3:39) / On The Air Tonight (4:30) / You Got It (3:36) / A Brave New World (4:52) / On A Roll (4:17) / The Last Waltz (2:10) / For Old Times Sake (1:48) / Scarletti (1:45)

Musicians:
Pete Bardens - keyboards
Neil Lockwood - vocals
Neale Heywood - guitars
Mick Fleetwood - drums, percussion
Jethro Defries - backing vocals
Mychal Lomas - vocals
Mendy lee - backing vocals
Stevie Adams - guitar
Suzanne Paris - backing vocals
James Whitney - backing vocals
Mike Nile - bass
James Manley - guitar
Andy Latimer - backing vocals (8)

Discography:
The Answer (1970)
Peter Bardens (1971)
Write My Name In The Dust (1971)
Heart To Heart (1979)
Seen One Earth (1987)
Speed Of Light (1988)
Watercolours (1991)

Genre: Other

Origin UK

Added: April 25th 2001
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Artist website:
Hits: 2661
Language: english

  

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