Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Eloy
Label: EMI Records
Released: 1980
Rating: 4/5
“Colours” was something of a bridge between the old and new sound of German space rock legends Eloy when it came out. If “Silent Cries And Mighty Echoes” (1979) was their peak for crafting symphonic waves and esoteric atmospheres, and its sound owed a good deal to some of Pink Floyd’s creations, then on “Colours” they started to drift away from that influence, even though the album is still stuffed with esoteric symphonic arrangements. On this record Eloy also began working in some of the technological advances that arrived in the early 80s, especially in the synthesizer department. Those got a touch more refined, and the production got even more crystal clear.
The main reason for this was surely the major lineup change on keyboards and drums. Apart from guitarist, singer and undisputed boss Frank Bornemann, only bassist Klaus-Peter Matziol remained from the previous lineup, the one that recorded three of their best albums. Hannes Folberth took over keyboard duties, while the drum stool went to Jim McGillivray, a Brit already well established in Germany, who also became the author of most of the lyrics and successfully replaced his excellent predecessor Jürgen Rosenthal on that front. After “Power And The Passion” (1975), where former keyboardist Detlev Schimdtchen played additional guitar, Frank finally brought a second guitarist into the band after a long time. Hannes Arkona fit right in on both electric and acoustic guitar and complemented Frank’s recognizable playing style superbly. Frank almost completely dropped the David Gilmour-style worship here, with its long, subtle solos, and leaned a bit more into his own, heavier rock approach. Frank’s vocal progress is noticeable too. Despite his still-strong German accent, he improved most of his lyrical delivery.
The traditional sci-fi lyrics improved noticeably, mostly thanks to the British author. The twin-guitar harmonies between Frank and Hannes (alongside the trading of riffs) were largely to blame for the band picking up a bit more of a hard rock sound again, and in places they came suspiciously close to the specific sound that later, via a media label, got stuck with the name space metal. Still, on “Colours” Eloy were primarily weaving superb, esoteric space rock with a big emphasis on ambient keyboards, while the dual guitar harmonies and hard rock riffs, backed by a dynamic and melodic rhythm section, delivered lively rock energy. New wave influences are surprisingly negligible on “Colours”, and I can’t accuse the album of containing radio-friendly melodies the way some of their prog rock contemporaries were doing at the time. Even so, in terms of sonic kinship with other bands, they were closer to the early The Alan Parsons Project than to Pink Floyd.
The compositions got a little more compact, but their expressive power didn’t suffer one bit. “Colours” flows brilliantly from start to finish, with no noticeable dips in quality. Every single track has a completely different structure, and there are no recurring motifs on the album. “Horizons”, which features two guest female vocalists who bring a nice dose of romance to the piece, is an excellent opener. After those tasteful, hypnotic vocal harmonies, Eloy bring in an exceptionally witty guitar riff, artfully interwoven with a slick, melodic bass, dynamic drums and bouncy synth effects. The only slight letdown is the abrupt, somewhat too hasty ending. “Illuminations” is one of the album’s peaks, a breathtaking mix of pomp and finesse. This piece has superb symphonic synth arrangements, twin-guitar harmonies, dynamic drums and witty sound effects. Frank’s energetic riffing and pompous vocals pour a generous helping of drama into the transitions. Energetic and calm sections alternate now and then, featuring excellent guitar and keyboard solos. Space metal? Sure, why not, if you like clever genre labels for every single track.
“Giant” has a completely different energy again. It opens with special synth effects that create a kind of babbling-water sound. Eventually a mighty layer of keyboards, tightly interwoven with the guitars, crashes in. While that layer keeps feeding the piece a subtle esoteric mood, the funky bass line and dynamic drums carry the song onto more
down-to-earth ground. Besides the excellent keyboard solos, Frank’s guitar shines no less in the solos. The keyboard textures cutting in amid the otherwise rhythmically lively passages and melancholic guitar parts, complemented by dramatic vocals, are masterfully executed. “Impressions” also has a very witty symphonic intro built on an interplay of acoustic guitar and synthesizer. Eloy also slipped a clever flute solo into this piece very deftly, an instrument they hadn’t used since the album “Inside” (1973). Another esoteric treat arrives with the excellent symphonic epic “Child Migration”. After a dramatic intro with booming keyboards and dramatic vocals, a white-hot hard rock riff crashes in, joined in the background by rhythm guitar and lively drumming. The melodic chorus is great and is one of their rare choruses that stays lodged in your ears for a long time without any trouble. The best section, though, comes with the arrival of a flamenco guitar motif interwoven with electric piano passages and bouncy drums. The energetic hard rock riff neatly ties its structure together the whole way through and makes sure a dramatic red thread runs through it.
“Gallery” is a very interesting, half-new-wave experiment with a nearly disco rhythm and electronic-sounding keyboards. But all those elements are constantly pierced by white-hot guitar passages and dynamic drum transitions. The dual guitar harmonies between the two guitarists and Frank’s solos in between are finger-lickin’ good and surely influenced the work of the German metal bands of the day. Frank’s vocals sound surprisingly lively this time, too. “Silhouette”, in my opinion the best composition on the album, features gorgeous symphonic opening passages on electric piano that even someone like Tony Banks wouldn’t be ashamed of. Despite that comparison, they still sound pretty unique. After the vocals come in, the dramatic mood dictated by the piano calms down for a while. But only until, after the lull, one of the best and most inventive transitions in the band’s history arrives, creating an incredibly majestic atmosphere. While drums and bass dictate a relaxed tempo, Folberth adds all sorts of keyboard passages. Eventually, when the vocals kick in, the section veers almost into disco waters, but excellent multi-layered guitar parts stop it from going there, giving it an incredible, totally distinctive energy. When Frank adds his weeping solo on top, the majestic mood hits its peak. The section right before the final exit, when the guitar passages start to flow into each other, briefly pulls toward Pink Floyd from the “Animals” (1977) era, but that lasts only a fraction of a second. Without a doubt one of the best compositions in the band’s history. The closing “Sunset” could even be called the best instrumental in their history. The incredible esoteric magic, created by a blend of melancholic guitar chords and dreamy keyboard waves, instantly enchants everyone who looks for spiritual nourishment in music too, and takes them on a veritable spiritual journey. Only a handful of the best progressive rock bands were capable of achieving such an effect, and Eloy undoubtedly belonged among them.
“Wings Of Vision”, found on the current reissue of the album, was the product of pressure from the label EMI for the band to finally record their first hit single. Frank and the gang didn’t care much for such commercial tricks,
but they still granted the label’s wish, rose to the occasion and created their by far most commercial work up to that point, a half-AOR track with a simple, crowd-friendly structure, a melodic chorus and straightforward lyrics. Even though it doesn’t reflect their usual style, it’s an interesting melodic experiment with tasteful symphonic arrangements and pompous energy. Thanks to the vocals and keyboards, the closing section oddly pulls toward the commercial Genesis of the 80s. Also included here is the shortened single version of the album’s best piece, “Silhouette”, where the other sections were cut out so that only the commercial, most radio-friendly “disco” section was left. I never adored this kind of commercial move, which in my view ruins a masterpiece, but true devotees of the band will still find it interesting to hear this version in its stripped-down form.
“Colours” is a superb and unjustly overlooked album on which I can’t find any obvious weak spot, and which doesn’t lag much behind the quality of their three best releases from the second half of the 70s. The fact that it’s a bit more “down-to-earth” and has more guitar passages, without a noticeable drop in keyboard textures, makes it more accessible even to those who aren’t traditional space rock listeners. At the start of the 80s, a decade traditionally unfriendly to prog rock, Eloy were the very incarnation of consistency and ambition, and “Colours” is fine proof of that. They skillfully dodged the commercial trends of the time and brought in only the most useful elements that modernized their sound. On the upcoming two-part concept project, Frank and his gang kept actively pursuing their space rock direction and stepped into the 80s more successfully than the vast majority of their prog rock contemporaries.
Lineup
Frank Bornemann – vocals, guitar
Hannes Arkona – guitar
Klaus-Peter Matziol – bass guitar, backing vocals
Hannes Folberth – keyboards
Jim McGillivray – drums, percussion
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Edna & Sabine – vocals (1)
Production
Frank Bornemann
Tracklist
1. Horizons (3:20)
2. Illuminations (6:19)
3. Giant (6:05)
4. Impressions (3:06)
5. Child Migration (7:23)
6. Gallery (3:08)
7. Silhouette (6:57)
8. Sunset (3:15)
Album length: 39:33
Bonus tracks from the reissue (2005):
9. Wings Of Vision (4:14)
10. Silhouette (single edit) (3:30)
