ET CETERA

Well, the book on Et Cetera is "Gentle Giant clone band with female vocals in French". Aw, but there is so much more...

Yes, this five-piece from the province of Quebec had that classic GG sound from the "Free Hand" era down pat, complete with flute, vibraphone, top-notch musicianship and labyrinthine vocals. But there was also a nice warm and lush tone that permeates this cd that set them apart from other pretenders to the GG throne. It's a shame that the only album this group ever made only covered 36 minutes, but I'll cut them some slack for the 1976 time frame. All 7 songs on this cd are fantastic, exciting and original in a way that even the venerable GG could not have achieved. (I mean, they weren't French, you know?... ;-)

If you haven't started to explore the prog and jazz fusion from Quebec, you better get started because NONE of it disappoints folks. I may place the somewhat jazzier band Sloche at the top of the heap, but this band may be the best pure prog band I've heard from that area of Canada. Primo shtuff. Essential. Worthy. Etc, etc...

Et Cetera can fairly be called a menagerie, a zoo of influences. It's like being bustled through a series of crazy animal exhibits at a claustrophobic amusement park. It's stunning at times, and the whole thing is admirably absurd, making an occasional visit quite enjoyable.

Eclecticism between songs is de rigueur in progressive rock. Thus, on Et Cetera, songs like "La Musique Tourne" ("The Music Turns," according to Google Translate) and "Apostrophe" are built around relatively accessible rock passages, while "Entre Chien Et Loup" ("Between Dog and Wolf"), with its acoustic guitar and flutes, is more pastoral. But Et Cetera is marked by eclecticism within songs as well. For instance, "Éclaircie" ("Rift") stars off with a vaguely Crimsonian intro. It then alternates between analog synth-based parts some of which remind me of a video-game arcade, and Gentle-Giant-like vocal sections similar to those on "La Musique Tourne." There's also bassline that sounds like "Kings and Queens" by pre-Halsam Renaissance.

But the influences seem to work both ways on Et Cetera, which, its credits note, was recorded in August 1976. The rhythmic vocals, such as on "La Musique Tourne" and "Éclaircie," are akin to those on the Greaves/Blegvad/Herman album Kew. Rhone. , which was recorded a few months later. That intro on "Éclaircie" that sounds like King Crimson actually sounds like Discipline-era Crimson (i.e., from the early 1980s). It's tough for me to gauge the influence of Et Cetera on other artists; certainly a mutual inspiration is likely in the case of Kew. Rhone.

Here's another example. The keyboards on "Newton Avait Raison" ("Newton had Reason") sound influenced by Rick Wakeman's work with Yes, but on closer inspection, they don't really sound like Wakeman in his first stint with that band (1971-1974) - - they sound like Wakeman after he re-joined Yes In 1977. My point is not that Et Cetera changed Rick Wakeman's sound, or that it was essential to the development of Discipline, Beat, and Three of a Perfect Pair. But it seems like Et Cetera is more than a reflection of pre-1976 progressive rock.

(For what it's worth, answering the question of influence may be rather simple. At least two online sources, which may not be mutually independent, claim that Et Cetera (the band) was self-avowedly following in Gentle Giant's footsteps. Nonetheless, I hear Focus and other bands too.)

Et Cetera is a fun stopover at an odd fair. Worth having if you can find an inexpensive copy or download (I got my download at emusic before they lost a ton of labels, including the distributor of Et Cetera).

One-album wonders from the Quebec scene, Et Cetera combine the intricate vocals and the whimsical playfulness of Gentle Giant, the excellent technical chops and diversions into jazziness of the more intricate Canterbury or jazz-rock fusion groups, and an overall excellent command of atmosphere and mood. With much of the band contributing to the vocals, the standout instrumental performance for me comes from electronics wizard Marie Bernard Pagé, who shares keyboard duties with the group's saxophonist-flutist Denis Chartrand, and whose delicate contributions really bring the sound of the album together much as Dave Stewart's keyboards tie together the work of Hatfield and the North or National Health. (Marie had previously had a guest spot on Harmonium's Cinq Saison, and would go on to have a fairly successful career composing soundtracks for film and television.)

It recently came to my attention that Québec had a very robust prog scene going on in the seventies. I found a web site that explained how British prog, the aristocracy of British pop, ironically found its biggest Canadian audience in Francophone Québec at the height of the Separatist movement. Gentle Giant, Genesis, Pink Floyd and the other big bands of the classic period of prog garnered their biggest album sales and sold out more concerts in la belle province.

Naturally, many Francophone musicians had to try their own hands and lips at progressive music. Harmonium have left the biggest impression with their album "Si on avait besoin d'une cinqui'm saison", an album often cited among prog fans' favourite albums. But there were many other excellent bands, including Et Cetera, who unfortunately only released one album. One very excellent 70's prog album.

The web site ProgQuebec states that Et Cetera sound most similar to Gentle Giant, and it's true that their vocal arrangements do strongly resemble Gentle Giant's syncopated medieval approach. The music too often sounds like something Gentle Giant would do. But I'm also hearing some Gryphon and perhaps a bit of ELP, too. Their use of a Moog in "Eclaircie" reminds me a bit of Colosseum II with Don Airey. And perhaps it comes as no surprise to find certain similarities to Rock Progressivo Italiano, though my experience there is currently limited to a few albums.

All classically trained musicians, Et Cetera distinguish themselves from their musical mentors by adding their own personal touches. First of all, the guitar solos sound more solid rock than what I've heard in RPI and the band can steer into a harder hitting rock style when they want. Their vocal approach does sound inspired by Gentle Giant often enough; however, one lead vocalist is Marie Bernard Pagé, so with a female vocalist sharing lead, they can avoid sounding like a copy of their British inspirations. Marie is also known for playing an unusual instrument known as an Ondes Martenot (a kind of early electronic keyboard instrument) and was invited to play it on Harmonium's famous album. Another obvious distinguishing aspect would be the French lyrics.

The music shifts from quirky eclectic prog to more rocky core prog to acoustic to grooving rock with frequent Moog appearances, as well as tasteful piano passages. In a way, it's just like you'd expect a true prog album from the seventies to sound: something groovy, something light, something quirky, something hard, something daring, something rooted in classical. It's actually quite a shame this band only released one album because they did a stellar job, and I can say the recording quality here is top notch. No muddy mixes. No quicksand tape hiss. Everything crisp and distinguishable.

Francophone bands in Québec had a tough time in the seventies. Singing only in French won them support from Separatists and made them heroes in French Canada but made it tough for them to find an audience beyond in Anglophonic Canada or the big American market. When some bands tried to record English albums, though, they were criticized and derided at home. Perhaps the Separatists in the end helped snuff out the flame of Québec prog in the seventies by forcing them to stay French. Or maybe it continued to survive and I just haven't found out yet.

Highly recommended for fans of eclectic seventies prog, particularly if you enjoy non-English lyrics. Actually I give this album 4.5 stars.

Not to be confused with the German Krautrock band led by Wolfgang Dauner who first used this name for a band or the Danish symphonic prog band Etcetera which emerged in the 90s, this ET CETERA was an eclectic high energy band from Quebec, Canada which formed and disbanded in a blink of an eye in the mid 70s and left only this one outstanding gem of an album (self-titled) in 1976 to prove that this band ever existed. And what an album this is. Their sole release was put out on the Apostrophe label.

The main inspiration for this band was Gentle Giant which covers the entire spectrum of the first half of GG's career. The hard rock riffs remind me of the "In A Glass House" album while the mellower acoustic guitar parts can bring earlier albums such as "Acquiring The Taste" to mind, however it should be stressed that despite using GG as a primary influence this band excels beyond those parameters and includes a plethora of classic prog bands in the mix. It melds it all together so perfectly that this album has become a staple in my frequent listening. I can honestly say that this is one of the few albums that i can listen to and immediately listen to again and again and never get tired of.

While the music is based on GG as a reference, this is a perfect marriage of GG's style with symphonic prog. There are ELP-esque synth runs, Yes inspired piano riffs that would fit in on early Wakeman albums but the soft sensual vocals form Marie Bernard Pagé sung in French bring a lightness to the music which sounds more like the Quebecois sounds of Harmonium who resided nearby in both time and place. There are airy pastoral segments that remind of early Genesis and also tender vibraphone segments that can bring a touch of jazz fusion into the mix.

One of the most unique aspects of this album was the inclusion of the Ondes Martenot which is an obscure and little used instrument in the rock world which is similar to the theremin. Although it has been used in the classical world by composers such as Honegger, Milhaud and Varese, ET CETERA remain unique for its use in the entire rock universe. The instrument is used in tandem with the synthesizers and provides some unique pitch bends that come and go unexpectedly adding a whole new dimension to the music.

Really what we have here is a band who took the baton from GG as they were simplifying their music as were many a prog band at this point, but unlike, say Starcastle who simply took over the classic Yes sound, ET CETERA took the next logical step from "Free Hand" and created an album that incorporated the GG playbook and upped the eclecticness even further. The result is a stunning array of tunes that keep the listener engaged for every single second of its short 36:02 run. With a healthy wealth of both influences and originality on board with this one, it has in a short time become one of my desert isle picks for i can listen to this over and over again and only dream of a much longer discography that followed.

Talk about putting quality above quantity! This Canadian quintet only released one album containing less than 39 minutes of material. Oh but what an album it is!

All of the classic Gentle Giant stylistic elements are here in abundance: layered vocal harmonies with occasional hocketing, abundant polyphony, counterpoint and syncopation...There are some key differences however:

1) In contrast to Gentle Giant's urgently throaty vocalist Derek Shulman, Etcetera's vocals float breezily, sometimes even feeling lighter than air...

2) Listening to GG, I usually get the feeling that their keyboardist Kerry Minnear was not only the primary composer, but also the main arranger and conductor for the band. Remove his singular musical thread from the fabric of Gentle Giant and I suspect the entire tapestry unravels. Et Cetera, on the other hand, feels more evenly matched from member to member. This enables them to exude a calm, almost effortless effervescence as they perform their own unique, calmer and more ethereal brand of Gentle Giant's progressive rock style.

It is worth remembering, however, that although they accomplish astounding heights of complexity and beauty that rival and at times even surpass much of Gentle Giant's discography, without the seminal and inspirational styling of Kerry Minnear, the fabric of this band's music wouldn't simply falter, it is hard to imagine it ever having even existed in the first place.

Oh WOw!

Who can get enough Gentle Giant? Anyone? You in the back?...What?...I tought so. Nobody can! It's mathematically impossible to not want a new Gentle Giant album. But the reality is what it is, we can only gorge ourselves on emulation. But when it's good as Et Cetera, you have a fantastic gem in your hands.

They are not emulating Gentle Giant, they ARE a french-canadian reincarnation. No kidding, they simply took the essence of an era (Power and Glory-In a Glass House-Free Hand) and made it as potable as the Legends themselves...with a chick singing. It'sl only a detail because the female voice is not clashing with the formula that we all know and love. It's simply another album from Gentle Giant, period.

The canadian province of Quebec was a playground for Gentle Giant and this band is showing it's respect and (almost devotion) to the band extremely well. Any (real) fan should purchase this record within this hour and drink to the fan-tas-tic work of Et Cetera.

One true surprise.

Lots of fun to listen to. Et Cetera gets to the point early, with the magnificent opening two songs. Dynamic and cerebral, yet accessible and easy on the ears. The presence of a female vocalists adds a jazzy element, with throaty, whispy voices propelling the music. Brilliant instrumental passages intertwine the dynamic flow that links song to song.

Perhaps it is the Gentle Giant record they never recorded. I hear strains of King Crimson as well, plus even a little Canterbury. Plus other fusioneer sounds make an appearance like what Jan Hammer was doing at the time, and the local jazzrock scene in French Canada molds Et Cetera's sound here.

Happy times for this brief record that's tough to get a hold of. I like it and I think fringe prog listeners might too. It's brevity appeals to me and while the end isn't the fireworks I think should end a true classic, it's five bold stars for me nonetheless.

Both the instrumental work and vocal arrangements bring GENTLE GIANT to mind in a huge way. The big difference of course is the French female vocals (there are male vocals too). As impressive as this band plays and sings they do not reach GG's level in either case in my opinion. Good album, but for me it's not worth 4 stars. Funny but right from the first listen I could not get into this. Well it has grown on me but it has stopped.

"La Musique Tourne" sounds great instrumentally, you'd swear it was a GENTLE GIANT tune. Not a big fan when she starts to sing as it calms down though.The contrasts continue. "Eclaircie" opens with some good guitar and bass as piano and drums join in followed by keys. Male and female vocals before 1 1/2 minutes sounding like GG. It settles a minute later. Synths 3 1/2 minutes in. "Entre Chien Et Loup" opens with classical guitar followed by flute then those GG-like dual vocals. I like how intricate this is instrumentally. Vibes in this one too. "Apostrophe" is laid back and a bit folksy with that acoustic guitar and flute. It picks up a minute in with synths. Nice electric guitar before 3 minutes. Piano 4 1/2 minutes in. Excellent track.

"Newton Avait Raison" opens with some synths, guitar and drums. The focus becomes on the vocals though eventually, although synths are prominant. Not a fan of this one. "L'Age Dort" is darker with some cello. Male vocals after a minute then flute comes in. Female vocals before 2 minutes. Themes are repeated. "Tandem" opens with piano as dual vocals come in. The tempo picks up before a minute. Organ before 3 minutes with guitar to follow as piano continues. It turns spacey late.

I can see why there are lots of 4 star ratings here, but it's not enjoyable enough for me to offer that up.

Et Cetera are far from mere Gentle Giant clones. I admit there are many superficial similarities to GG and they use many tricks that that band pioneered, but Et Cetera manage to create an entirely unique mood and atmosphere on this album. The sound is lush, warm, and soothing; led by the hypnotic lilting voice of Marie Bernard Page and some amazingly tight and intricate ensemble playing from every member.

'La Musique Tourne' is perhaps the one song on the album that follows most closely Gentle Giant's blueprint; it starts very similarly to 'Prologue' from Three Friends. This is mostly up-tempo pseudo-jazz featuring lots of complex musical counterpoint, syncopation, and abrupt timing shifts. The French vocals create an airy dream-like ambiance and there are sections of wonderful warm Moog playing among the highlights.

'Éclaircie' has even more labyrinthian vocal counterpoint than the first track. The male background vocals compliment the gentle female vocals very well and together they create gorgeous (yet confounding) harmonies all over this record. It's a real dichotomy how the music can feel so gentle and graceful yet have so much bizarre musical experimentation going on at the same time. That is definitely the biggest factor is making this band stand out from behind Gentle Giant's shadow.

'L'Age Dort' is my favorite song here. It's the quietest, most lithe and dreamlike. The vocal melodies have an air of melancholy in them as well... it can not be overstated how tear-jerkingly beautiful and chilling this singer's voice is.

All in all, this is almost a perfect album and is full of inventive ideas and excellent songwriting and playing. I would obviously recommend this most strongly to Gentle Giant fans, but also to Stereolab fans and French Symphonic Prog fans. I believe most Proggers could get into this quite easily actually... unless they happen to dislike music sung in the French language. This album seems to get better with each and every listen and never grows old! 4 stars.