VIVRE LA MORT DU VIEX MONDE (AS MAAJUN)

There is a certain point when Progressive Rock knocked the door of every major country, it was propably with I Giganti's ''Terra in bocca'' in Italy,Tommorow's Gift self-titled album in Germany and King Crimson's ''In the court of the crimson king'' in UK and worldwide.In France this moment came possibly in 1971.Maajun were a hippie rock group, leaving in a comune and refusing to adapt the casual lifestyle, found during the summer of 1970 by teenagers Jean-Louis Mahjun (vocals, violin, mandolin), Cyril Lefebvre (guitar, banjo, organ), Jean Pierre Arnoux (drums, sax), Alain Roux (vocals, sax, flute, Jew's harp) with Roger Scaglia joining on electric guitar soon afterwards.Despite their social-inspired lyrics they were able to found a recording home on Disques Vogue and released their debut ''Vivre la mort du vieux monde'' in 1971.

Unlike 90% of the early Prog groups refining Classical and Jazz elements to their sound, Maajun were unique on blending their Hard Rock with powerful Folk elements, experimental variations and psychedelic passages.The first side of the LP is a great Progressive Rock with complex structures, bizarre breaks into Ethnic-styled improvised moves and over the top vocals, usually dealing with an anti-political attitude.Their style is full of rapid changes with strong flute and violin workouts, only comparable to bands like GNIDROLOG or CIRCUS, going a few steps beyond with lots of harmonica and accordion tunes in the instrumental lines, supported always by acoustic guitars.Their style moves even further with the 17-min. ''La longue marche'', opening with sinister multi-vocal lines and haunting Ethnic vibes, before exploding into another complex adveture of Psychedelic/Folk/Prog, usually dominated by melodramatic and theatrical singing harmonies.The music tends at Avant- Garde fields at moments, the saxophones come in evidence with obscure scratching jams and VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR are added in the list of resemblances, although it is unlikely Maajun had ever heard of the British group around the time.Despite its intricate and experimental style the epic of the album still reveals some of the group's Hippie style of life with obvious rural breezes, while the combination of Heavy/Psych grooves with the romantic folky passages and the satirical lyricism is absolutely efficient.

Maajun's first effort is not a masterpiece, but it is a very good album with excellent both musical and historical value.Not an everyday listening, this one requires the listener's full attention to be appreciated.If so, the music grows with every listening, resulting a warmly recommended album, full of experimental and trully progressive flavors...3.5 stars.