RETROSPECTIONS - VOLUME 1

In my mission to support lesser known and unknown new progrock band and artists on this site, I would like to focus on monsieur JP Louveton, guitarplayer of the exciting and acclaimed new French progrock band Nemo. In 1987 he discovered the guitar and taught himself to play on it. Soon JP started to write many compositions, playing in several bands and he made 3 solo albums, this brandnew compilation CD Retrospections is his fourth. In the booklet of this CD I read that JP wrote lots of material between 1991 and 1997, he has decided to put this on CD, along with two new compositions from and the final part of Extreme Stress/ Décompression from 1995 is also written in 2007. In two of the 12 tracks JP sings, the rest is instrumental.

On Retrospections Volume 1 we can enjoy varied and tastefully arranged songs, featuring a strong rhythm-section and JP with often powerful guitarplay but also more mellow and moving work: from swinging with powerful guitar runs and wah-wah drenched solos in Silence Dans La Salle and Extrême Stress / Décompression and a blend of jazz and funk in No Comprendo (including a 'slap' bass solo, inventive keyboard arrangements and again wah-wah drenched guitarplay) till dreamy with twanging electric guitar and fine use of the volume pedal in Loins, a slow rhythm with fiery guitar runs and wonderful classical orchestrations in Cathedrales and two songs with warm French vocals and pleasant twanging acoustic guitar ( Soleil D'Hiver and En Un Clin D'Oeil). My favorite is the composition Du Temps De Louis delivering fluent piano flights and powerful guitarplay, blended with exciting guitar riffs and organ waves, in m y opinion the only song that sounds like his band Nemo. In the final song Au Revoir, A Jamais (swinging bass work and delicate Fender piano play) I trace his appreciation for guitar hero Steve Vai, what an exciting heavy guitar sound.

If you like prog and guitar, this is music to check out, on JP Louveton his website you can listen to samples of his four solo albums. My rating for this latest effort: 3,5 stars.