BARBARO (MA NON TROPPO)

I haven't felt motivated to try my hand at another review for a few years until I watched the dvd of my recent purchase of Present's cd/dvd recordings of Barbaro (Mon Non Troppo). As well as I like and appreciate the album proper, if you will, it was the dvd that did me in! Because of it's scarcity I ended up paying quite a bit more than what I would have liked, but after having had watched it, I am very glad that I bit the bullet! I know that I am not going to do it justice! I always seem to start out with my heart in the right place and with the absolute best of intentions, but I always seem to end up in inarticulationland. They've even got a chair with my name on it there now.

I have been a true fan of Progarchives since I discovered it out of the blue back in about 2007. In my time spent discovering new music and artists that are new to me, I've come to respect many reviewers opinions as many of them seem to agree with mine. At the top of that list would be Mellotron Storm. Except for his love of Jazz Rock/Fusion, which is not very highly prized in my favorite catagories, we have similar tastes. Even though I do have a few classic Jazz Rock/Fusion discs. It's nice to find a prolific reviewer with very similar tastes and I've leaned upon his judgement with good outcomes fairly frequently. So I thank you for that, Mellotron Storm. Also there are a number of reviewers whose tastes I have also come to rely upon as well from their fine critiques and I would like to name and thank a few of them here: Easy Livin begat Sean Trane who begat Cesar Inca who begat Gatot, well you get the general idea. Everyone who has given a review is appreciated by this PA member. The other standouts that I've found especially helpful to me are: Atavachron, Guldbamsen, Silly Puppy, BrufordFreak, Sean Trane, Zowie Ziggy, Matti, Connor Fynes, Kenethlevine, Erik Neuteboom, Tsziramy, Finnforest, Aussie-Byrd-Brother, memowakeman, ClemofNazareth, Andrea Cortese, kev rowland, Rivertree, Windhawk, UMUR, Epignosis, AtomicCrimsonRush, rdtprog, Snobb, Bonnek, Progshine, Warthur, b olariu, admireArt, conor Fynes, Tarcisio Moura, Second Life Syndrome,loserboy,VianaProghead, Guillermo, Neu!man, progrules, Friso, richardh, lord68, andrea, Prog Leviathan, Dobermensch, lazland, FragileKings, Tom Ozric, DapperBlueberries, Evolver, Rivertree, Queen-By-Tor, octopus-4, apps79, DamoXt7942, Marty Mcfly, seventhsojourn, TCat, Andy Webb, Richardw, Prog-jester, and the late febus. So I thank you all for your fine critiques as well as those fine critiques from those that didn't influence me as greatly and I didn't add to my short list, but I'm sure influenced some music lovers in this world of ours including myself. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR EFFORTS IN PROMOTING GREAT MUSIC!!!

Now enough of the pandering and back to the task at hand. The last year or two, where I had been a great RPI fan and still am, I have really begun to appreciate and indulge in purchases of the RIO/Avant Prog varieties and some recordings that fit that sub-genre but aren't actually labelled as such, like Jack O' the Clock. Two recordings of Simon Steensland which are highly recommended from your's truly (I guess I've just read too many critiques lately) are his albums entitled 'Fat' and 'Brain'. Both are great recordings IMHO (pardon me if you don't like that expression, personally I do and this is my review anyway) I would recommend both. Also, and this had probably helped be in my flavor for and consumption of the RIO/Avant Prog music, I was already a fan of the Zeuhl genre. But as far as the RIO/Avant Prog groups that I have come to appreciate and comprehend I will list (sorry, it's really not that long of a list!) directly. But first I use the expression 'comprehend' since I believe that you actually have to comprehend much of this type of music, you can't just let it wash over you and make you feel good. It is the kind of music that takes some real effort in my (not necessarily humble this time) opinion to find something to connect within it. Although I've had a number of cd's earlier by Hatfield and the North*, Art Bears, Art Zoyd*,Magma, Cardiacs, Frank Zappa*+ and the Mothers, News From Babel, Thinking Plaque, Samla (sorry, the list has reproduced within the time it took to get down to here) Mammas Manna*, Henry Cow*, U Totem, Universal Totem Orchestra, 5UU's, Universe Zero* and I even got a copy of With A Litle Hell From My Friends! (the groups with the *, are groups I hadn't gotten into upon the original purchase of my innitial cd's of their's). Now in the last year or so, I've purshased cd's by these groups and enjoyed them immensely, (especially after the consumption of edibles)-(that's another story for me an my solicitor), if enjoyment is the proper term to use with this type of music. I find it that way, so it shall be-as in the eye of the beholder. Art Zoyd, Univers Zero, Present, Simon Steensland and Jack O' The Clock (I would recommend any of JO'TC's albums, save Rare Weather and Leaving California but starting with the great album the warm, dark circus). I'm still deciphering Art Zoyd, Present and a few other bands yet, but it is intriguing-or should I say inTrigauxing. Present is presently leading the pack!

So that gets us to the cd/dvd from Present in question again. I, in my present-no pun intended, state of musical mind, or was it psychotic mind, would give this cd a very solid 5 star rating, but would highly recommend the dc/dvd set if at all possible for purchase. As I stated a tome ago, the dvd is in my opinion (forget it!), the icing on the cake of this album! I was completely blown away buy it! WOW!!! I've never seen any videos of Present performing prior to this, and it was quite amazing! The dvd ran a total of very nearly three hours and kept me up until one o'clock this morning, but it never once seemed to drag much. Maybe ever so little on the 20 or so minutes of older recordings. But the newer stuff was awesome! Although I can understand that Present historians would find those recordings of the older stuff impressive for the sake of them having Daniel Denis playing in them (the older videos), thus making them worthwhile additions to the dvd collection! (Please, be honest, was that last sentence as difficult for you to complete as it was for me to conceive?). For me personally, while watching the newer recordings, Chevalier on piano, Macksoud on bass and Kerman on drums were well worth the slightly higher entrance fee than the normal, usual expenditure range on my part. What a show! If anyone else has ever seen videos of them, do any of you come away with the opinion that there is a distinct similarity between the late Roger Trigaux for Present and Robert Fripp for King Crimson? I wonder if they had ever met? Anyway if I were just giving the dvd a rating, I would grade that seperately at 5 stars also with a cherry on top! While the cd would also get a 5 star rating, save the cherry on top! If you like RIO/Avant Prog music, I hope you get the opportunity to see these performances at some time. They are outstanding!

Enjoy God's gift of music everyone. Take care.