SEEN ONE EARTH

Eight years after the reasonable Heart To Heart, Bardens embarked on full frontal new age chill out sound. Some could argue he was a pioneer of chill out muzak, and why not? Anyway putting that all aside Seen One Earth is a wonderful, melancholic dreamy album. " Seascape" is a great opener with some great bass and keyboard interplay. " Man Alive" has some serious thumping sections, granted drum machines and loops but a really warm energetic tune " Seen One Earth" the title tracks almost sounds like Vangelis from the Short Stories era. Depiction of Earth from a spacesuit? The song is pretty harmless but not as good as the opening two tracks." Prelude" features the amazingly talented Joe Jackson and there is a distinct upping of the ante in the production on this song " In Dreams" very representative of some Camelogue and even Alan Parsons Project but it still remains a unique Bardens sound with soft laid back vocals. " Stargate" really excels in the new age department and has Honey Hylton providing some interesting backing vocals. A good album and on a par with it's predecessor.