Peter Bardens

As a two-CD overview of the career of Peter Bardens, Write My Name in the Dust: Anthology manages to fit in a lot of material and display his work in different contexts, but also suffers from some problems that might prevent it from being wholly satisfying to some fans of his music. Despite the 40-year time span of the title, it's not a chronologically balanced selection by any means; 23 of the 29 tracks predate 1972, only three postdate the mid-'70s, and those three are all from his 2002 album The Art of Levitation. Too, there are just three cuts from Camel, which to art rock listeners might be the most familiar of the groups in which Bardens played.

Peter Bardens was a keyboardist and a founding member of the British progressive rock group Camel. He played organ, piano, synthesizers and mellotron, and wrote songs with Andrew Latimer. Prior to Bardens joining Andrew Latimer and co. to form Camel, he recorded two excellent solo albums for Transatlantic Records. The first of these was The Answer and this superb eponymous second album. The album included such excellent tracks as Write My Name in the Dust and did much to enhance Bardens reputation as a musician and composer. The music on both of Bardens solo albums would also map the route that he would take as a member of Camel.

Esoteric Recordings are pleased to release a newly re-mastered and expanded edition of the classic 1970 album "The Answer" by the legendary keyboard player and Camel member Peter Bardens. Prior to Bardens joining Andrew Latimer and co. to form Camel, he recorded two excellent solo albums. The first of these was "The Answer". The album included the side long opus "Homage To The God Of Light", later performed by Camel in their live sets. The album is expanded with both sides of the only single released by Bardens' outfit Village, a group who also included future Elvis Costello band member Bruce Thomas and lasted just a few months in 1969.

Bardens was leader of the group Camel, and has several solo albums since the demise of the group. Further than You Know continues his journey into contemporary vocal compositions, while he remains true to his roots with three exciting instrumentals that showcase his unique, sophisticated and rhythmic blend of jazz and rock styles.

Peter Green is regarded by some fans as the greatest white blues guitarist ever, Eric Clapton notwithstanding. Born Peter Greenbaum but calling himself Peter Green by age 15, he grew up in London's working-class East End. Green's early musical influences were Hank Marvin of the Shadows, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Freddie King, and traditional Jewish music. He originally played bass before being invited in 1966 by keyboardist Peter Bardens to play lead in the Peter B's, whose drummer was a lanky chap named Mick Fleetwood…

Camel's classic period started with The Snow Goose, an instrumental concept album based on a novella by Paul Gallico. Although there are no lyrics on the album – two songs feature wordless vocals – the music follows the emotional arc of the novella's story, which is about a lonely man named Rhayader who helps nurse a wounded snow goose back to health with the help of a young girl called Fritha he recently befriended. Once the goose is healed, it is set free, but Fritha no longer visits the man because the goose is gone. Later, Rhayader is killed in battle during the evacuation of Dunkirk. The goose returned during the battle, and it is then named La Princesse Perdue, symbolizing the hopes that can still survive even during the evils of war.