Favourite Eskaton album

Like Picchio Dal Pozzo (which I got into at about the same time and just did another poll for, sorry for the poll overload), I 'immediately "fell in love" with the debut album but it was some time before I heard the others.  Both bands second release was stylistically quite different from the first.  Sorry, this is about Eskaton, of course.

I have yet to get Fiction (just heard samples).  Much as I really like Ardeur, I find the use of synths a little off-putting (I still haven't fully absorbed this album, however).

As for the debut, much as I love it, I agree with Laplace's review (CLICK) when he says that some element is missing to render this a complete masterpiece.  It's not the lack of "Kobaian mythology" for me or that it's sung in French rather than Kobaian, it's (and I've thought long and hard about this) the lack of fun, silly noises (particularly chickens).  To make this a transcendentally, sublime masterpiece, it needs chickens (seriously, some barnyard noises thrown in would do wonders).  "Es...katon! cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, ES...KATON! cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, gobble moo."  Not that I'd want this to be Cock [a-doodle-do] Rock

Great album despite the lack of barnyard noises, however.

I've only heard Four Visions, and it's incredible.  

rileydog22 wrote: I've only heard Four Visions, and it's incredible.

One might even say "Quatre Visions est incroyable!" Hmm, much as I like it in French, Laplace has a point --  I mean, that would sound more interesting, and très exotique, in Kobaïan.  No coq required.

Impossible not to choose 4 Visions. But the two others are great.

Ardeur is fabulous as well.

4 Visions as well, though i also like Ardeur, haven´t listened to Fiction yet.

After having listened to Ardeur a great many times since starting this poll -- what a great album it is.  "Dagon" was the immediate stand-out (dog gone it, that gets me groovin').  That followed by a  very pretty, melodious song which makes for nice contrast.  I'm not as keen on their reworked versions of "Eskaton" and "Attente" from the album, but fabulous album for me.

Fiction is very good too.  The latter part of "La Dance des Feux" sounds strangely familiar to me (reminds me of a Moroder song possibly -- not ashamed to say I like his Cat People and Midnight Express soundtracks very much).

Terrific band.

Incidentally, it's sad that they never released their 1985 album, I Care.  Like with Picchio dal Pozzo's  (that I mentioned before and also has great second album from 1980 that includes themes from the debut) Camere Zimmer Rooms, that wasn't released until this decade, hopefully someone will get around to releasing I Care (though a couple of tracks were released on certain compilation releases).

Oh darn, just lost my response...

^indeed, Phileas.

It's a shame that the 1995 Ad Perpetuam Memoriam reissue is out of print. Is that Swedish label even around anymore?  Like to see it on Soleil Zeuhl (but I imagine  the rights are tied up).

Like to see an Eskaton compilation release (on a couple of long CDs).
Or how about an Eskaton Greatest Hits release? (have an acquaintance with a  record label who signed an unknown hair bar band from the 80s a few years ago and released their material on a Greatest Hits album... Bit misleading.)


Edited by Logan - June 09 2007 at 19:02