PROG FOLK

It is the exact same line-up as the debut in Alex Cégé (lead vocals, guitars), Jean-Philippe Major (bass, vocals), Jici LG (guitars, bass, vocals), Raphaël Liberge-Simard (drums & percussion, vocals), and Florent Schmitt (piano, synths, vocals), but even just looking at the artwork allows the listener to know here is a band with a very different mindset indeed. I have no idea how they got permission to take those photos in a church! If they were sent to PA for inclusion now, there is no doubt in my mind they would be in Crossover, yet due to the debut they will long reside in Prog Folk, but while there are elements of folk here and there, we now have a band who have firmly moved into art rock and taken influences from multiple places. There are multiple highlights, but a special mention should be made of the duet which takes place on "15000 Nuits", with Sabrina R.B guesting alongside Alex in a piece which contains real beauty. Opener "Dieu Soleil" starts as if it is Thompson Twins before the guitar makes an ominous entry, with just the piano attempting to bring in some lightness, this takes us into "Animal" which has a far more jangly approach and a sound reminiscent in the introduction of Crowded House before slowing down into something which sounds much more like modern Marillion yet with clear falsetto.

All lyrics are in French, which I have long forgotten (school was such a very long time ago), but I enjoy the way the vocal melodies flow and just treat the words as another instrument. This is not an album I expected from Mangeur de Rêves, yet it shows a huge amount of growth and if they have travelled this far since the debut what can we expect from them next?

Surely the period after the release of their debut album must have been rough, with some musical differences coming to the front, leading to the departure of Mick Abrahams, who played guitars in Tull originally and was more interested in developing their bluesy leanings, leading also to the famous trial with Tony Iommi, who felt he doesn't fit very well within the band, leading to the introduction of Barre, a guitarist seemingly much more open to experiment and to explore the possibilities of Tull's new direction. And, of course, 'Stand Up' is an album that spreads out to many different territories, in a way displaying snippets of everything that Tull were excited about musically, making it the very promising second album that does not, however, unfold the full potential of a band searching for its sound. The introduction of the folkier and acoustic songs on here is fantastic, the more hard rock-oriented numbers are also quite memorable, but of course, this is an album packed with classic Tull songs that have transcended the test of time. And while 'Stand Up' might be imperfect in several ways, it is also promising and unleashed, which is precisely what makes it so special, a necessary and crucial step towards the evolution of one of classic rock's most creative bands. Also, this is an album famously revered by many great musicians, including Joe Bonamassa and Joe Satriani, as well as being one of Ian Anderson's personal favorites, too, so it has to be needless to say anything else.

While RAGNORÖK would take a turn towards progressive jazz rock on its sophomore album "Fjärilar i magen," on this eponymous debut the band delivers a lush pastoral form of progressive folk that belies the band name that refers to the great event in Norse mythology that includes a great battle. On the contrary, RAGNORÖK's first album is one of the most mellow and dreamy styles of prog you could possibly experience with slow moving guitar and flute, piano arpeggios and a controlled drum and bass section. Hints of the jazz direction are dropped in some of the percussion moves but otherwise this sounds more like a mix of Bo Hanssen and Camel without any true points where the band rocks out.

A veritable mix of folk, classical guitar, semi-jazzy interludes and the pastoral aspects of prog ranging from Genesis to Anthony Phillips (sans vocals). The music also includes some interesting Swedish folk flavors including a bit of that famous circus music feel on the short "Fjottot" but mostly this is an acoustic guitar, piano and flute dominated album that takes you into prog placidity. While mellow prog such as this can often fall into tedium, RAGNORÖK keeps the album interesting by crafting an excellent instrumental interplay that keeps you in the zone. Too often folky albums will unnecessarily attempt to rock out at inappropriate moments and while that can be effective if done well, often it falls flat. In this case the band simply stays on mellow mode for the entire ride which makes it a beautifully compelling listen. Of course this would all amount to nought if not for the beautiful melodies crafted.

Another strength is the use of varying styles of folk music with even Celtic folk sounds being implemented on "Stiltje-uppbrott." Personally i find these low key prog albums hit or miss but occasionally a band nails it perfectly. This is something like Sweden's equivalent to Italy's Celeste who also went against the grain and delivered a rock-free slice of piano-based mellowness. To my ears this sounds like the prog equivalent of cool jazz and if Miles Davis was Swedish and took on the world of prog folk then perhaps this is the kind of album he would've produced. Any way you slice it, RAGNORÖK's debut is a one of those pleasant surprises that works because of its high quality and consistency throughout its run. The mix of instrumentation is family unique and the album doesn't sound like much else. A nice late to the game addition to the world of prog folk in 1976.

Please note: I don't know the Montrealers' first record, I come with new ears. The theme of "Live and Die" dixit Alex CEGE explores mythology, depth psychology and human relationships?multiple choices to say the least. The group is categorized as "Prog Folk", we are far from it today except on a few passages we will see it below. Alex CEGE & Jici LG, the two founding members, left a wide field of expression for the three other musicians compared to their first record which was more of a duo with accompanists.

"Vivre et Mourir" begins with an energetic and very beautiful instrumental piece "Dieu Soleil", certainly a good choice (8/10). "Animal" a bit bluesy and very radio-friendly follows, the progressive rock will wait for the moment, Alex's singing is very pleasant (8/10), Gérald you will be able to play this one on repeat! "Nouveau Soleil" is on the contrary a real progressive mid-tempo fresco with a really marked HARMONIUM side, too short for my taste (9/10). The sequence with "Les Fantômes" comes naturally, this one is "beautiful" as hell in its first half, with a brilliant Alex CEGE, almost feminine vocals in a very extended register (9/10).

The acoustic "Vivre" and the magnificent instrumental "Mara" come, both a little too reduced before attacking "15,000 Nights" and its male/female duet, Alex is helped here by Sabrina R.B, it's clear and beautiful, bucolic, a high level melodic candy (9/10). The only epic of the album arrives, more than twelve minutes with the piece that bears the name of the group, here no folk or Quebec song (except for the first minute and then again), no more BEAU DOMAGE than HARMONIUM or EXCUBUS, the direction taken is a muted contained violence worthy of the ANATHEMA of the beginnings, a mixture of post rock, softened doom and....symphonism, bluffing and unexpected (10/10), Raphaël LIBERGE SIMARD is remarkable on the drums and various percussions and the six string players are not left out (the meeting between JOY DIVISION and SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES for those who knew the British new wave of the eighties...)

The concluding track "When the silence catches up with you" (9/10) poses as an outlet which takes up all the sensibilities previously heard with high-pitched vocals (two voices again) and which gives it a particular character with the return towards an enchanting progressive of high quality, a silence that I would have appreciated longer, six minutes is too short gentlemen!

The inspiration was primarily drawn from Juan Arkotxa and Leslie Mackenzie who left London in 1971 and traveled through various countries including Yugoslavia, Portugal, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Mexico and most of all, India where the couple attended the coronation of the Dalai Lama. In 1975 the couple moved to Ibiza, Spain and created their first book of prints titled "The Garland of Visions of the Absolute" which sold well in the spiritual community and led to the creation of the even more majestic vision that would become the CAN AM DES PUIG (Book of Am). At first the entire CAN AM DES PUIG project wasn't intended to be a musical journey at all but rather as a 144-page book which integrated the themes of the Taliesin, Mabinogion, the Edda, the Book of the Dead of the Ancient Egyptians, the papyrus of Ani, the texts of the pyramids, the book of breaths, the Theogony , the Bible, the songs of Milarepa, the poems of Kabîr, those of William Blake and the Veda amongst others. The texts were grouped into four parts: Dawn, Morning, Afternoon and Night.

More than a simple compilation of mystical texts, the reader can follow a vague story, that of an initiation which aims to show all the common points existing between religious and philosophical texts. The watercolors which illustrate each page mixed elements of religious works and plants. Initially once relocating to the remoteness of Deiá on the north shore of Mallorca, Arkotxa and Mackenzie together with friends began to improvise musical scores for the book with various tracks inspired by the diverse subject matter. Living as a primitive commune without electricity the members never considered recording the songs as a musical score to their own version of a sacred tome of knowledge but after the book publishing project fell through due to the fact that the collective's ambitions were too complex for the printing techniques of the era, the book idea was scrapped and in its stead CAN AM DES PUIG decided to record its improvisational songs that it had created as ceremonial music based on the book's intricate material. This is where Daevid Allen stepped in and he helped the band record and produce their one and only album to emerge in the 1970s.

To say this was an ambitious project is an understatement. The collective's original objective was to record four album's worth of material: Dawn, Morning, Afternoon, Night, to accompany the massive book but with no book and limited resources the only artistic statement that emerged during the 1970s was the first part of the sage THE BOOK OF AM, PART ONE: DAWN AND MORNING. While this first chapter would emerge in 1978 on the small Disque Labo label the band's aspirations were never extinguished by the seemingly endless obstacles that prevented their massive project from materializing. While the bulk of the four parts were written during the 1970s, they wouldn't all be recorded until 2012. The 2006 reissue of this album featured the second part as well as finally seeing the first publication of the book that inspired it all. In 2017 the entire 4 parts would finally see the light of day as "Book of Am Parts I~IV." The entire project was completed with the help of numerous session musicians.

Musically speaking this album and the ones that follow reflect a very mellow style of psychedelic folk that often merges with raga rock. The music was totally created in an environment without electricity so this is basically as down to Earth as it gets for constructing musical themes that reflect a larger philosophical narrative. If you simply approach this with no context then the music will sound very simplistic, often a sole acoustic guitar accompanied by a vocalist or two with the occasional accompaniment of a sitar, a flute and the occasional tambourine and percussion. It's very transcendental and is primarily inspired by the most sacred texts that use minimalism to evoke timelessness and oneness. It's also important to keep in mind that the individual tracks were designed to accompany various passages in the great book itself and therefore would best be appreciated in conjunct with it, however since the actual physical book and its four accompanying musical segments were limited to 300 copies, it's unlikely many will find their hands clutching the actual physical project.

Since i have not seen the book i can only rate this one solely on the music which indeed is simplistic musically speaking. I does however evoke a deep spiritual sense of awe and the atman and egregor of magical and occult traditions that have been coalesced into a great work that this collective released as CAN AM DES PUIG. In other words, this is a hella trippy journey into the human psyche via gentle folk musical expressions augmented by psychedelic embellishments that transfix the very soul into a state of euphoric rapture and captures the intended essence of the entire hippie movement in its purity before the marketing executives and excess drug use altered the journey of consciousness expansion. For all these reasons and more, CAM AM DES PUIG's contributions are perhaps the most magnanimous of all of the hippie psychedelic musical art forms that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s and was also perhaps the logical conclusion of the era that for the most part had fizzled out by the 1970s. The following three parts may have come later but the entire four part series flows together seamlessly and evokes the timelessness and universality of the human spirit constructing its own version of nirvana. This is an utterly unique contribution to the world of psychedelic folk and one that must be experienced to be fully comprehended.

Comparisons to early Renaissance have been made but HÖLDERLIN sounded uniquely German mostly due to the fact that unlike the majority of other bands of the day chose to use the German language for its lyrical output. The band featured a rich tapestry of sounds with Christian Grumbkow on guitars, Joachim Grumbkow handling cello, acoustic guitar, transverse flute, piano, organ and mellotron, Christoph Noppeney brought to life the violin, viola, flute and piano with Peter Käseberg on bass, acoustic guitar and vocals along with drummer / percussionist Michael Bruchmann. In addition three guest musicians add touches of sitar, tablas and the recorder. The seven songs featured added up to about 35 minutes of playing time and displayed a very charming diverse yet cohesive mix of atmospheric symphonic rock, medieval folk, progressive rock and psychedelia.

The album was heralded by critics for being extremely unique and in many regards its was. Despite being fixated on a progressive folk trajectory, the album featured a much wider array of instrumentation than the usual prog folk album and featured very complex arrangements and to make it even more unique in the English language marketplace, all lyrics were performed in the German language but despite that the album received excellent reviews from the music press in both Europe and the USA. Apparently the intoxicating blend of lush acoustic guitars with strings, woodwinds soaked in mellotron was the perfect soundtrack for that idyllic fusion of folk, classical and rock. The grand finale was the knotty prog-rich "Traum" which offered the most demanding workouts of the entire album as DeRuig stepped out of the singing spotlight in exchange for a bonafide instrumental assault of the senses, a most satisfying conclusion to a beautifully constructed album.

While being cited as a unique contribution to the world of German progressive music, that would be true even within the band's own discography because lead singer Nanny DeRuig would exit the band after this album due to her pregnancy and after a three year break due to a meltdown with management, HÖLDERLIN returned with a completely revamped style that focused less on the folky aspects and more on the world of symphonic prog including a deemphasis of the vocal aspects. The band also took on a more British sound leaving this drifting debut to exist in a world all its own. While never repeated, this first album delivered an excellent slice of sophisticated prog folk embellished by occasional heavier rock elements. DeRuig performed the perfect vocals for the style and the musicians played together seamlessly with clever intricately designed composiitons. Definitely a highlight of the so-called Kraut-folk scene of the 1970s.

This band had its roots in the wedding music band Indar Trabes that forged its way through the early 70s but the young enthusiasts' goal was to make progressive music so fast forward a few years and the band ITOIZ was officially born in 1974 and in 1978 the self-titled debut establishes the band as one of the very first Basque speaking prog bands in all of Spain. While the lineup had changed throughout the band's run which began as a progressive folk rock band and ended as a cheesy pop one, the members on this debut included Juancarlos Perez (vocals and guitar), Jose Garate (bass and vocals), Antton Fernandez (keyboards), Joseba Erkiaga (flute) and Estanis Osinalde (drums). Following in the footsteps of other Basque proggers such as Errobi and Haizea, the eponymously titled debut release found a warm reception from critics but unfortunately the extremely limited reach of the Basque language prevented a larger exposure.

This album featured eight strong tracks at just over 40 minutes of playing time and revolved around a mix of Basque folk, jazz and symphonic progressive rock. The lyrics are said to be somewhat whimsical but as a non-speaker of the Basque language (which is an isolate unrelated to any other European language), i'll have to take that on faith. The individuals tracks are all rather dreamy in their approach but some like "Astelehen Urdin Batean" feature more jazz-influenced prog workouts while others such as " Zati Txiki Bat La M'En" and "Lau Teilatu" are primarily set to Basque folk mode. The highlight for those looking for the more progressive workouts has to be the two part "Hilzori" which together constitute over 10 minutes of the album's playing time and features the most demanding prog rock workouts with lots of beautiful flute runs as well as more sophisticated keyboard action.

One of the most distinct features of the album is Juan Carlos Pérez' rather laid back vocal style which adds to the rather low key approach of the album. In some ways it has a rather undynamic feel as if it matches the rather abstract album cover but perhaps that comes from the fact that the language precludes all but Basque speakers from comprehending the actual meanings of the songs. The instrumental interplay on the other hand is fairly well established and the band plays together quite well with alternating segments between folk and rock with simpler passages merging into the more sophisticated complexities with ease. The keyboard tones are widespread with various examples of piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond and other synthesizers. The flute playing has been compared to Jethro Tull but i really don't hear any influences from English bands whatsoever and seriously who doesn't compare every band with a flute to Jethro Tull?

While i wouldn't call ITOIZ the cream of the crop of Spanish prog, this debut album is definitely a joy to listen to. It's definitely folk rock but on the mellow more restrained side of the spectrum. It's a sensually delicate album that excels in the subtleties without ever getting too wild and crazy as if the band was afraid to offend their heritage by using the traditional folk melodies. ITOIZ wasn't the first of the Basque prog acts to emerge but it is one of the most popular from the era and remained on a prog kick for a few more albums before doing what most prog bands did in the 80s and that was convert to radio friendly pop songs which didn't exactly suit this band but despite it all the band released albums all throughout the 80s before finally disbanding in 1989. This along with the following "Ezekiel" are the best the band had to offer though.

3.5 but not quite strong enough to round up

This debut album features ten tracks with a playing time of just over 46 minutes and showcases a mix of soft sensual folk music along with moments of dramatic keyboard dominated symphonic prog. The band has been compared to fellow Poles Quidam (which the band features members of) as well as Hungary's You And I as well as Mostly Autumn. The Lesko region of Poland is famous for its traditional Polish folk music and one of the regions where traditional Polish lifestyles still take place and the music of TURQUOISE delivers some of that lost innocence with a fairytale-like display of soft folk guitar strumming with almost lullaby type vocal deliveries. In addition the acoustic guitars add some elements of classical music and the songs are lushly orchestrated with a slickness that adds to the dreaminess that the album cover art suggests.

All lyrics are in Polish so for folkies who relish in lyrical messages you won't comprehend a word unless you speaka the lingo. Traditional folk guitar melodies sound haunting almost like the approach of Ritchie Blackmore's folk project Blackmore's Night however Jajko's childlike vocal style keep the entire album in a very calm and pacifying moodiest even when keyboard arrangements pick up steam and the occasional guitar solo is allowed to go for a stroll. In some ways the band does have some neo-prog qualities only adapted to a very texture-rich style of folk music that doesn't evoke a lot of the Polish countryside as one would expect from the Lesko region. While the majority of the album is acoustic, the rock aspects do come and go with some tracks like "A Ja / A Ty" delivering a soft breezy style of rock that makes me think of what The Cranberries would sound like if they drifted into progressive territory.

The debut by TURQUOISE is a nice gentle listening experience from the south of Poland but seems a little too tame for its own good. I would rather have an entirely progressive folk album or one that turns up the rock aspects a bit more. It seems uneven and even indecisive in which direction it wants to take. Despite it all the compositions are pleasant and the production is excellent with the primary focus being on Jajko's sensual vocal style that gives the album an overall serene effect. While there's nothing on TURQUOISE's debut that will make you wish you hadn't experienced it, for some reason this one just seems like it doesn't deliver what it promises. It's a little too safe without expanding into any particular territory that really grabs me. It's an okay album for sure but unfortunately doesn't excel to any level that gets my juices flowing either.

These recordings were some of the earliest for LOS JAIVAS after relocating to the city of Zárate, on the banks of the tropical Paraná River located northwest of Buenos Aires. The album featured seven tracks at just over 39 minutes with the A side consisting of formal compositions and the B side exhibiting the same improvisational folk jams that LOS JAIVAS featured on its first two albums.

The album is a strange mix of LOS JAIVAS' indigenous folk and rock andino along with the more psychedelic folk leanings of MANDUKA that incorporated the MPB (música popular brasileira) that dominated Brazil in the 1970s. The album's lyrics included both the Spanish and Portugues languages and the two artists successfully blended their idiosyncratic styles into a veritable blend of pan-South American fusion.

LOS SUEÑOS DE AMERICA comes off as a sorta musical tug-a-war between the Chilean sounds of the cueca ("Date una vuelta en el aire") and Andean folk rhythms ("La Centinela") however for the most part it seems MANDUKA's Brazilian musical style dominates the album's trajectory with the sounds of samba, bossa nova and tropicalía threatening to usurp control however a veritable truce is declared with the second side of the album where both nationalities are suspended for a true adventure into a world of freeform freak folk.

"Traguito de Ron" starts off the improvisational B side and sounds like some forest ritual with a bubbling cauldron of boiling water accompanying tribal drumming, detached vocals offering a bizarre contrapuntal effect and the sputtering of flutes and other sounds that add improvisational icing on the cake. The 12-minute title track follows in similar fashion only rocks the indigenous pan flute and Andean folk sounds.

The title track sounds a lot like what was heard on the LOS JAIVAS' debut "El Volantín" The track drifts from melodic folk music to more crazed ritual style madness that sounds like a ceremonial gathering. By far the wildest track the band ever recorded. The album ends with "Primer Encuentro Latinoamericano De La Soledad," which is a short live track and features a robust audience participation showcasing the public's enthusiasm with LOS JAIVAS.

While certainly not their creative peak nor a proper album which connects the first chapter of LOS JAIVAS' 70s run with the 80s, LOS SUEÑOS DE AMERICA is very much of interest for lovers of freak folk who are also enthralled with indigenous world music sounds. The mix of the Brazilian and Chilean makes this one utterly unique and despite the clash of cultures at play, the two artists get along very well together. While not as essential as the albums that came before or arrive after, this one is very much of interest for true LOS JAIVAS fans as its adds a whole other dimension to the band's rich stylistic approach with the collaborative efforts of MANDUKA on board. Personally i love the improv tracks the best.