An Odyssey Through Québécois' Progressive Music |
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Tsevir Leirbag
Forum Senior Member Joined: May 03 2009 Location: Montréal Status: Offline Points: 8321 |
Topic: An Odyssey Through Québécois' Progressive Music Posted: December 13 2009 at 18:33 |
Ladies, Gentlemen,
Welcome to the Odyssey through Québécois' progressive (and related) music! With this blog, I will try to introduce you to some well-known and obscure Québécois bands. Maybe you will already know some of them, maybe not. I'll try to make my first presentation during this week.
Also, feel free to discuss and comment if you want.
To begin, I'd just like to link that other thread I've started some time ago (five months). I think it can also be a helpfull one!
Gabriel Edited by Tsevir Leirbag - December 15 2009 at 20:10 |
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Les mains, les pieds balancés
Sur tant de mers, tant de planchers, Un marin mort, Il dormira - Paul Éluard |
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Luca Pacchiarini
Forum Senior Member Joined: March 08 2009 Location: home Status: Offline Points: 530 |
Posted: December 13 2009 at 18:48 |
Thank you. it's nice to have a guide in this journey ;)
I haven't explored that scene very deeply, I only listened to Harmonium, Et Cetera and Pollen... The latter two didn't impress me much, but I probably have to listen to them a couple of times more...
By the way, is there any quebecoise band of the 70's who wasn't influenced by Gentle Giant? :D
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Tsevir Leirbag
Forum Senior Member Joined: May 03 2009 Location: Montréal Status: Offline Points: 8321 |
Posted: December 13 2009 at 20:37 |
Hi Luca,
Harmonium is probably the most well-known Québecois band, and an excellent one. I'm glad you enjoyed it, because it is a good band to start with. Et Cetera and Pollen are, in my opinion, both great bands, though I can understand why one can not be impressed. There are a lot of bands from Québec who are/were not influenced by Gentle Giant, by the way Hope you'll find tons of bands you will appreciate.
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Les mains, les pieds balancés
Sur tant de mers, tant de planchers, Un marin mort, Il dormira - Paul Éluard |
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DamoXt7942
Special Collaborator Joined: October 15 2008 Location: Okayama, Japan Status: Offline Points: 17493 |
Posted: December 14 2009 at 02:55 |
Please don't forget my favourite Québécois outfit SLOCHE.
http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=1002 |
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fusionfreak
Forum Senior Member Joined: August 23 2007 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 1317 |
Posted: December 14 2009 at 04:31 |
[QUOTE=DamoXt7942]Please don't forget my favourite Québécois outfit SLOCHE.
http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=1002 [/QUOTEDamo,I own J'un oeil,it's simply smoking progressive fusion.VEBB is nice too,Harmonium is really interesting(I will try and find L'Heptade).Procreation by Morse Code is great. |
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I was born in the land of Mahavishnu,not so far from Kobaia.I'm looking for the world
of searchers with the help from crimson king |
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Tsevir Leirbag
Forum Senior Member Joined: May 03 2009 Location: Montréal Status: Offline Points: 8321 |
Posted: December 14 2009 at 19:00 |
Harmonium's L'heptade is as good as Si on avait... The only thing is that nobody knows it.
I just finished writing Péloquin-Sauvageau's bio for their inclusion on PA under the Psychedelic subgenre. I sent it to Hugues "Sean Trane" Chantraine and it will be added soon!
Also, Damo, Sloche is indeed an excellent band, particularly the album Stadaconé Edited by Tsevir Leirbag - December 14 2009 at 19:58 |
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Les mains, les pieds balancés
Sur tant de mers, tant de planchers, Un marin mort, Il dormira - Paul Éluard |
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tobytanzer
Forum Newbie Joined: December 14 2009 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 7 |
Posted: December 14 2009 at 21:19 |
What ever happenned to Maneige?
They were my favourite band from Quebec.
How about Syrinx? Were they not from Montreal?
They did the theme music in 1969 for a CBC tv show called "Here Comes the Seventies"
I loaned my Syrinz LP to a friend who dissappeared. One of my only regrets in life. Cannot find it now anywhere.
BTW merci beaucoup pour c'est blog.
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Atavachron
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 30 2006 Location: Pearland Status: Online Points: 65245 |
Posted: December 14 2009 at 21:22 |
ExCubus
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debrewguy
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: April 30 2007 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 3596 |
Posted: December 14 2009 at 21:37 |
VOIVOD !
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"Here I am talking to some of the smartest people in the world and I didn't even notice,” Lieutenant Columbo, episode The Bye-Bye Sky-High I.Q. Murder Case.
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Atavachron
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 30 2006 Location: Pearland Status: Online Points: 65245 |
Posted: December 14 2009 at 21:42 |
^ hell yeah
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fusionfreak
Forum Senior Member Joined: August 23 2007 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 1317 |
Posted: December 15 2009 at 03:49 |
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I was born in the land of Mahavishnu,not so far from Kobaia.I'm looking for the world
of searchers with the help from crimson king |
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yes0genesis
Forum Newbie Joined: November 04 2008 Status: Offline Points: 19 |
Posted: December 15 2009 at 04:54 |
Godspeed You! Black Emperor?
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"To be proven WRONG should be CELEBRATED-- for it is elevating someone to a new level of UNDERSTANDING, furthering AWARENESS."
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Tsevir Leirbag
Forum Senior Member Joined: May 03 2009 Location: Montréal Status: Offline Points: 8321 |
Posted: December 15 2009 at 20:46 |
Of course, I'll start with the most popular one (I think so...) : Harmonium
Harmonium biography (from this website)
This Quebec-based Progressive rock band, who sang in French, has a very apt name in HARMONIUM. The core was a folk trio formed by guitarists Serge FIORI and Michel NORMANDEAU, and bassist Louis VALOIS. Their career was short (five years) and they released three studio albums in the mid-Seventies and a posthumous live album. They started off as a jazzy and typically French folk trio but began to delve into more progressive material on their brilliant second album, "Si on avait besoin d'une cinquième saison" ("If We Needed a Fifth Season"). They are regarded as one of the finest exponents (along with POLLEN and MANEIGE) of the "Golden Era of Quebec Progressive Music" Scene. "Harmonium" is a "folky" album, but it contains progressive elements too. By their 2nd album, they were very much a cross between a symphonic rock band and a folk band; an interesting combination which you can hear most clearly on the 20-minute "Histoire Sans Paroles". Overall, a perfect album to start your French Canadian prog collection. With "L'Heptade", they reached their symphonic/progressive zenith. In addition to the now increasingly large band, classical instruments and mellotron are used throughout. This elegant double album is a testament to the potential of the genre. Both are really satisfying; if you are a confirmed proggy-prog band head,to begin with. "Harmonium en tournée" is an excellent live version of their conceptual work "L'Heptade". Fans of brave musical experiments and elegant songwriting could not be disappointed by HARMONIUM...! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now I'll add my opinion. It is really an excellent band. It is classed in Symphonic Prog, though it's more of a Folk-Prog one (except for their self-titled album).
My reviews:
Certainement pas un album parmi tant d'autres! (Certainly not an album among so many others)
This is Harmonium's first album. So, I tell you, they didn't reach their peak then. But don not misunderstand me, it is a great album. I have to say that it is NOT symphonic prog, it is folk prog. This album is particular because it contains the two Harmonium's biggest hits: Pour un instant and Un musicien parmi tant d'autres. They're really good songs, but they're undoubtly not as good as Harmonium, Aujourd'hui, je dis bonjour à la vie and De la chambre au salon. It is also particular because it is really obscured by Si on avait... and L'heptade. Si on avait... on Prog Archives and L'heptade, in Québec, which is considered as their best here. Don't miss this album just because of this. If you like Harmonium's folk song, you'll adore this album! Évidemment, nous avons besoin de cette cinquième saison! (Undoubtedly, we need this fifth season)
This is THE best album from Québec (probably even of Canada), you can be sure of that! It contains Harmonium's best song, which is Histoires sans paroles. It is so beautiful, there's no word to describe it. It's the same for Depuis l'automne and En pleine face. They're both fabulous. Vert is at least very good too, if not great. Dixie is very "happy". It's not very prog, it's more of a dixieland song, but it's still good, and in will make you feel good, for sure. I tell you, this is a MASTERPIECE, you won't be disappointed with this one. Pure greatness. Comme un fou, tout est si clair. C'est un album magnifique. (Like a madman, everything is clear. This is a beautiful album).
This album is in fact a double-album. It contains four great mini-epics, and four other songs. They're ALL good. Especially Comme un fou and Chanson Noire. This is definitely great symphonic prog from Québec. I feel a kind of pride for this album. It is not as good as Si on avait besoin d'une cinquième saison but it is still my second favourite release from this band (which is one of my favourites), though it is so good that I think it deserves a five stars too. If you liked Si on avait... and you're looking for another great album, go for this one ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'll present another another soon. I hope you learned something
Your homework (if you don't already know this band): The next albums you buy are their albums.
Your homework (if you know Harmonium already): Do yourself a favor, listen to some good music from Québec! Edited by Tsevir Leirbag - December 15 2009 at 20:47 |
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Les mains, les pieds balancés
Sur tant de mers, tant de planchers, Un marin mort, Il dormira - Paul Éluard |
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rdtprog
Special Collaborator Heavy, RPI, Symph, JR/F Canterbury Teams Joined: April 04 2009 Location: Mtl, QC Status: Offline Points: 5284 |
Posted: December 16 2009 at 07:11 |
This cd will become a classic and important release to the quebecois progressive music scene.
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Music is the refuge of souls ulcerated by happiness.
Emile M. Cioran |
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Vibrationbaby
Forum Senior Member Joined: February 13 2004 Status: Offline Points: 6898 |
Posted: December 19 2009 at 11:57 |
What about Octobre? Always overlooked. Pierre Flynn was like some sort of lounge lizard freak romantic.
That live album from '78 was one of the best live albums recorded by any Québec band in the 70s. I'm not a big fan of the more recent stuff though with the exception of Spaced Out. These guys play the farthest out fusion since the MO. Duh I guess that's why they call themselves Spaced Out. I was a big fan of UZEB back in the seventies and eighties and when I came across these guys by accident in a music store my jaw dropped.
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Gooner
Prog Reviewer Joined: March 14 2007 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 312 |
Posted: December 19 2009 at 20:13 |
http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=255801
Quebec prog.rock classic. In fact, this is my favourite prog.rock album from the decade 2000-2009. It's incredible and it gets better each time you listen to it. More people need to hear this. Over time, I think this will make the top 100 on progarchives.com if given a chance.
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apps79
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: March 15 2007 Location: . Status: Offline Points: 1551 |
Posted: December 20 2009 at 02:34 |
This is a fine work ypou started my friend!...but I would prefer some historical info about unknown bands from which many of them also aren't listed here such as SOLSTICE,L'ORIENT D'O,OFFENBACH,NEBU,LE MATCHLES CHAMPIGNONS etc... The http://www.progquebec.com/ site lacks in many bands' info and I would like to see some of these bands listed here...
As for my fave band from Quebec I would vote for MANEIGE and POLLEN...awesome music!
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Slartibartfast
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam Joined: April 29 2006 Location: Atlantais Status: Offline Points: 29630 |
Posted: December 20 2009 at 06:38 |
No one's mentioned Talisma? Unless I am mistaken they qualify. If they don't they're still really good.
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Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Tsevir Leirbag
Forum Senior Member Joined: May 03 2009 Location: Montréal Status: Offline Points: 8321 |
Posted: December 20 2009 at 17:57 |
Well, my friend, I'm presently writing a bio for Offenbach and they might be added here soon
I think le Match is already listed here, isn't it?
As for l'Orient d'Ô, Solstice and Nebu, they're all great. Maneige is also one of my favorites.
I'll try to present them all but I have lots of bands to do also.
Some exemple that I will present soon:
- Maneige
- Conventum
- Morse Code
- Miriodor
- Octobre
They're the ones that are coming soon (as I can), I guess!
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Les mains, les pieds balancés
Sur tant de mers, tant de planchers, Un marin mort, Il dormira - Paul Éluard |
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Vibrationbaby
Forum Senior Member Joined: February 13 2004 Status: Offline Points: 6898 |
Posted: December 21 2009 at 10:25 |
I think Offenbach were shot down quite a while ago. Can't really see them fitting in ici.
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