MISTER GREEN

Unlike the following albums this is not exactly a group album but close to it. This reminds me most of Magma and other Zheul bands but it does not really sound like anything before. But this album goes in too many musical directions and this lack of focus can sometimes irk me and pop-up the cd from the hi-fi , but most times not, but I will be happy to move on to something else. But I still listen to this about three or four times a year.

TAAL is a French progressive band that has released their debut CD on the Musea label. Their music is quite hard to describe but there are some reminiscences to KING CRIMSON, MAGMA, PINK FLOYD, SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA / VON ZAMLA and FRANK ZAPPA. But TAAL doesn't sound like any of these bands they just have some similarities. The main part of the album contains complex instrumental progressive rock, although it has some vocals now and then. There are six guest musicians on the album and they're playing instruments such as Saxophones, Clarinet, Violon & Cello, Trombone and Flute. These instruments are perfectly mixed into the music and they add some classical, jazz and RIO elements to the final result. All in all this is an interesting album with many nice moments.

I got this album together with their second release "Skymind" from a friend and really had no expectations. Mainly because I never heard of the band before. I knew that they're from France but their origin doesn't say very much about the music. I listened to the album once and was blown away in an instant. It was something I, on the one hand, never heard before but at the other hand seems to have some similarities to King Crimson, Frank Zappa and due to the classical instruments used from time to time even to Magma. Queer mixture indeed but it works; and how it works.

Well after mentioning the main similarities, wich are by no means real similarities but a way to describe the sound better, we can now go into detail. The first song, 15 minutes long, called "Barbituricus" is a true highlight. It features some funny parts in the beginning but turns to a dark and evil guitar orientated song in the middle, King Crimosn like. After some terrific solos the happy vocals appear again and afterwards the song turns again. Now we get to hear the part I compared to Frank Zappa. A song every Progheas should have heard. "Cornibus" starts with flute and seems to rise. Suddenly it gets faster and faster and still features the flute melody. After a short darker part it changes to a part dominated by classical instruments, mainly violin and cello. The mixture of instruments sounds rather queer but interesting. Imagine classical instruments besides dark guitar solos and King Crimson like atmosphere. I tell you what it sounds like: AWESOME. "Flat Spectre" is muted and slightly mellow in the beginning. Nice Piano and Guitar get darker and darker and some classical instruments join in. Just to give you an impression I advice to imagine a mixture of King Crimson, Anglagard and Magma. Ok, refering to the title "ragtime" you probably can imagine what it sounds like, yes, Ragtime...very nice and odd. "No way!" is a short piece. More a radio play than a song. A guy in a restaurant eats something and is sitting next to a radio. In the radio some odd song. The guy eats and has to throw up after some time, very funny. "Mister green" is the first song with distinctive vocals. The song is hard to descibe, sorry. It is quite queer and features some choir, quite terrific. "Mister Grey" resumes the style of the first two songs but is much shorter. "Aspartamus" features some great guitar playing and again a dark atmosphere wich gets aerated from time to time but always lapses to the dark approach. "Super Flat Moon" sounds more jazzy than the other tracks. The rythm section is really jazzy on this one. In general the song features a lot of classical instruments wich is an enrichment for the sound.

Taal is an interesting band with an interesting sound, it shows so many facetes and different influences. Indeed, Zheul is a part of it but also jazz and symphonic prog with dark atmosphere is provided. All together a great mixture and very unique. "Mister green" is one of my favorite albums and every rating without a 5 in it would be a contradiction to the before said. Taal is not really well known, unfortunately. I think they deserve more attention because they make interesting music wich can enthuse you for a very long time. If you like King Crimson, Magma or Frank Zappa you should check out this album...but wait, you should check it out anyway. It's not very often that I'm thrilled about an album like I was about this one. Highly recommended.

W-O-W!

When it comes to France, progressive rock is meeting new ground. Bands like Ange, Nemo, Clearlight, Gong and Magma made their mark by creating (most of the time) some new trends and even sometimes, a new category. And to me, french progressive rock meant bizarre, complex and hard to reach music, and with Taal, it's still weird but the 'wow factor' is simply too high to ignore this band.

How come this band is still unknown? It's a shame to bypass such quality, skillness, energy and intelligence in these neo-progressive times that we are living. Not that neo prog is bad, it's just that Taal is recreating the complexity and enigmatic atmosphere of Anglagard, the energy of a young Dream Theater and the néo-classical approach of Yngwie Malmsteen...it feels so good to have something nourrishing to chew on.

Words are missing to tell you how great and exciting this is for me, since many bands are drawing away from such majestic orchestration and intelligent songwriting. A huge round of applause to that enduring guitar player who delivers and carries the song on his shoulders, track after track.

Kudos to Taal that delivers a powerful exercise of energy, skills wrapped in an eerie atmosphere.

A powerful and symphonic whiplash.

I finally get to comment on one of the very few truly progressive modern outfits anywhere, incorporating various ingredients that boggle and stun. I have listened to this heavily before reviewing because some may think I only like the gentler side of progressive music. Just like any self respecting prog pervert, I like the rough kinky stuff too, on occasion! First, let's get the mechanics out of the way by boldly claiming that the musicians are both creative and technically highly proficient. Guitarist Anthony Gabard has the fueled rage of a Fripp pretty much down pat with brilliant metallic interventions that scream: wow! Loïc Bernardeau is one of those supremely original "percussionaires", while bassist David Stuart Dosnon puts down some beefy lines that evoke the rumblings of prime John Wetton and Sébastien Constant wields a vast array of assorted dense keyboards. Taal also throws in some Zappaesque influences with the inclusion of various saxes, clarinet, violin, cello, trombone and flute. Their debut "Mister Green" sets the luxuriant table of a shrewd and innovative musical banquet where only the unexpected is served, as each of the 9 courses on this menu continuously astonish. After a brief a-propos sound byte, the acridly titled opener "Barbituricus" proposes an initial searing numbness with various atmospherics that incorporate a weaving Canterbury style choral work, some gurgling bass, Frippian buzzsaw rhythm guitar slashes, galloping percussion and some more febrile lead fretwork. There is a hint of Mahavishnu Orchestra in the arrangements, displaying a careening virtuosity that is continents removed from Neo or Symph prog, brash twists and lush turns, hard and soft contrasts galore, with Gabard letting sparks fiercely fly. All the ingredients are thrown in at the most opportune time, a trombone surging from nowhere, elevating the passion to climactic heights. It takes balls to kick off one's career with such a 15 minute extravaganza! The nearly 9 minute "Coornibus" is at first piloted by a gentle flute/guitar duet, pastoral yet with an ominous undertone, when as expected a fierce guitar exploration sets fire to the entire context, emitting a quasi Magmaesque controlled fury mixed in with some heavy medieval musings and string/choir orchestrations adding to the lava! A romantic jazz piano interlude calms the storm but only briefly as Gabard's dirty guitar hungrily flings the piece again into darker realms. Nothing drags on too long with this "équipe", constantly in search of new musical destinations. "Flat Spectre" is another epic multi- flavored stew that has Spanish guitar musings, a keyboard driven slightly Middle Eastern feel, a bluesy mid section that grooves gently and veers into a crescendo of Felliniesque blistering guitar leads. There is a circus like detail which is a trusted coloring from this band, relying on it to keep the listener on the "Halt, who goes there?", relaying to a furious finale that screams, howls and agonizes. "Ragtime" is, as the title implies, a brief whimsical romp with the clarinet taking its natural place, until it too decides to go somewhat ballistic, aided and abetted with some very chunky chords. Bizarre! "No Way!" proffers some vaudeville sillyness with nausea and gurgling, before Daevid Allen era Gong vocal hysterics with trombones a boomin' usher in the title track, a dizzying piece that has absolute no pomp or circumstance. Hmm, Gong did spend a lot of time in rural France, for legal reasons. This may prove that Taal were the children playing in their hippie commune! "Mister Grey" is a return to their sulfuric style, guitars ablaze and kick ass drumming propelling the mood ever forward. Yeah, it's intricate, at times disjointed and simply complex (as opposed to Math), with unending wit, charm and balls. The outstanding "Aspartamus" provides more of the same with tingling keys, roaming bass and more effusive Gabardian blasts that verge on the pyrotechnical. I am preferential towards more melodious fretmen (Latimer, Peeters, Gilmour, Holmes, Hillage, Hackett, Howe etc.), yet Robert Fripp is still my capo but Anthony Gabard, you must remember this name. This man is bloody ridiculous. Last track best track syndrome, as "Super Flat Moon" ends this extravagant debut with sheer gusto and destructive flair, clearly nailing down a five star rating, with an even more overt Larks Tongues/Starless & Bible Black/Red feel, mainly due to the heavy violin presence, the utter Frippoid guitar devastation, the steamroller rhythm section plowing ahead unrestrained, with a contemplative middle section loaded with various atmospherics just to keep the record straight (pun intended). As the sudden bar room jazzy piano shuffles effortlessly, I am standing and I am applauding. To quote David Byrne "this ain't no party, this ain't no disco", just some fine experimental prog of the finest caliber. 4 étaals.

A special thanks to tszirmay first of all. Man this is a good album, and talk about being Progressive and adventerous ! I still think the followup "Skymind" is the better album. They went from five members on this one to ten on "Skymind" adding a lot of strings for the most part. Also "Skymind" is heavier and more dynamic. Having said all of that, this one is so impressive.

We get started with the over 15 minute "Barbituricus" which is worth the price of admission by itself. It sounds like a party to begin with until we hear the sound of a door opening, then as it closes the sounds of the party end. Atmosphere rolls in. A melody after 2 minutes turns heavy. Female vocal melodies as it settles after 3 minutes. Nice chunky bass too. Heavy again 4 minutes in. It calms right down before 5 1/2 minutes as contrasts continue. Organ before 8 minutes then the guitar takes over. Flute and a calm 12 1/2 minutes in before kicking in once again. Great tune. "Coornibus" is led by flute early. It kicks in with the guitar before 2 minutes. Heavy a minute later. A change before 4 minutes as it settles. The flute is back. Heavy again after 5 minutes then settles with piano before 6 1/2 minutes. The guitar joins in and the tempo picks up.

"Flat Spectre" is another long one at over 12 1/2 minutes. It's mellow to open before the drums and guitar arrive. Contrasts continue. This sounds really good, both the laid back and aggressive sections. The guitar rips it up pretty good late. "Ragtime" is as the title suggests. The dissonant horns are interesting. The song ends with breaking glass. "No Way !" opens with samples of someone speaking and other sounds. Fast paced vocals come in as we hear someone drinking, burping and throwing up. Nice. "Mister Green" opens with horns and a rhythm. Vocals join in. Some silliness on this one. "Mr Grey" opens with marching styled drums as horns then guitar join in. Heaviness after a minute. It comes and goes. "Aspartamus" opens with samples before the music takes over including piano. The guitar sounds great 1 1/2 minutes in. A calm follows as piano takes over. When it picks back up it sounds amazing. A calm before 5 minutes,it's kind of spacey. It kicks back in before 7 minutes. "Super Flat Moon" is jazzy to start. Violin and guitar then take turns in the spotlight. It's spacey 4 1/2 minutes in before kicking back in. It gets experimental too. Jazzy again before 9 minutes. The music stops 10 minutes in as we hear that party again to end it.

Easily 4 stars but recommended to those who are into Rio / Avant and adventerous music.

Named after a volcano on the island of Luzon in the Philippines, French band Taal from Poitiers appeared in 1992 as a trio led by drummer/singer Loic Bernardeau.By mid-90's they were joined by keyboardist Sebastien Constant and their sound obtained a more symphonic, proggy nature.The band, with Anthony Gabard on guitar and David Dosnon on bass, signed a contract with Musea and released the debut ''Mister Green'' in 2000, featuring plenty of guest musicians on female voices, wind and string instruments.

Taal ended partly with a semi-original sound, containing elements from Progressive Rock, Folk, Avant-Garde, Jazz, Soundtrack Music, Classical Music and Heavy Metal, a weird but tight mix of different styles based both on technique and atmosphere.What really helps the band is the presentation of several long compositions, where these styles can be mixed sufficiently and there is enough room for the music to breathe.Vocals are limited and ''Mister Green'' depends much on the instrumental exercises of Taal.The vast amount of the music is characterized by the quite heavy guitar work, including some very complicated moves and hard riffing, and the huge Classical elements delivered by the string and wind instruments on the release.Of course this description is rather simplistic.There is a fair amount of orchestral keyboards, delicate Ethnic-sounding flutes and even some jazzy guitar solos to be found throughout, eventually creating an album with a variety of atmospheres, a good balance between almost metallic moments and smooth passages and a good dose of complex breaks, professional interplays but also grandiose orchestral themes.

Very demanding and unusual musicianship with a quite haunting mood.If you like bands in the vein of THORK or SYRINX, ''Mister Green'' will not dissapoint you.Strongly recommended..3.5 stars.

TAAL is the name for many things such as the Philippine volcano, an Assamese musical instrument and is even a film from Bollywood as well as being a type of Indian rhythm, but the TAAL we are interested today is a progressive band from Poitiers, France. TAAL is yet another progressive rock band that knows how to take a vast swath of musical influences and sews them all together in a very original way. While only releasing two albums to date which sound very different from one another, the debut MR GREEN shows the band finding an original way to construct highly complex compositions by leaving no influence unused. On this debut we only have five musicians while the second "Skymind" has twice as many but this album still sounds very rich and powerful as it seems like a strange medley of sounds throughout the space and times of our world and melds them together in a very interesting way.

As a template TAAL utilizes everything from traditional French chanson, to Celtic folk, space rock, jazz, metal, Parisian accordion music, cabaret, gypsy violin, ragtime and more progressive elements like Zappa-esque time signatures as well as symphonic, prog metal bits and more! The band pretty much excels at everything it puts forth. It is nearly impossible to go through every stylistic change that goes on here and this will require many listens to digest but only one to really slap you in the face and let you know you have found something truly unique, outstanding and incredible.

I won't go into a track by track analysis but i'll just give the first track "Barbituricus" which is the longest track clocking in at 15:16 a description as an example of just HOW eclectic, HOW adventurous and HOW unpredictable this music is. The album kicks off with a folk song being played on guitar at some party while one member, MR GREEN, decides to walk through a door and light a smokable while we can still hear a party going on on the other side. There seems to be a theme of this MR GREEN character aimlessly wandering around checking out various types of music. The track continues with some Floydian synths slowly creep in taking us on the musical journey. Spacey guitars slowly build up tension sounding Floydian in tone with some Air (French band) type grooves with some rock guitar joining in. The music steadily gets louder and then morphs into some nice Harmonium like symphonic prog with sweet vocalists harmonizing for a while and then some more strange instrumental time signatures that give the guitar a chance to shine before mellowing out to subdued synth line that quickly changes to a mid-tempo metal rocker which alternates between strange keyboard runs and frenetic drum rolls. The music just keeps getting more frenetic and things are changed up more often incorporating different ideas every couple measures or so and i could write an encyclopedia length review if i mentioned every little change! This pace continues for several minutes until it changes into a classical piano run. The guitar repeats the run and they play together. More interesting variations occur. Some ideas are revisited such as the Harmonium symphonic prog and then the track goes on to something completely new! This is about the 10 minute mark and it only continues the pace and franticness.

The rest of the album follows suit with both "Flat Spectre" and "Super Flat Moon" running well over 10 minutes. There are also shorter and sweeter tracks like "Ragtime" which is indeed a rag but sounds more like a cartoon theme with all kinds of crazy instrumental touches added like guitar, horns and a hard rocking section. Although this track is only 2:40 min long it still manages to take you on a roller coaster ride of ideas but unlike many other tracks that can seem aimless at times, this one has a clearly defined melodic approach that is adhered to.

Because this album exhibits a ridiculous amount of different musical ideas it is only recommended for the most adventurous of music lovers who really love the Mr Bungle approach of incorporating everything including the kitchen sink and then some. The difference with TAAL to the more extreme bands like Mr Bungle is that TAAL takes a classical musical approach to its compositions making a symphony of sampling and exceeds in creating a rotisserie of atmospheres and although I wish there could have been more uptempo parts that really ripped as the band tends to stay in the mid-tempo range they do conjure up some virtuosic moments. The brilliance of this one is clearly in the band interplay and how they seamlessly meander throughout the musical universe in unison like a school of fish. If that is your game though you will hardly be disappointed with this one.

'Mister Green' - Taal (71/100)

Some bands have trouble finding a style on their debut. On Mister Green, Taal plunged into several. Taal is what happens when a rag-tag group of prog rock lovers meets an avant-garde flair for the eclectic. Although their second, final album Skymind dawned to the world way back in 2003, I would associate them with the modern trend in so-called 'traditional prog'; that is, the sense that no possible outcome was left unturned. Proggers tend to be eclectic listeners by nature, and many of the bands that have carried the torch of the 70s' reflect that in their work. On this (mostly instrumental) album, Taal explore most of the great schools of progressive rock. This is including, but not limited to: Genesis-type symphonic prog, Pink Floydian chillouts, jazz-rock, avant-prog, and even progressive metal of the Dream Theater variety.

For starters, I don't think Taal quite managed to seamlessly fuse these styles together. Mister Green gives the impression of musical window shopping; Taal take their listener on a survey through so many of these styles, but don't seem to come out of it with a sound of their own. There's not much about the bombastic hard rock of "Flat Spectre", for example, to tie it to the jazz-metal of "Ragtime", much less the King Crimsony explorations on "Super Flat Moon". Although the diversity isn't so far-fetched as to make these songs incompatible with each other, I can listen to the entire album without knowing feeling a characteristic style about them.

Taal bit off more than they could chew with a debut, but in the end, I'm not complaining. Whether it's metal or ragtime, the styles they incorporate on Mister Green are all handled with the expertise I'd associate with a band that had specialized in them. "Barbituricus" is a progressive epic in the image of the 70's greats, and "Coornibus" follows it up with a beautifully pastoral nostalgia. Taal have dipped their wicks in a number of the old greats' styles, and I don't think they follow any band better than King Crimson. The more sprawling parts of "Super Flat Moon" remind me of the infamous instrumental noodlings on "Moonchild", albeit with a far greater impression of momentum. While Taal spend the majority of the time exploring traditional progressive sounds, I think they sound most at home on the avant-garde end. "No Way!", "Mister Green" and "Mister Grey" form the album's single centrepiece, a weirdly theatrical jaunt with vocals that sound a greater part tongue-in-cheek than sincere. Nonetheless, getting avant-garde and sporadic with their sound affords Taal the opportunity to fit all of their ideas on the album. Saturating their composition with ideas is something they try to do regardless of style. Understandably, this has the effect of making the 68 minute runtime feel even longer than it should.

Although I've had no preconceptions of Taal's music going into them, it's still hard for me to believe this was the band's debut. Mister Green may not sound like the work of a band who know what they want to do, but each of their little stylistic expeditions enjoys the aura of expertise I'd associate with well-seasoned veterans. Mister Green is too self-indulgent for its own good, and it's questionable that the band did anything entirely fresh with any of their styles. Regardless, each of their sounds are a result of clear love on the band's part, and likeminded proggers should love most, if not all of the colours Mister Green has to offer. For my part, I'm impressed by Taal's exploration of prog conventions, and I'm looking forward to see how they developed with their second, final album Skymind.

Loïc Bernardeau and Sébstien Constant expressing their life-in-music, music-as-celebration-of-life point of view with intricately constructed and very dynamic and cinematic compositions through top notch musicianship.

1. "Barbituricus" (15:16) nice gentle prog music gradually becoming cabaret-theatric, on the verge of Theater of the Absurd. A wonderful, creative composition with stellar performances across the board, this song explores all speeds and dynamics, as well as several styles, despite its overall somber mood. The finish reconfirms the fact that this is a theatric production. (27.5/30)

2. "Coornibus" (8:41) opening with a very Ravel "Bolero"-like feel despite the more acoustic folk instrumentation used. After two minutes the guitar and flute lead us into JETHRO TULL territory an intricate, fast-paced weave. But then at the end of the fifth minute we are taken down a more aggressive metallic alley before coming out into a more classical roundabout (think Tchaikovsky ballet music). Flute and strings then lead us into a brief, delicate classical passage followed by bombastic prog motif before reverting to classical via piano which then is overwhelmed by aggressive guitars and rock formats. This is like Trans-Siberian Orchestra only performed by truly classically-trained and classically-oriented minds and musicians. Not the prettiest or most melodic (or sensical) song ever, but displaying some very fine musicianship as well as creative compositional inclinations. (17.75/20) 3. "Flat Spectre" (12:34) another classically-informed song construction with a notably jazzier flair and swing. Once again, the over-reaching arch of the song is quite theatric--taking us through many moods via many dynamic and instrumental combinations. Though I disapprove of some of the keyboard sounds used (dated "Nineties" computer keyboards), and I get a little tired of the abrasive saw-like sound employed by the lead guitarist, I can do nothing but praise the musicianship--especially that of the drummer. The classical style here imitated (or adapted to rock "orchestra") is more Gypsy-carnival flavored than previous compositions. Again I cannot help but make comparisons to TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA. Interesting choice to simplify the structure in the eleventh minute for the build up to the fiery guitar solo, Again: so theatric! (21.75/25)

4. "Ragtime" (2:40) I feel that this is just as much klezmer/Romansch as it is 1920s jazz--but, then, it's also a very modern rock interpretation. Great clarinet play. (4.25/5)

5. "No Way!" (1:24) as if a recording of an anti-Mr. Green street demonstration from inside the (safe) confines of one's own kitchen/home.

6. "Mister Green" (4:35) in the spirit of life-theatre bands like Les Negresses Vertes, Loïc Bernardeau and Sébstien Constant are here expressing their life-in-music, music as a celebration of life point of view. (8.75/10)

7. "Mister Grey" (4:33) militaristic drum play anchors this piece that feels like it could come out of Les Miserables or some such French historical context. This gives my gut reaction a further reason to think that this band is a successor to ÄNGLARGÅRD and predecessor to Spanish band KOTEBEL. (8.75/10)

8. "Aspartamus" (7:33) such a great title! Slow footsteps of a singular man in dress shoes is followed by the band's launch into full drama of a film noir like mood and stop and go (run and wait/listen) pattern. At 2:10 there is a total switch in music--as if we've switched to the view of an entirely different scene (of the movie)--and again at 2:56--this time into a more forward-moving "countryside chase scene" like feel (with a little "Trip to the Fair"-like eerie keyboards thrown in there for good measure). The ghost-haunted pause in sixth minute is mysterious and inexplicable (except for the sake of suspending outcome and, therefore, tension) but I like it: it conveys an interesting mood and effect. (13.5/15)

9. "Super Flat Moon" (11:35) opens as if a purely 1960s Wes Montgomery or Django Rienhardt/Sephane Grappelli jazz piece, only amplified and embellished by rock instrumentation (metallic electric guitar). Various familiar themes and motifs are explored as the music shifts direction even more quickly and frequently than any of the previous songs. (How does this represent a "super flat moon"?) Again: cinematic theatricity seems the rule with the flow of this composition as we move through so many different, disparate, and seemingly unconnected landscapes--including the extended free-form and eerily spacious middle section. Weird but wonderful! Great drumming! (18/20)

Total Time: 68:31

I have to admit that this dynamic, very theatric music is highly entertaining--and usually quite engaging! Such wonderfully dextrous musicianship from all band members (and guests). Well done, TAAL! You have done much to expand the lexicon of progressive rock music!

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of dextrous, cinematic progressive rock music--something every so-called lover of progressive rock music should lend an ear to.