Rock Progressif

Let me share some of the music that most notably contributed to my growing love for Music.

My encounter with Progressive rock happened in high school, when I first got exposed to British bands like King Crimson, Genesis ['Selling England by the Pound' album era, I used to be -and still is- obsessed with the track "Firth of Fifth"], Caravan, Yes etc.
I then found out about some really good progrock bands from France, and started digging into it.

Last summer, I came across an antique sell in the streets of Grenoble. People would sell old antiques, vinyls included. I found a LP by the band Ange, a famous progressive French band in the seventies.

Their unique fantastico medieval progressive sound got me hooked after the first listen.

A few days ago, in one of the many great record stores in Montreal, I found an album by the band Maneige when going through $2 vinyls crates.

Maneige is a progressive rock band from Canada, Quebec. Not so famous worldwide.

Both albums I am introducing here are therefore both progressive rock albums, released during the same year of 1977. One in France, the other one in Quebec.
You will therefore appreciate different styles within the same genre of music, produced in the same timeframe.

As a characteristic of progrock albums, both records are to be listened as a piece. Their cover, along with their content, make up a whole story. Your imagination is constantly stimulated. The melodies on the Maneige albums (entirely instrumental, and definitely a mine of samples) draw unknowns landscapes from a different time and space.

Ange 'Par les fils de Mandrin' [Progressive Rock, France, 1976]

Enjoy

Maneige 'Ni Vent Ni Nouvelle' [Progressive Rock, Quebec,Canada, 1977]

Enjoy

Check this greatness:

Ooo Record stores. Going through $2 crates. Starring at vinyl covers while flicking albums one after the other. Looking for something. Could be anything actually.

I like getting hooked by an album cover. Trying to anticipate what the record would sound like. A lot of prog rock albums are identifiable by their covers, often hand-drawn and depicting fantastic landscapes, imagined worlds, weird environments. This image that they convey contributes a lot to the listening experience of the sound. Giving their music a certain image, a depth, an identity.

Somehow,I have good intuition when it comes to cover. And it still have not fail me last week when I picked up that Maneige record.

David Crosby

David Crosby 'If I Could Only Remember My Name' [Rock, Folk, USA, 1971]

Crosby's best solo effort. Released a year after the amazing 'Deja Vu' by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Both of those albums sound similar, though this solo album has more of an atmospheric touch to it.

This track is amazing:

Here is the back cover of the album, and a good sleeveface opportunity :)

Enjoy!

Lagos Shake

Lagos Shake: a Tony Allen Chop Up [Various artists, Afrobeat, electronic, 2008]

Tony Allen, or the beat master. For those of you unfamiliar with him, he was Fela Kuti's sideman in the seventies in Nigeria.

On this compilation he is revisited by various contemporary artists, giving his memorable drumming skills a new aspect. They give to his music a new, electronic based, freshness. Allen's rolling rhythms, laidback and propulsive persussions dictate those contemporary versions of what could be called as electronic afrobeat.

An interesting album that might also introduce you to Allen's unique rhythms.

I will post some Fela Kuti albums soon.

Enjoy!

Cut Chemist

Cut Chemist 'Sound of Police' (HipHop/ Remix/ DJ/ Afrobeats)

Cut Chemist was Jurassic 5's DJ on their first album, which is sick by the way.
Here, on 2 live sets of about 20 minutes each, he mashes up some afrobeat, Ethiopian and Brazilian records.

Using a single turntable, a mixer, a loop pedal, he propulses beats after beats with an efficiency and the ease of a master.

REally good performance for an epic journey through those exotic beats and swaying rhythms.


Enjoy!

Jane Birkin

Jane Birkin "Di Doo Dah" [1973, Folk/Pop, France]

A great find here. I have had this for maybe two years now, and coming back to it the other day blew me away. Listening to those kind of albums on some good stereo system really gives them the full perspective of what the musicians want to share. The orchestrations and arrangements are really inspired and serve righteously Jane's graceful and sensual voice

Lastly, if this cover doesn't make you want to listen to it, you might be a lost cause.. !

A delicious album.

Enjoy!