70's French Prog Chat

I have Dashiell Hedayatt's first album La Devanture des Ivresses. Which I have heard is the insuperior of the two albums they produce. The band sticks true to it space rock name and draws huge influence from Gong (which is not surprising considering Daevid Allen contribution), while still making very unique music. For a more indepth reivew read Seans words on their second album Obsolete. I have heard nothing but good thoughts about this album and plan to pick it up sometime soon.

Both Art Zoyd and Etron Fou Leloublan come from the RIO side of the story. I have heard little of Etron Fou Leloublan. But they were one of the important 5 originating bands in the '78 march. They are quite well know, so I hope somebody will give you a discription of their music as I have only heard sound samples.

As for Art Zody I own pretty much most of what they have released. From their first album in '76 till the late '80s they produce some of the best Chamber rock music around, focusing highly on the rhythmic ideals of music. The best place to start with this band would be their first three release, which are outstanding. They coming on a boxset with contain extra bonus material and a nice booklet to go hand in hand.

Just a warning with Art Zoyd. A lot of people are turned off by their later material, so this is definately not the place to start. They begun to focus more on the art side of movie compositions and electronic media. I still really like this side of Art Zoyd but it is definately not something everybody is going to like.

Hope this helps.    

thanks that help alot, Betjabetch and Dashiell Hedayatt sound interesting and its been 20 years since I have heard Art Zoyd but need to give them another spin. 

DallasBryan wrote: are you familar with any of the more obscure artists I have listed? looking for CD releases from Richard Vimal, Patrick Vian, Hydravion, Georges Grunblatt, JPhilippe Goude and JPierre Alarcen. seen them around anywhere in Vive la France?

Hydravion's a Philippe Besombes project he started after "Cesi est cela" and the one that made him "famous" - sold very well in France, and most or all the tracks from the album were used as program music for French television programs, it's not yet on CD. Both the Hydravion albums are very repetative and not terribly interesting (better Besombes are his "solo" albums, particularly Pole and Esombesombes - or Cesi est cela, as it was released on MIO - which are still available). JP Goude's one "prog" album is "Drones" (probably still available on Musea), which is pretty zeuhl-influenced. Goude's more interesting work (for me) tends to be his soundtracks, of which he's done a lot -- these are instrumental "chamber rock" works (in fact, he's actually got a disk called "Rock de Chambre"), all of which I'd heartily recommend, especially RdC and "La Divine Nature des Choses". His new stuff's being released in France on Hopi Mesa  (Henry Torgue's also on the label.  Check him out, too.)

The Grunblatt's not on CD, either. It's a short album - maybe half an hour - and pretty, but sorta inconsequential, although I like it quite a bit.

Alarcens "Tableau No. 1" came out on CD a couple years ago on Baillemont.

great review on Archaia Yukorin, real Zeuhl music

Salut swilson,

anyone familiar with Horriffic Child or Igor Wakhevitch from the 70's? 

Edited by DallasBryan - August 15 2006 at 11:35

swilson wrote: I feel the need to say at this stage that not only is Ange "Guet-Apens" my favorite French album of all time (along with Serge Gainsbourg's Melodie Nelson, and Air's Virgin Suicides), it's probably in my top 30 albums ever.  The 14 minute Cap'taine Couer De Miel also features one of my fave guitar solos.  Plus I stole the ending for a Porcupine Tree song called "Burning Sky"! Au Revoir, SW

Edited by Yukorin - September 14 2006 at 02:22

Arachnoid's only release is a classic and a good place to start, IMO!

Edited by DallasBryan - August 15 2006 at 12:11

DallasBryan wrote: Arachnoid's only release is a classic and a good place to start, IMO!   anything French is OK by me! they'll get bored with the symphonic stuff and probably stumble into the greats, not a problem. people like the familiar, but as the familar changes tastes change.