VOLUME III - 32 MARS

Want a groovy and psychedelic sounding album? One that is a bit peculiar yet fun? Well then this might just well satisfy your needs. Starting with a cool organ playing a catchy tune, this grows to a full spectacle of psychedelic and experimental showmanship. From the entire band playing in a full fledged lineup to the solo piano playing and then to tribal percussion and other instruments (such as a wacky style sax), this opening piece has the full gamut of what this band was capable of - not only in terms of playing and instrumentation but also in being able to create varied psychedelic textures and soundscapes. This track alone is such great fun to listen to; it's a great ride made up of smaller segments that make it up a varied whole. The goofiness shown in some parts of the tracks balances the more psychedelic and spacey parts but does not ruin them at all; on the contrary, it adds distinction to their sound. The whole album flows very naturally from one track to the other, linked by the common sound and style, the organ and the occasional humorous additions. The drumming here is very good, as it gives the great flow of the album and the excellent rhythm that the album has. The organ gives it a somewhat transcendental aspect, and is balanced out by the other instruments and the way the music is arranged. I find the tunes to be very well organized. "Les Chevrons" for example starts out with the organ dominating it but ends up with the whole band joining in a beautiful harmony and a gorgeous vocal line. This album is well worth checking out!

Too bad it is so short an album! Once it's over, you'll want to listen to it again.

3.5-3.75 stars in PA rating scale - rounded up to 4 stars.