ONE SHOT

And how cool is it that the stage on which they played this music was the same stage they performed for the first time 20 years earlier! That live document was released in 2001 and is called "Vendredi 13". And in honour of that connection they play a rare song not on a studio album but one they played back in 2001 that night and possibly not since again until here called "In A Wild Way" a Borghi composition.

They open things with "Def Mk1" from "Dark Shot" a Jeand'heur track. The last three tunes are from the incredible "Ewas Vader" and what a treat to hear Jim Grandcamp offer up the performance of his life as a guest here on the guitar on the closer "Ewas Vader". Jim plays with bassist Bussonnet in GUILLAUME PERRET & THE ELECTRIC EPIC. So five longish tracks worth about 64 minutes this double keyboard performance was incredible and unique at the time for the band.

A killer performance that had all in attendance blown away and the feeling that Mac Gaw was among them was talked about much.

1. "Off the Grid" (9:26) definitely conveying a Zeuhlish vibe, with excellent musicianship (of course)--especially from the drummer and keys, I'm surprised to find myself bored or losing interest--especially in the middle (before Daniel Jeand'heur really gets going). Also, the keyboard weave that is so central to the music is rather plain and lackluster--(in opposition to the drums). Good, solid, but not great (except for the final three minutes of drumming). (17.66667/20)

2. "Mérovée" (11:13) now here we have some excellent bass and drum work straight out of the gate! The keys are the things that take some time to step up. At the 90-seecond mark the music stops for a weird electronic keyboard exchange for about 30 seconds before stepping back into the opening motif. Another round of this and I'm really starting to get annoyed at the way the keys are holding the rhythm section back; the synth/keyboard play is almost childlike--a waste of tape and my time. Even the jazzy detuned and distorted Fender Rhodes solo in the seventh, eighth, and ninth minutes feels like their shooting for the novelty market, not trying to produce cohesive, engaging music. Meanwhile, Philippe Bussonnet and Daniel Jeand'heur do their best to remain happy in their own little world, playing of one another beautifully regardless of the keyboardists activities. The rhythm section speeds up the tempo for the final 90 seconds--which actually helps bring the keys into better alignment. Still, a very disappointing song. (17/20)

3. "Don't Ask Me" (7:14) jazz-rock fusion music within which the lead synth tries to replace/replicate the missing guitar. (Great syncopated drum play, btw.) This is actually a good thing as their sound and product has a more JAN HAMMER feel and quality to it. At 2:15 the rhythm section takes a turn down to Funky Town as one of the keyboard artists takes on an even more JAN HAMMER. Great Joe ZAWINUL-like Fender Rhodes chord play in support of his keyboard partner. In the fifth minute the Fender takes a turn in the lead and does a great Chick Corea/Herbie Hancock job. (I just love the drummer's sound palette: would love to see his set up. I think it's the Bill Bruford-like snare sound.) If the band put forth more songs like this one I think I'd be a more enthusiastic fan. (14.25/15)

4. "Mustang" (12:04) this song never really brings me in until the cool section with the "guitar" arpeggi begins at 4:25. Now that they have my attention, the band shifts into an odd and very simplistic bass and drum track within/over which the "guitar" keys try to weave some magic. It only really gets good when that "guitar" arpeggi takes the center of the weave. In the eighth minute drummer Daniel Jeand'heur finally starts to flourish, going off script to embellish and add to the mix, but then he comes back into the fold for the tenth minute's synthesizer duel (which has a boring bass line beneath it driving the song forward). At the 10-minute mark the music stops, resets with a return to the synth"guitar" arpeggio, and the full band rejoins to carry us to the finish line with power and singular intention. (21.75/25)

5. "Mustang Coda" (3:33) water flowing, hi-hat cymbal time keeping, "underwater" bass soloing. Interesting. More of a demo/étude than deserving of a fully-published song credit. (8/10)

Total Time 43:30

I've never been a huge fan of this band: I like their output but it's never really stuck with me the way the jazz-rock fusion of Return To Forever, Chick Corea, Mahavishnu Orchestra, or Weather Report or the Zeuhl of Magma or Jannick Top did.

B/four stars; some very interesting musical experimentation coming from some amazing musicians; though the music on this album does not always have all its cylinders firing, there is much promise here: I'm glad to see the band is touring as I do hope that they continue to explore new pathways and, eventually, record new music; I think that they still have something absolutely amazing to come out of their collaboration.

While RIVERSIDE's "Wasteland" album, their first after their lead guitarist passed was clearly a band trying to come to grips with what happened, I feel they moved on with their next one. ONE SHOT did a live recording as a tribute to James called "A James" and no doubt this helped them to move on some while also creating some chemistry between the two keyboardists Ruder and Borghi. They are all over this album.

Hearing the opener "Off The Grid" for the first time was interesting. I don't remember them playing at this slow a tempo. And when the second keyboardist arrives it's like they are going around in circles, not going anywhere. I like how this builds and when the bass becomes more upfront it sounds more like them.

"Merovee" opens with electric piano as drums and bass join in. This is good but again it's surprising how slow the tempo is. Some organ then bubbling synths before this determined, stuttering section takes over. Themes are repeated. It calms down before 5 1/2 minutes, kind of dark too with sparse sounds. Intense keyboards around 8 minutes in. Sounds like crickets those synths at one point and returning a second time. This is just different.

"Don't Ask Me Why" is the first uptempo track and while we do get a calm half way through this is the song that sounds most like them despite synths leading at one point. This ends strong over those last 2 minutes. "Mustang" is the longest piece at 12 minutes and man this is intense right from the start. Unusual bright and high pitched synths at one point that don't exactly do much for me but again this is different. A dark and heavier sound follows and it's just not moving until just before 5 minutes. Synths get crazy again before 9 minutes, the two of them! Then it settles. "Mustang Coda" is 3 1/2 minutes of bass and atmosphere. Solemn stuff.

I'm bumping this up to 5 stars despite feeling it's their third best studio album. They've only released four shockingly plus a few live ones. A top ten band for me or at least top twelve depending on my mood but yes I'm a massive fan, a fanboy no doubt.

One Shot are a group who vividly recall zeuhl's fusion roots, and who play a style of fusion which bridges classic fusion of a dark, volcanic Mahavishnu Orchestra bent with zeuhl stylings, particularly when it comes to having a dark, pulsating rhythm underpinning their compositions. Ewaz Vader, the release preceding this, pioneered this style very effectively, whilst Dark Shot takes it even further, immersing the listener into a subterranean world of sinister zeuhl- fusion guitar growls and keyboard titters. Deserves the consideration of fans of both subgenres.

1. "Black P" (9:09) plodding along with great skill, there just isn't very much for me to be drawn in by. For me, Philippe Bussonnet is the star of this one. (17.33/20)

2. "Opus 12" (7:52) a little more driven and uptempo. James Mac Gaw's guitar play is almost ALLAN HOLDSWORTH-like while Emmanuel Borghi's keyboard range is delightfully more similar to those of George Duke's or Allan Zavod's contributions to JEAN-LUC PONTY's wonderful string of albums in the late 1970s. A very solid song with some nice hooks and, of course, great performances. (13.25/15)

3. "Def MK1" (9:48) back to a more brooding jazz-rock, perhaps even closer to the Avant Garde world of GUAPO or UNIVERS ZERO, though this is still very much what we'd all call Zeuhl. Keyboards and drums are more in the limelight on this one. (17.5/20)

4. "Blade" (4:54) opening just like an old JEAN-LUC PONTY song, this one continues to move along very slowly, very delicately, as if moving cautiously through a dingy dark alley well after midnight. Cool but never really goes anywhere--never achieves resolution. (8.667/10)

5. "Automate" (7:29) more plodding suspenseful music in which the drums, bass, and keys play their parts very conservatively over the course of the opening two minutes. Drums are the first instrument to "come to life" in the third minute as the others go through some zombi-like chord progressions before returning to the opening motif. At 3:35 the soundscape shifts (though the rhythm and pacing remains constant) as keys move to the front to solo in a very JAN HAMMER-like aggressive way. The drummer is so solid, so in-sync with the pace! At 5:35 we return to whole-band solidarity (the keyboard solo ends) before we go through the "chorus" of chord progressions. Guitar takes a turn in the lead for final minute but really does nothing very dynamic. Solid. (13/15)

6. "Downwards" (9:10) dirty electric guitar arpeggi in the opening minute give this a very rock feel to it. The break and bridge at the one-minute mark is also very rock-like, but then the band picks up a new chord progression and new rhythm foundation to carry forward. Keys offer a little floweriness before the band shifts gear into a more laid-back Zeuhl motif with strong bass play and, eventually, electric guitar soloing. Despite some fine drumming on display, the repetition of the same descending chord-and note progression gets a little old; by the sixth minute I've about had enough; there's just not enough exciting music going on over the top/in the front. A little keys action, some fine bass play in the seventh and eighth minutes and, finally, some dynamic (JAN AKKERMAN "Answers? Questions!"-like) guitar work eighth and ninth minutes but it's just not enough. (17/20)

7. "Nosh Partitas" (5:56) coolness (in the engineering of the drums) and melody! Jazz-like in a JEAN-LUC PONTY way. Great keyboard chord support, great bass play (especially the funk stink in the middle), and nice drumming and guitar play. The band all seem to be working very hard to time the syncopated melody lines together as a team. And then James Mac Gaw does some truly avant (DAVID TORN-like) guitar work. Another nice JAN HAMMER-like synth solo in the fourth minute. My favorite song on the album. (9/10)

Total Time 54:18

The skill and competency levels of the four musicians is unparalleled, but the music, to my mind, misses the additional presence of human voices and maybe something else--like melodic (or non-melodic) "hooks".

B/four stars; a nice addition to any prog lover's music collection--especially if you like high quality instrumental jazz or Zeuhl.

Good and challenging electric Jazz-Rock is the style met in the album, totally instrumental, and having a tendency towards furious grooves and dark dissonances.A pounding and powerful rhythm section leads all tracks, where MacGaw and Borghi are given plenty of space for full- blown interplays, solos and improvisations.There is a breezy air of a ''live'' atmosphere throughout with long breaks full of jazzy atonal battles, coming out of MacGaw's fiery guitar playing and Borghi's frenetic electric piano.The longer tracks are not surprisingly the more interesting ones with a variety in tempos and moods, being also more tightly structured, though a sense of free performance is always around.''One shot'' is among the most interesting pieces with a feeling of Electric and Canterbury Jazz-Rock dominating the sound in a mid- tempo delivery.The same atmosphere follows ''La Main du Diable'' and ''Un Jour dans l'Est'', two pieces divided into smooth jazzy interplays and heavy Jazz-Rock explosions with great performances by the members.The rest of the tracks are partly dissonant and hard-to-get-into pieces or heavy Jazz-Rock with a more dynamic atmosphere.

The material on ''One Shot'' is the result of a band wanting to put together the free sense of jamming with the more constructed face of Jazz-Rock, ending up to be a very long piece of music characterized of the fundamentals of these styles.Powerful, energetic and challenging, this release has a great luck to satisfy all fans of jazzy instrumental Rock music and even more.Recommended.

Provided with a strong fusion and canterbury styled outfit Black P is my personal highlight. I adore the dramatic Rhodes piano riffs at the beginning, Bruno Ruder arrives at top form while playing in such a playful manner, and it sounds like he's using a wah-wah pedal here - fantastic! This also features guitar solos and an irresistibly meandering bass. With Ewaz Vader they probably seem to break all records when it comes to the tempo, wow! Can't really imagine what is composed here and what improvised on the other hand. Def MK1 at least stands for well attuned guitar and Rhodes cooperation which never ever can come out of the blue.

'Live In Tokyo' showcases a very energetic presence, recorded with top-notch audio quality on top of it - well, please concentrate on this powerful bass for a while! Highly recommended to jazz rock and zeuhl fans. An album with complex arrangements which even sometimes seem to lose order in between, dizzying ... but always with intent ... and caution. It all lives from the musician's somnambulistic interaction of course, just take Monsieur G which leaves me fascinated every time I listen. Can't imagine who has the ability to make it better - please tell me. 4.5 stars with entitlement to a masterpiece ... we just have to wait a while.

"Urm" is my favourite and it opens with a slow, dark beat as the Fender Rhodes comes and goes. A change 3 1/2 minutes then we get some huge bass lines a minute later. Love the guitar which reminds me of ANEKDOTEN. Check out the piano after 9 minutes as that heavy, hypnotic rhythm continues.Amazing track ! "Black P" is a classic ONE SHOT track. Check out the deep, growly bass from Bussonnet as the drums pound and the guitar plays over top. The Fender Rhodes comes and goes. Mac Gaw is ripping it up on the guitar after 5 minutes then it's Ruder's turn on the piano.

"Def MKI" begins with guitar then the drums and bass take over followed by keys. Angular guitar before 4 minutes. Great sound after 5 minutes. "Ewas Vader" has this pulsating ryhthm as the piano plays over top and the guitar grinds away. Incredible ! The throbbing bass with piano after 5 minutes sounds so good. It gets really intense after 9 minutes to end it. "Missing imperator" is quite heavy with slabs of bass and drums to start. It settles into a slow but heavy groove then it picks up before 3 minutes. The guitar continues over top. It settles back around 11 minutes and we get some killer drum work from Jeand'heur here. "Monsieur G" is the jazziest tune on here and the guitar (Kido) lights it up around a minute.The piano replaces the guitar. It turns jazzy again late to end it.

Well I am a fan-boy but 5 stars is what I have to give up for this live offering.

The opening two-part 20-mins+ I Had A Dream piece is demented track that might be a little too repetitive and overstay its welcome, despite an extremely complex rhythm pattern. For the rest of the album, OS delivers another batch of their dark and sombre soundscapes, between King Crimson and Magma, and on the more modern or lesser-known influences, one could mention Potemkine, Vortex, NeBeLNeST and a few more. The 9-mins No track is the jazziest track of them all, and I mean this in the "standard jazz" manner, because of the second part of the track's solos are very much in that vein - and therefore less broody and menacing.. The following Wild Way is definitely the most-fusiony. Sooooo, you could say that One Shot sounds typically French prog, with some Zeuhl and fusion touches, induced by the pounding bass, but also the dark atmospheres of their music.

Personally, I do not find that Vendredi 13 is their better album and it should not serve as an intro (try the remastered debut or the latest Dark Shot), and might just be my least fave, but it is still an excellent Jazz-Zeuhl album, although there are albums much more urgent to discover before you get to this one.