SI ON AVAIT BESOIN D'UNE CINQUIÈME SAISON

Let's say this first: What's makes this album a masterpiece is almost just one song, a marvelous composition named Histoires sans paroles but that song really knocks the listener down on her knees or makes her fly in the heaven of tunes. Si On Avait Besoin D'Une Cinquième Saison is Harmonium's second record of three and was released in 1975. It has a magnificent cover that whispers about what is going to come. There are five men on this record: Pierre Daigneault, Serge Fiori, Serge Locat, Michel Normandeau and Louis Valois. These five gentlemen plays five tracks and on those track they master many instruments like mellotron, harp, flute, clarinet, saxophone, guitar, drums, piano, synthesizer, accordion, bass, electric guitar and vocals. I especielly like the clarinet that gives the music live in a new way.

The first side welcomes us with a playful feeling and much happiness in "Vert" which also has great vocal harmonies and in "Dixie" which has a totally different style, a very poppy symphonic folk song and "Depuis l'otomne" is also very different whit a lot of drama and the sound och sweaping wings and a strong ending. The second side's first song "En pleine face" has an acoustic feeling with a playful vocal section and very french accordion. Finaly we have "Histoires sans paroles", one of the best instrumental pieces in rock music history which is bult up so clever with a wonderful melody that starts softly (driven by flutes) and in the end of the song breaks out in music euphoria. What happens in the middle is fantastic. It goes from a folky to a mystic spacy atmosphere but something is slowly meant to come. The listener beacomes curious and the lasting minutes make it even more exciting. This track makes the record. Without it, with weaker b-track it would have ended up with three stars or perhaps four. But this monster of seventeen minutes also helps the other songs to recognition. Those have what "Histoires sans paroles" lacks, great vocals and other styles. A fascinating lp from this french canadian band. On more five star ranking.