HAPPY FRENCH BAND

Recorded the following year, the third AD album, Happy French Band, is pursuing the changes occurred in Bis and refining it, with the line-up again evolving: the whole rhythm section of Mourey and Gaillard leaving, replaced by Verly Benavides (respectively on drums and bass). The Latino fusion is now much dominant with Devos's all-too-present marimba, and the group starts sounding like Spiro Gyra. Hardly a bad news if you enjoy that, but I must say that I've never warmed to that style. The album is not particularly inspired; Abus's Blues is rather weak, as is Aye Schango. Easily the better track of the album Voyage Sans Etiquette is still not fascinating to say the least. Not any better than its predecessor, HFB is hardly anything essential (we are far from the mid-70's exciting ground breaking albums), as there are literally hundreds of albums of this calibre haunting the early-80's catalogues, most of them lacking energy.