L'AUTOROUTE DES RÊVES

Following a slowdown in the group's productivity (but offset by more frequent touring) Octobre's fourth album was quite a departure from their earlier efforts, and it has been their only album to gain CD format release of its own (the others being partly crammed in a two-disc best-of collection). Indeed, if the first three had been mostly based on shorter songs than what can be expected from early 70's prog groups present in our Archives, but this one had a few longer tracks but presented a very different rock, almost a brass-jazz-rock mixed with Chanson Française. The (standard prog) quartet, still in its original line-up, is aided by a bunch of brass and string musicians.

Obviously Pierre Flynn's mood (and songs) were definitely mellowed down (except for Insurrection, where the group sounds like its former self), and you can hear that plainly in the opening track, the 6-min Le Vent Se Lève (wind arises) where Flynn's vocals are definitely more of a French Chanson Française singer, sometimes almost drifting into a lounge singer, but never stooping to crooner stuff. Contrasting heavily with that forefront, the arrangements are sometimes brilliant (the strings are incredibly professional) and Hebert's drumming breathtaking, but the mix of the two is not completely mixing. After the much funkier and rockier Insurrection, the first side closes on the 9-min+ title track starts again a bit like a lounge pianist, then through a bunch of chord changes, some big band brass arrangements (ala Glenn Miller), then Flynn's bluesy-jazz piano returns, soon re-accompanied by the brass section (this is almost cheesy as hell) but around the 5 min-mark, Dorais's guitar takes over in a wild blistering short solo (while the brass has become brass-rock-type of answering), then Flynn's piano comes back with a vengeance, interrupted by a short drum solo (not a fan of those, but Hebert is the unsung hero of this album, and this is his sunray-moment) and the track finishing on a rocky Miller/Goodman jazz-rock.

The flipside opens on the average La Décénie Prochaine (next decade), singing his lost illusions, the group remaining wisely behind Flynn, but they are not only tight, but dazzling in the restricted space they are allowed, in this case the last 40 second of the track. Sud Profond (deep south) starts again rather low-key chanson Française-like, Flynn switching between his piano and an organ, but again this track fails to convince. The almost 9-min closer Grand Départ (the big leave) is another one of those weird assembly of cheesy string/orchestral arrangements, chanson Française and is not the rocker ending we'd have hoped for.

In some way, this reminds me a bit of their provincial mate Dionysos, who had reformed in the mid-70's but in much more adult version, veering into jazz and orchestral music, and funnily enough their reunion will only last one album and tour. L'Autoroute Des Rêves might even sound like Flynn solo album, if it wasn't for the other's three brilliant playing, and even with that in mind, I'm not sure this should please progheads only discovering the group. This album is best listened to in the original chronological order, even if in some tracks, Flynn's progressive arrangements are stupendous. Careful with this one, it's not for everyone!!