LES GRANDS SUCCÈS DE MORSE CODE

I've been meaning to get into this band for quite some time , now. It was unknown to me in the 70's although I was aware of most Quebequois prog rock band, but for some strange reasons , not this one. I discovered it around 95 and could not get a hold of it until recently when a friend found this one: the greatest hits. I generally do not recommend to find out of a prog band by a "best of " , and I certainly do not apply this to myself. But in this case I had no choice, since I still had not found anything else, but I had a certain awareness that those compilation are hardly truthful to a band's oeuvre. since this article and with the help of James Unger, I have had all three 70's album. Like most bands from Quebec (Harmonium , Aquarelle , Pollen , Maneige etc... but not Mahogany Rush ) , they sang in native french - when some singing happened. Unlike those groups mentioned here , Morse Code although quite rock and also prog is more in the line of the "chanson francaise" or its Quebec equivalent "chansonnier" . As you might guess I certainly listened to the longer numbers to find out the prog contents/capabilities ( I am aware that studying longer numbers is not an exact science , but the results can give you a good hint for further investigation) and it came out positive. So I have l hunted down the three albums but they never got released on CD , but I am not entirely convinced by the choice of the numbers on this compilation ( a lot of them , I can call songs - which I rarely do when speaking of Prog & Jazz ) , again to this type of compilation I am wary . Not enough to judge a band upon. After hearing the second album I can tell you that this greatest hits does not do justice to Procreation, only three tracks were taken from it and I can tell you that those were not the better one on that album. But they were probably the ones that got airplay. However their debut is well represented and more than half of their Temps album also.

I know that some very die-hard record collectors will pay a lot of money for the Morse Code LP's, it's a kind of cult band for them! I prefer to listen to CD's, this compilation with 12 tracks features 5 songs from their acclaimed debut album. These are the most captivating and progressive moments on this CD. The long opener "La marche des hommes" (at about 11 minutes) delivers delicate guitarwork, ominous, Wetton-like bass play, a mellow organ sound and soaring Mellotron. Most of the following songs sound powerful and alternating, Morse Code succeeds to make both wonderful dreamy (tender acoustic guitar and emotional French vocals) as harder-edged prog (fiery electric guitar). Unfortunately most of the other songs are very polished and not really progressive. But the two final tracks are almost worth buying this CD: "Magie de musique" is very bombastic featuring Pallas-like Mellotron and the instrumental "Cocktail" delivers fine flute and Mellotron. This is a nice introduction to the acclaimed Canadian progrock band. By the way, I couldn't trace one single Morse Code LP when I visited Quebec, perhaps some reviewers plundered the record-stores before me ..?!