TAÏ PHONG

Do you recognize the French singer and guitarist, Jean-Jacques Goldman, the one who composed Céline Dion's "Là-Bas", a very popular French hit also interpreted by Corey Hart and Julie Masse? It is him, here on this not very well known progressive rock record, singing and playing electric guitars.

Jean-Jacques has a very highly pitched voice, sounding a bit like Geddy Lee of the 70's. The keyboards are modern for the year, atmospheric, dense and powerful. It is an emotional album, not dark but definitely mind troubling. "Going Away" is a good track, being prog hard rock full of changing rhythms; its electric guitars often sound a bit like Steve Hillage, having a short lite wah-wah effect part. "Sister Jane" is absolutely catchy & delightful, having intensely floating keyboards and AWESOME, graceful, loud & powerful backing vocals. "Crest" has a powerful ambient organ, very fast and complex drums, and, again, beautiful, graceful & powerful backing vocals; Goldman shouts like an unpleasant kid in the middle of the track. "For years and years" is the chef d'oeuvre by excellence: it starts with a beautiful rhythmic piano a la George Duke (Frank Zappa of the 70's); the track is very progressive, and the moaning electric guitar solo sounds a bit like David Gilmour's slide guitar; there are peaceful and soothing backing vocals; then, a very complex & clinical part a la Steve Hillage occurs; the end of the track consists in a GRACEFUL combination of Fender Rhodes, inoffensive acoustic & electric guitars and floating organ, slowly growing in intensity, and finally terminating in colorful streams of miscellaneous keyboards and lead & backing vocals: a GRAND lullaby!

On the other side, the delicate and powerful "Field of gold" consists in piano, sissy lead & backing vocals, which unblocks to a powerful catchy refrain; this then leads to a VERY impressive stagnant keyboards texture: it quite sounds like the end of the Tangerine dream's "Force Majeure" track or like the Gandalf's "Imaginary voyage" album. The last track, "Out of the night", is another progressive gem: a heavy ambient organ makes a very slow rhythm, and some excellent Asiatic lead vocals make a catchy melody; there are, again, some excellent backing vocals and very intensely floating keyboards, plus a very good & long guitar solo; it ends with a nostalgic piano part and a shower.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!