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Thread: FEATURED CD: Eloy - Colours

  1. #1
    Moderator Poisoned Youth's Avatar
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    FEATURED CD: Eloy - Colours



    Nice wings!

    Review from ProgArchives (Joolz):
    It is the start of the 1980s, and as with other well known Prog bands, Eloy moved with the times and updated their sound to include a stronger keyboard presence. New keyboard player Hannes Folberth has brought a raft of fresh ideas and sounds, replacing the old spacey textures and grooves with a more structured 'symphonic' form of AOR. The addition of a second guitarist adds depth to full and imaginative arrangements, ably assisted by exciting rhythmical twists and a detailed and powerful production. Colours is quite a big jump from its weak predecessor, no more so than in Bornemann's vocals which were like a lead weight dragging down Silent Cries And Mighty Echoes. While still he would not win any polls for singing, here his voice is reasonably tuneful and provided with more interesting melodies to sing. Significantly, it is also recorded less 'dry' than before.

    Pink Floyd references are not entirely omitted, but they are relegated to a supporting role only. Similarities to The Alan Parsons Band abound throughout the album, while several tracks point towards Trick Of The Tail era Genesis, for example the excellent Illuminations [Steve Hackett chiming guitar work] and Giant [Squonk?] have clear antecedants without ever being hollow imitations, while the heavier Child Migration can't make up its mind whether to be Genesis or Led Zeppelin! Impressions takes a different tack, its loping rhythm and uncredited flute is very Jethro Tull circa Thick As A Brick. Despite these pointers, the music does not generally sound derivative.

    Guitars and keyboards vie for attention at all times, as typified in the stunning masterpiece Silhouette. This begins gently with Bornemann singing over atmospheric piano and 'flute' [Mellotron?], before a wonderful infectious bass and drum riff sets up a hypnotic groove that dominates the remainder of the track, even during vocal sections. This is not the kind of ethereal/trance groove that appeared on Ocean, but one that speaks directly to the body's motor organs. As the song ends with an ambient fade into the next track, you are left desperately wanting more!

    Colours is a very strong set, with just a couple of weaker moments - Horizons, with its funky Clavinet based arrangement, makes a good starting-off point but never develops any further, while Gallery is an undistinguished up-tempo heavy-AOR song. That aside, it is an excellent album combining elements of space-rock and AOR with a degree of symphonic complexity that give it a broader appeal yet with enough twists and turns to satisfy a Prog fan.




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  2. #2
    Eloy kinda of lost me with their 80's material......

  3. #3
    Progstreaming-webmaster Sunhillow's Avatar
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    Not me! I think Eloy was one of the few bands who succesfully tranformed their sound into the 80s. This album and Planets are classics IMO, while I think TTT, the very underrated Performance and even the patchy Metromania constitutes for 5 excellent 80s-Eloy-albums.

  4. #4
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sunhillow View Post
    Not me! I think Eloy was one of the few bands who succesfully tranformed their sound into the 80s. This album and Planets are classics IMO, while I think TTT, the very underrated Performance and even the patchy Metromania constitutes for 5 excellent 80s-Eloy-albums.
    I agree! I really like Colours, Planets and Time To Turn. A nice trilogy of albums there, with some lovely keyboards. To be honest, I actually like this period even more than some of the classic albums of the mid-70s. (My favourites, though, will always be the earlier Inside and Floating).
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  5. #5
    80-83 is my fave Eloy period

  6. #6
    victoria's secret model on the cover.

  7. #7
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Poisoned Youth View Post
    Nice wings!
    LOL! Yes, spread them wide!

    I love this album - I sometimes feel, when listening to the song "Child Migration," that Eloy at this time was doing what Pink Floyd SHOULD have been doing then.
    Last edited by JKL2000; 01-11-2013 at 05:37 PM.

  8. #8
    ItalProgRules's Avatar
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    They kind of started losing me with this one. It's not really BAd, but where are the TUNES? Everything kind sounds the same.

    Question: Why was the "Child Migration" single an almost entirely different track than on the album, not a "single edit" but an entirely different melody, arrangement and lyrics, sharing some lyrical similarities only? IMO, the single kicked ass, one of my favorite ELOY songs ever. The album version, not so much...
    Last edited by ItalProgRules; 01-10-2013 at 09:49 AM.
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    I found "Colours" kind of a letdown after the magnificent "Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes". But "Planets" and "Time To Turn" were vast improvements, IMO.

  10. #10
    I enjoy Colours... it's a head on collision between Eloy and Alan Parsons Project. If you can handle the APP-isms, it's quite a nice slab of music.

  11. #11
    This is a great album. I pretty much dig everything Eloy did between "Inside" and "Performance".
    American Hollow - my prog band.

  12. #12
    I rate this as one of their best. I guess it may be that "moment in time" effect where what was happening and the circumstances at the time cast a rosy glow over it but for me it just shines.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Rael View Post
    I found "Colours" kind of a letdown after the magnificent "Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes".
    I feel precisely the opposite. Silent Cries has its moments but overall is disappointingly derivative. Colours was far more energized and exciting to my ears, even short tunes like “Gallery” are full of fire and musical thrills. I do agree with you on Planets, though, it’s one of my favourite Eloy discs. And no one used 80s synths like Eloy did during this era, phenomenal keyboard work throughout! Time to Turn I.....liked, but it still rather felt to me like Planets II: The Slightly Disappointing Yet Still Rather Good Sequel. It’s worth it for “End of an Odyssey” for sure, kind of an apropos song title as I felt Eloy were never the same after this.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Progbear View Post
    I feel precisely the opposite. Silent Cries has its moments but overall is disappointingly derivative. Colours was far more energized and exciting to my ears, even short tunes like “Gallery” are full of fire and musical thrills. I do agree with you on Planets, though, it’s one of my favourite Eloy discs. And no one used 80s synths like Eloy did during this era, phenomenal keyboard work throughout! Time to Turn I.....liked, but it still rather felt to me like Planets II: The Slightly Disappointing Yet Still Rather Good Sequel. It’s worth it for “End of an Odyssey” for sure, kind of an apropos song title as I felt Eloy were never the same after this.

    -------------
    MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")

    "'Thin Thighs For Your Man.' But I don't *like* men with thin thighs" --Daria

    N.P.:“Waves Part 1”-Jade Warrior
    A "newbie" here so be kind to me!!

    Planets and Time to Turn were originally intended to be a double album and were recorded as such, it was their German record label, EMI Harvest, who wanted to release them as two single albums

    Personally I prefer their earlier work, for me Time To Turn is their last great album, although all the later albums have their moments and shouldn't be written off entirely.

    They only ever played three gigs here in the UK, a short 40 minute set at a free music event by the River Thames, not far from where The London Eye is situated and two nights at the old Marquee Club, i was fortunate to see them at the free event and, later the same evening, at the first show at Marquee. To this day Frank Bornemann says those two night were the highlight of their career.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by ItalProgRules View Post
    Question: Why was the "Child Migration" single an almost entirely different track than on the album, not a "single edit" but an entirely different melody, arrangement and lyrics, sharing some lyrical similarities only? IMO, the single kicked ass, one of my favorite ELOY songs ever. The album version, not so much...
    This was recorded by a transitional line-up that saw the return to the fold of Manfred Wieczorke, only to leave again shortly thereafter. I assume the line-up was otheriwse Bornemann, Matziol and Arkona (who'd joined on the "Silent Cries" tour although he hadn't played on the album), not sure who the drummer was - maybe McGillivray already.

  16. #16
    ItalProgRules's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by calyx View Post
    This was recorded by a transitional line-up that saw the return to the fold of Manfred Wieczorke, only to leave again shortly thereafter. I assume the line-up was otheriwse Bornemann, Matziol and Arkona (who'd joined on the "Silent Cries" tour although he hadn't played on the album), not sure who the drummer was - maybe McGillivray already.
    Thanks, calyx, I didn't know that. The liner notes kind of skipped over the bonus track!
    High Vibration Go On - R.I.P. Chris Squire

  17. #17
    For some reason this one did not impress me much and I gave it away.

    Maybe I should listen to it again some time.

  18. #18
    Didn't like the Colours album that much but saw them during its tour and they were awesome live.
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