UNNAMED

Do not get fooled by the date of release of this album! Actually this is a posthumous release proposing material recorded before their debut album and never released before this! And as usual with Lard Free, like every album of theirs is very different from the others but still very much in the spirits of Lard Free, this is full of surprises!

These tracks were recorded in 71 and 72 and are quite a departure from that debut album! We are for a good deal in some pre-RIO (this style of music had yet to appear) but not in free-jazz or contemporary classical music! This is clearly written/composed music. The opening track litterallly slaps you sonically so hard that you find yourself swaying your head from side to side as it suffers those slaps. All of those tracks are accessible with the possible exception of the last (which the title hints at modern french composer Pierre Boulez) and for me the highlight of this album is Tripou Du Matin that announces the first album to be! Please note that the Cochonailles and the Choconailles are effectively linked humorously but also sonically but at opposite ends.

Much recommended for RIO fans whom may be in for a surprise, as this pre-dates the earliest of Henry Cow by two years!

This French band might be listed under Krautrock here but it seems like each album comes from a different genre.This is a posthumous release with these songs coming from 1971 and 1972, so before their debut album in 1973. That makes this really interesting.You gotta love the incredible Gilbert Artman on drums. Such a talented man who has played with HELDON, CLEARLIGHT and others. By the way, HELDON's Richard Pinhas played on a LARD FREE album called "I'm Around About Midnight" the same year Gilbert played on his record. This particular album called "Unnamed" is very much in the Rio / Avant genre.This is wild stuff i'll tell you that much. Definitely a recording for the adventerous and slightly left of centre Prog fan.

"La Chevauchee Des Vaches Qui Rient" is very experimental sounding with all these noises coming and going. Sax 1 1/2 minutes in starts to come and go as well in a dissonant manner. It starts to wind down after 3 minutes and blend into "Cochonailles" where the sax and overall sound starts to build before a minute.The guitar 2 minutes in is not melodic at all (haha). Sax is back after 3 1/2 minutes. Vibes and drums as well. It's getting louder until it's very intense late. "Tobrouck 120 KMS" opens with clarinet that is fairly laid back. Other sounds join in at 2 minutes. It's very Avant-garde here. Flute and bass become prominant as the sound changes 5 1/2 minutes in as the guitar and drums help out. It blends into "Noisy Son Sec" where the vibes become dominant quickly. Acoustic guitar comes to the fore then the vibes return. So much going on here with all these intricate sounds. It's avant sounding here as well. A calm with sax before 4 minutes and the sax gets a little dissonant a minute later then it settles right down. It's picking up before 7 minutes as we get an intense sound to the end.

"Choconailles" opens with the organ floating in as bass joins in then it picks up with fuzzed out organ and sax. This really reminds me of SOFT MACHINE. It's jazzy 3 1/2 minutes in then it builds. A change before 6 minutes and some crazy sax expressions follow. "Petit Tripou Du Matin" opens with guitar sounds then other sounds join in with drums dominating. Sax over the top at 2 1/2 minutes then it stops after 4 minutes and this eerie organ comes in as it settles.The tempo picks up and it's actually catchy right here. I mean this is melodic and really good. Sax joins in with bass and fuzz organ too. So good ! "A Chacun Son Boulez" has these different sounds coming and going. No melody, in fact quite the opposite. Dissonant sax screams out again and again. Insanity. At one I point I swear I hear someone sawing. Nasty horns 6 minutes in.

This is a must for you Avant freaks out there.