MUSICIENS - MAGICIENS

3.5 stars really. This album would stand another star if it was better recorded. Although not scandalous, one cannot help but thinking of how good this music might have been, if Parsons, Hentschel , Dudgeon or Offord had done the production. For the music we have here a typical french symphonic prog that will be developped by Carpe Diem , Shylock etc...

ATOLL were a talented French ensemble who very much carried their own symphonic sound blending the finer aspects of French comrades ANGE, PULSAR and MONA LISA. Next to ANGE, ATOLL were probably the most influential of the French symphonic groups. With this debut album "Musiciens-Magiciens", ATOLL led the way for the others with a wonderful progressively charmed album full of emotion and originality. Their style was very theatrical in nature offering dynamic and melodic arrangements with some great song writing and vocal harmonies. Musically "Musiciens - Magiciens" is directly in the GENESIS, YES, MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA and ANGE camp. The album is comprised of 7 tracks of early prog rock with an amazing 11 min epic track "Le Baladin Du Temps" which definitely is IMHO the defining moment on this album. An excellent album full of originality...!

A tentative first step for the now legendary French symphonic rock group. The band started out as a sort of West Coast folk-rock/country-rock influenced group, and some of this still sounds very folkie. Not really a whole lot of prog here. "Le Baladin du Temps" and "Je suis d'ailleurs" try, but the magic isn't quite there yet. Made worse by original guitarist Luc Serra, who contributes some rather annoyingly shrill backing vocals. Mainly recommended to completists.

"Ange" has paved the way for lots of Frenck (prog) band. Some will have the same theatrical approach while others will try and step back a bit. I would say that "Atoll" is probably somewhere in between.

The opening number indicates that the music that will be displayed on this album won't be second rate. Gentle but strong "L'Hymne Médiéval", is the best way to launch the epic piece of this album. "Le Baladin Du Temps" is very much premonitory of even better things to come, IMO.

Vocals are nice and not too demonstrative here. But what is really fantastic is their music. Complex, sensitive, melodic, full of medieval fantasy. Their sound is of course influenced by Crimson (once again) and Genesis; but we are far from having a clone here. Atoll sounds very original, fresh. What it's even more remarkable with this album, is that it does not sound outdated. Bravo for this superb piece of music.

I might not be as positive for the title track. Too jazzy, I'm afraid. Great rhythm though and good sax. The magic is back with "Au Delà des Ecrans de Cristal" (beyond the crystal screens). Again, a very middle-age oriented title fully in-line with the concept. This song has an upside beat and the demonstrated a grand maestria throughout the song.

"Le Secret Du Mage" is the weakest song of this work. Vocals are a bit irritating, as the rhythm. It seems that "Atoll" is in such a hurry ...Which is the complete opposite with "Le Berger". Nice and peaceful flute intro, this song is extremely melodic. Another fave of mine.

"Je Suis D'Ailleurs" was the last song of the original album. It sounds more as an improvisation track than a well-composed song I'm afraid. I guess that it is time that this album ends (even if it is on a low note). Even if a small part of the last section will bring us back again in the very good symphonic style.

The last remastered version (Musea Records) holds four live bonus tracks of which two unreleased album songs : "Fille de Neige" and "Je Fais un Rêve". These songs were recorded at a concert that took place in Metz (June, 23rd 1973). The sound is not great but I guess that Musea was willing to add these for the document it represents. One can imagine how much stronger the band should have been on stage. "Au Delà des Ecrans de Cristal" and "Musiciens Magiciens" will complete this track list. Of all these live moments, "Je Fais un Rêve" is the most beautiful one. A jewel of a melody. Rather strange that this number did not make the album...

This debut album is promising. Let's hope that promises will be kept. Three stars.

Mais Oui?

Atoll, regarded in France as the French Yes (and for good reason), provided a fine and mature debut with this album that is well worth checking out;

"L'Hymne Medieval" is positively dripping with Mellotrons and rich bass, providing just the right kind of nostalgic feel that Genesis and King Crimson perfected. The early accellerando picks the piece up well, and the vocal harmonies soar, Queen-like. The only let-down is the lead guitar, which is just a little noodly and aimless. The structure is fairly basic, but well blurred, and a nice extension of the old song format.

Again, the Mellotron rings out for the 11 minute "Le Baladin du temps", which is full of vocal experimentation; melody lines that wind and twist into unexpected territory, soft harmonies and high falsettos make for a great dynamic range. A few intonation issues and rough production don't hurt this piece - the music continues in inventiveness through passages reminiscent of Yes and ELP, from the grinding, propelling bass with more than a nod and wink to Chris Squire to the scrunchy, angular harmonies so beloved by Keith Emerson. Yet this is not particularly derivative - there is a distinctly original flavour to the composition, although it does have the tendency to tread water and pop off at a tangent every now and again, which I find mildly annoying. Around 7 minutes, this piece starts to feel a bit long, and like ideas have just been crowbarred in - some of these ideas are cool, with mad rhythmic devices, but some are not so enjoyable - just filler until we get to the next bit, and the 3 minutes or so of ending feels overdone, even for symphonic Prog.

A funky blast kicks off "Musiciens - Magiciens" (next on my copy), which has a fantastic Yes-inspired bass riff, and is more a groovy song than a piece of Prog rock, but it's absolutely blinding in terms of solid groove energy and dramatic build-ups. Let down a bit by another weak guitar solo, but a killer choon - turn this one up to 11!

More Yes is evident in "Au-Dela Des Ecrans De Cristal" in the solid groove, but again, this extremely well done, with a lovely drop- down to Mellotron and bass around 2:50, and some nice keyboard and vocal textures - oh, and some great rhythms! I get a feeling of a Can influence here - the drummer is particulaly inventive and pulls out some very tasty licks. Not sure about the mad panning of the ride across the stereo picture though...

"Le Secret Du Mage" continues in much the same vein - another fantastic track, most strikingly, the vocals remind me of "Flash" by Queen.

At last, we get something a bit different in the intro to "Le Berge" - a classic Symphonic Prog sound with flute melody, then Monk- style "Ahhs", reminiscent of the superb "Tips Zum Selbstmord" by Necronomicon. This piece does feel somewhat familiar - but it doesn't matter too much, as, intonation and weak pentatonic scale issues in the guitar apart, it's very well executed and feels nicely developed. A very dramatic piece, almost Zeuhl in flavour.

"Je Suis D'ailleurs" has some nice synth work in the intro - and this is different again. While the first few tracks would have you place the band into a narrow, somewhat derivative soundscape, the latter half of the album really opens up into something different and more original. The band clearly feel more comfortable with grooves, and this 8 minuter settles into a Genesis- inspired groove pretty quickly - not a little unlike "Apocalypse in 9/8" until the bass cuts across with a "Squire special". Sadly, the guitarist chucks in some noodle over the top - but check out the rhythm section! A tribal beat cuts in, and the rhythms swirl all over the place, time getting mashed up in a hypnotic trance of polyrhythms. Some promising synth textures are sadly given way to an acoustic flavoured start to a new section (more like a new song idea), with nicely fluttering flutes reminiscent of Gong, that opens up to a symphonic flavoured section with a curious lead line that makes it sound like the Moodies with bagpipes. A beautiful slow groove is built up beneath it, but then drops away... amazingly, most of the short sections in this piece fit together in a logical way - the flow is not obvious, yet the pieces all work together to form a coherent whole in a modern jazz-like way. I'm even reminded a little of the Soft Machine here. Sadly, the piece just cuts off at the end, and we're left wondering what might have been.

The live tracks do little to showcase the band - while the execution is top notch, and indicate how good the band must have been live, the sound quality is utterly appalling, with the keyboards dominating, and everything else sounding like they were recorded in the room next door, except the drums, which were locked in the broom cupboard. The whole sound has a terrible left bias, so if you're listening on headphones, it feels like your right ear has suddenly gone numb.

Summary

As a package, the live tracks actually let the whole thing down.

Taking the studio album tracks on their own, a slightly derivative and homogenous, but very competant groove-based outing that improves as it goes on, and digs well into Prog Rock territory - the best is saved for last, even though the ending is somewhat chopped.

It would make a fine addition to any Prog collection - even though I'd say this isn't really an essential album, it still weighs in well enough to get regular spins by any fan of Symphonic Prog.

Overall, 3.6/5 (the weak guitar parts let it down badly, but the arrangements and grooves are excellent, and the latter tracks push it closer to a 4 than a 3.

French Sympho-Prog band, Atoll, released 4 albums of semi-complex music during the seventies, of which this, their debut release, 'Musiciens Magiciens', presents us with a potentially high quality progressive rock from a band which strikes me as trying to find its feet ; tackling the usual (prog) traits of clever time sigs and abrupt tempo changes, sometimes rather uncomfortably - as displayed during the 11min+ mini epic 'Le Baladin Du Temps - and utilising a fine array of classy sounds (particularly regarding the Keyboards) - the playing can't be faulted, though the tuning of certain instruments can - some guitar and clavinet parts sound woefully flat to these ears, and lead vocalist Andre Balzer seems to over-sing in a somewhat weak, falsetto styling which annoys the hell out of me. These short-comings aside, the compositions are fairly well arranged and performed, opener 'L'Hymne Medieval' (where the vocal harmonies work well), 'Au-Dela Des Ecrans De Cristal' (alternating between 'rockier' and mellower 'atmospheric' sections) and the dynamic piece 'Je Suis D'Ailleurs', really show off the talent of the players and are relatively enjoyable tracks but the album as a whole misses the mark somewhat. Vast improvement will come with their next 2 albums, where everything comes together almost perfectly. 4 stars, just.

Musiciens - Magiciens is the debut album from french symphonic prog rock band Atoll. The album was released in 1974 and is clearly influenced by two of the great british symphonic prog bands of the time Yes and especially Genesis. In that respect Atoll don´t differ much from another French band that is also very inspired by early Genesis namely Ange.

The music is as mentioned very inspired by Genesis and sometimes especially in the bass work by Yes. The big difference here is of course that Atoll sing in French and that gives this band their own identity. The songs are of high quality even though there are really no surprises here. If you like early Genesis there should be a lot to enjoy on Musiciens - Magiciens too. That is if you can get over the French language obsticle. The song style from André Balzer is satisfying but nothing special really.

The first couple of songs seque into each other and form and epic song which is really good and it´s with this song the Yes influence is heard the most. It´s a highlight on the album. Other highlights include Le Barger which has some really nice flute and is a good soft symphonic song. My favorite here is the last song Je suis d'ailleurs though. It starts with a long building instrumental part before the singing starts and has a great percussion part near the end. After that part the song ends with a really Genesis inspired synth flood. Beautiful just beautiful I tell you.

The musicianship is good even though I don´t like the drum style much. It´s a bit too dominant in some parts.

The production is good but again I think the drums are a bit too high in the mix.

All in all Musiciens - Magiciens is an enjoyable album in the symphonic prog rock style. It´s not the best French album in this style but definitely worth listening to from time to time. If you´re curious about French symphonic prog rock I would recommend listening to Ange instead though. Musiciens - Magiciens is a 3 star album in my book.

Fine debut from the French quintet, especially as first albums in Prog tend to be hit-or-miss, Musiciens-Magiciens is unusually well-developed and demonstrates all the promise fulfilled on their following releases. Typical to be sure, mediocre not at all, and though quite stuck in its early 70s post-Hendrix jamrock soup, the band never sacrificed the prog. In addition to their native influences oft cited [Ange, Mona Lisa], the closest reference would have to be Yes' microscopically discordant vocal harmonies. Also on hand is the foggy mystery of Bo Hansson, hints of early Genesis and the distant sounds of North American rock. It's a good mix from a really talented bunch.

'L'Hymne Medieval' is familiar Symph Français but 11+ minute 'Le Baladin du Temps' is much more involved with great changes and some nice surprises. Luc Serra's guitar lines over his and Michel Taillet's keys ring an irresistible Allman-like bell of harmony, backed-up by the heavy bass of Jean-Luc Thillot and le batterie de Alain Gozzo. Same for the hard funk of the title track, a kitsch beauty of its time peppered by some hot brass. Standout 'Au-dela des Ecrans de Cristal' is European prog when it was European pop-- and it's excellent, filled with plenty of development and tight playing. And though uninteresting, commercial 'Le Secret du Mage' foreshadows the Gallophilic chants of The Police. Soft and folkie 'Le Berger' is a rest before the huge 'Je Suis D'Ailleurs', a satisfying journey through the space/prog solar system of 1974.

Recommended to fans of the second tier. Very nice reissue on Musea with full-color gatefold, good booklet and beautifully reproduced cover art. Four live bonus cuts from '73 are poorly recorded and probably unnecessary.

A competent but not exceptional debut album from Atoll, which has a fairly diverse sound but regularly returns to pastoral prog of the Genesis variety - possibly influenced in this respect by the work of fellow countrymen Ange. The production job isn't brilliant and none of the compositions really stand out as being exceptional; furthermore, vocalist André Balzer's contributions seem to be rather lacklustre, though they're not particularly clear in the mix so it's possible this is a production issue. There's clearly talent here, but they seem to be still working out how to make use of it; still, the album is a fun enough listen by itself. Three stars and no more.

A not insignifacant part of enjoying music and records are the fantastic covers so often on display in progressive rock. Often enough they are so imaginative and thought evoking. When listening I often find myself immersed in the universe of the cover. Thusly this first album by Atoll blows my mind. The cover is spectacular and amazing in its Roger Dean-esque motif. If nothing else the band managed to make an album with an amazing cover. But that's not all they did.

Somehow you can't really escape from the shadow of Ange when you discuss Atoll. They are not entirely overshadowed by this band but there are some similarities. One can only imagine the massive influence Ange held over many a french prog band. I do think, however, that they succeded in making an album of enormous worth, filled to the brim with mellotrons (and other keyboards), great vocal harmonies and dreamy musical landscapes that shift to harder passages. Mostly the album is a dreamy journey, in line with the cover, but there are enough shifts in direction that offers an experience throughout, never getting dull or flat. Some reviewers talk about the production and while I do agree on its rather rough sounding qualities I would not pay too much attention to that. It is the music that matters and in the case of Atoll it comes shining through the fog of a somewhat poor production.

The opening, "L'Hymne medieval", is a good example of what to expect on the album. Mellotron drenched progressive infused with folk, Rickenbacker bass and beautiful vocals. And really, this song is simply 3 minutes of heaven. If you don't like that for an opening I guess there's a good chance you won't enjoy the rest of the album either. There are two longer epics that are outstanding, "Le baladin du temps" and "Je suis d'ailleurs" with their 11 and 8 minutes in length. I love them both but i do favor "Je suis d'ailleurs" just a tad more. I think it's due to the opening keyboards and drums which sets the tone and lures me into the cave of the beast that will be unleashed.

The album is very varied. From the symphonic, folk-infused opening to the lengthy epics mentioned previously, to the hard rocking groove of the title track (and no it's not disco we're talking about), straight into the lovely and utterly brilliant "Le berger". The latter is "merely" 4 minutes in length but is, sort of, the ballad of the album, with a medieval touch to the harmonies. I really adore this track. If everything else on the album was rubbish this would have been the jewel at the bottom of the cesspit. I hear echoes of early King Crimson balladry or the sound of Camel.

Sorry to say it seems that Atoll is largely unknown in the prog community, seeing this album has only 93 ratings. I wish that more people will discover this pearl of the progressive ocean and dive headlong into it. It is such a treat and from where I'm sitting almost flawless.

3.5 stars. I really want to give this 4 stars but there's a couple of tracks that really let this album down in my opinion. Opinions vary on how good this debut by French band ATOLL is but almost all feel that their followup "L'araignee-Mal" is the better record. Both albums feature the same artist who did the colourful album covers which only enhance the experience. A five piece including a vocalist but three other members add backing vocals bring RPI and some South American bands to mind. We get a guest adding sax and flute.

For me the title track stands alone, it just sounds so much better than the opening two tracks and it's somewhat jazzy. These guys are players and the bass and drums are outstanding. Some crazy organ moves as well. Guitar and synths help out too. "Le Secret Du Mage" just stopped me in my tracks, the vocals and sound are terrible. "Le Berger" is a lot better but different from the rest with flute leading in a pastoral setting. Just not sold on this one but I am sold on "Le Baladin Du Tempes" the longest track on here at almost 11 1/2 minutes. Lots of vocals and harmonies early as bass and drums support, a guitar solo then more vocals. Bass and clavinet 6 1/2 minutes in as the style changes but the vocal led sounds of earlier return to end it.

A little inconsistent for my tastes but I do understand the love for this one. "L'araignee-Mal" remains my favourite of ATOLL's albums.