ALIQUANTE

Since a few months I've re-discovered the jazz rock music from the Seventies: MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA, Jean-Luc PONTY, Al DIMEOLA and RETURN TO FOREVER. And then I got this promo, what a treat! The French band EDITON SPECIALE released their album "Aliquante" in '77 featuring nine splendid songs, including two bonus tracks ("Camara" and Aurore") from the third album entitled "Horizon Digital". From the first track "Verda" I'm blown away by EDITION SPECIALE, these four guys knew how to please their audience! The dynamic and powerful music on the nine compositions is based upon a strong and adventurous rhythm-section, great interplay and lots of sensational soli: wah- wah drenched guitar and pitchbend-driven keyboard pyrotechnics. The only minor flaw concerns the vocals, in my opinion the sound fits more to soul and R&B than to jazz rock. But doesn't matter because most of the music is instrumental with strong hints from RETURN TO FORVER and WEATHER REPORT (but more guitar oriented). A must for the jazzrock aficionados!

Quite strong French jazz fusion. The band are a tight unit, spotlighted by the nimble guitarwork of Marius "Mimi" Lorenzini, who interacts well with bassist Josquin Turenne des Prés and keyswoman Ann Ballester. Ballester contributes some rich synth tones courtesy of her ARP Odyssey and dazzles with her strong piano playing. An almost Canterbury feel pervades at times, but largely the influences seem to be American (i.e.: Mahavishnu/Return To Forever/Weather Report). Some of the pieces are infused with a Latin feel, bringing to mind the early RTF sides with Flora Purim. Ballester sings on many of the tunes, joined by Lorenzini and des Prés on "La Ville en Béton".

Bright, summery fusion, perfect for driving to the beach with the top down on your convertible.

3.75 stars really, but rounded up to the fourth star!!!

I've known ES for decades, having been given a copy of this album back in those days, and while I was still a bit too young to appreciate JR/F, I kept on regular but rare rotation, wondering why ES was not at least as well known as RTF, EH, WR, and MO as well as SM, or BrX.. Of course the superstar status of the members of those previously-mentioned groups, looking at ES, none of them reached the heel as far as fame was concerned. Clearly all four musicians were more than excellent at their trades,the most impressive being bassist Josquin Turenne induced a slight Zeuhl twist that is completely absent in other JR/F groups. Graced with a superb and intriguing artwork, Aliquante was ES' second album (that was news to me still in the late 90's, though) and it was to be the second last (I was aware but had also never heard the album), so I remained with a largely misinformed opinion of this group for decades. BTW, Ballester and Lorenzini were romantically involved.

Now having wisely stayed away from ES's debut (only heard it twice at a friend's house), it's clear that Aliquante is from another galaxy than its predecessor. One of the main drawback of the debut is Ann Ballester's vocals, which coupled with her rather good electric piano playing sounds like a third rate Steely Dan, something that will pursue the group to the end of its career. While all four musicians have clearly improved compared to the debut album, the main difference is that Aliquante is an-almost instrumental album: only two tracks are sung, the rest deploying a very solid and aerial JR/F somewhere between RTF and MO, but never reaching the awesome amount of virtuosity so present in those groups. While Vedra starts clearly on a Caravan-derived line, the track quickly develops a speed where our Canterburians couldn't have followed. Even if newcomer drummer Gouillard's play is very reminiscent of Collins' in BX, the group is often on RTF grounds without the ultra-funk of later albums (as I said Zeuhl is more applicable), but obviously the execution speed is limited. If they indeed overstretch their limits (the start of Temps D'Un Solo), it immediately sounds bizarre or out of tune.

And once Ballester's vocals do come in the band, they sound better controlled but could've been done without as well, but if you don't mind Steely Dan, you shouldn't find much problem on this album. According to Ann, the recording of the album was rushed by their new label RCA, which might explain why it has much less vocals than the other two, but you might want to consider this a blessing. As for her keyboard playing, she's right up there with her fellow musos, and there is little discussion about her choice of synth sounds, a trap that her much more illustrious compadres (Hancock, Zawinul, Corea) couldn't avoid.

Whether the two bonus tracks are a useful addition is rather of a personal taste, but they're both early writing/recording stages of the first two track of the next album Horizon Digital, but they beef up a rather short original album, so if Aliquante is the only album you're planning on getting, they provide enough added value to the album, if you don't mind their last album's much more vocal statement. .Clearly the group's better album, you'll probably have to start with this one, while knowing that it's probably the least representative of their works.

Edition Speciale is one of the best jazz rock/fusion bands France ever had. A was completly knock out when I first listen to this second album named Aliquante from 1977, remaining one of my fav albums of the genre aswell. Very energic, up tempo kind of jazz rock with fusion elements with superb musicianship and very complex arrangements. The duels between Ann Balester's keyboards and Lorenzini guitar are top notch for sure. Also the new drumer Alain Gouillard show how great he is and very confident of his abilities, delivering some great chops here, very energic drumer remind me of Collins Brand X era or even with Bruford. I think this album is quite little unknown among listners, never bean very popular in comparation with other big names from that period like Brand X, Bruford, return to Forever, but I must confess this album kick ass from start to finish. All pieces are very good, specially the first 3 are simply outstanding Vedra, A La Source Du Rêve and So Deep Inside. Some vocal parts here alternating female/male vocal parts, who are ok nothing is over the top but pleasent most of the time, Ballester's vocals remind me in places specialy with canadian Et Cetera same attitude and tone of voice. All in all an album to be discovered by many listners as possible worth it, recommended for sure. 4 stars easy, excellent jazz rock/fusion. re issue by Musea on Cd with 2 bonus tracks, that will apper on their next album Horizon digital a year later.

Just a killer Jazz Fusion album out of France, released in 1977. This four piece can play with the best of them and it's the drummer is who impresses me the most. We get a female keyboardist adding electric piano, piano, synths and vocals along with bass player, drums and guitar. Most often the synths and guitar solo over the amazing rhythm section. We get male vocals as well but I think it's just three tracks total that have vocals and they sound good and are in French.

The opener "Vedra" is a top four and it opens with the wind blowing before eventually the bass and drums create a foundation for first the guitar then the synths to solo over top. They will trade off throughout. Another top four is "A La Source Du Reve" and it's the longest at almost 8 minutes. Check out the melancholic synths late after 5 minutes all the way to the end. Love that sound. Another top four is "La Ville En Baton" and for me this is the one that has warmth and melody at least compared to the rest. Male vocals before 2 minutes but soon it's instrumental again and check out that guitar before 4 1/2 minutes to the end. "La Fille Du Ruisseau" is my final top four and it's the guitar, bass and drum show early. So much going on as female vocals join in. We get a guitar solo then the synths lead as the vocals stop before 3 minutes. Man they can play! This is actually closer to 4.5 stars.

French Jazz-Rock Fusionists here show off their growing skills and chops using many known influences from the Second and Third Waves of the Jazz-Rock Fusion movement.

1. "Vedra" (6:35) nice Fender Rhodes-driven jazz-rock fusion of the Third Wave. (8.875/10)

2. "À la source du rêve" (7:45) a song that sounds quite a bit like something straight off of JEAN-LUC PONTY's albums of the previous year, Aurora and Imaginary Voyage. For me, it's drummer Alain Gouillard that really shines on this song--especially in the second motif with some Bill BRUFORD-like sound and techniques. Marius Lorenzini's acoustic guitar play is quite like the modern Django-style that Daryl Stuermer uses on the Jean-Luc albums mentioned, while Ann Baellester's multi synth-dominated play is quite fresh and adventurous, though always quite melodic. She really shines. And, did I mention bassist Josquin Turenne des Prés' excellent funk play with his Anthony Jackson sound? A most engaging, enjoyable, and impressive song, even if it is rather simply constructed; the lively, energetic play of all of the instrumentalists makes something "simple" into an impressive display of complexity. (13.875/15)

3. "So Deep Inside" (5:45) Trying to blend with some Chick Corea/Al Di Meola riffs and themes with the There's even some part (in the fifth minute) that reminds me of UK's debut album! Like a lot of the music on the next band's next album, I can hear beginning strains of similarities to the quirky music of 2010s Camembert unconventional fringe Zeuhl. (8.875/10)

4. "Le temps d'un solo" (5:43) weaving their creative instrumental play with a somewhat STEELY DAN sound palette over another fairly simple (two-chord) construct allows for plenty of opportunity to show some flash--they're all doing it: from drummer Alain Gouillard's Steve Gadd-like rudiments to Marius Lorenzini's Jeff "Skunk" Baxter guitar tone and style, even down to Josquin Turenne des Prés' Chuck Rainey-like funk bass playing. Nice! (8.875/10)

5. "La ville en béton" (5:00) sounds very much, to my ears, like a slightly different instrumental palette performing a slightly more laid-back variation/version of the previous song. It's nice if a little pre-Yacht Rock smooth. Then add in the male vocal here and it only serves to add to the Steely Dan vibe. (8.875/10)

6. "La fille du ruisseau" (6:45) even more Steely Dan-inspired music that begins to show signs of some of the quirk that I associate with Pierre "Cheese" Wawrzyniak's fringe-Canterbury style band from Strasbourg, Oiapok. The addition of Ann Ballester in the vocal mix--with her Mélanie Gerber sound-alike voice--definitely contributes greatly to this feeling--while the bass, drum, and rhythm guitar render it so completely into the Steely Dan wheelhouse. Ann's Jan Hammer-like synth soloing with Marius' Larry Coryell-sounding guitar flourishes are the two elements that serve most to keep this song in the Jazz-Rock Fusion world. (13.375/15)

7. "Alone, Completely Unknown" (6:55) Ahh! Here we get the first serious evidence of the band's future direction and predilection! Some quirky Jazz-Rock Fusion founded, at first, in some of the basic tenets and lessons of Second Wave J-R Fusion, but then stepping down a pop-rock side street when the vocal motif starts. The signs of this being only the infancy of this path lie in the interesting vocal arrangement: alternating male and female dialogue similar to that which HUMAN LEAGUE will exploit in a few years on their monster hit, "Human." A cute, likeable song that, when compared to the much more sophisticated weaves of the next album, feels infantile and simplistic. (13.125/15)

Total Time 44:28

I can see why so many reviewers elevate this album above its successor: it's quite melodic and its simpler instrumental palette does make it a bit more accessible and engaging. The musicianship is also incredibly high, but the quirky, unusual complexity of the next album--with a full complement of five musicians working relentlessly on some very challenging and more mature compositions--makes it superior to me. Though Gong's Mireille Bauer (vibraphone, marimba, percussion) and one of Magma's great bass players, Francois Grillot, worked with the band during some late studio sessions for some songs that never got developed enough to be included on this album, they (and their songs: "Camara" and "Aurore") would become prominent members on the band's next album, their masterpiece, Horizon Digital. I'm not sure if I would have been dissing this album as much had I not started with Horizon Digital, but I am so glad that I did. This is wonderful music but definitely, in the contextual perspective of knowing the fullness and maturity of the compositions of Horizon Digital, this is, to my mind, analogous to comparing Genesis' Trespass with Nursery Cryme or Yes' The Yes Album with Close to the Edge.

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of Third Wave Jazz-Rock Fusion. Highly recommended--but only if you promise to follow up with their next album, Horizon Digital.