LA MORT D'ORION

In the early 70's the French EMI/ Pathe label released a handful of wonderfully weird albums that have long been sought after by collectors and music fans alike. Personally I'd like to give a big round of applause to their A&R department whoever they were or whatever they were on as this was some seriously creative stuff. Guy Skornik's trippy 'Pour Pauwels', 'Puzzle' by Michel Berger which shamefully has yet to be reissued, avant-garde composer Igor Wakhevitch's stunning 'Hathor' and Gerard Manset's 'La Mort D'Orion' are works that should be heard at least once by anyone with a remote interest in progressive pop and art rock.

Gerard Manset is something of a renaissance man. Raised in suburban Paris, he's a musician, painter and travel writer with a vast catalog of albums that all have something to recommend although it's 1970's 'La Mort D'Orion' (The Death of Orion) that is widely considered his masterpiece. A science fiction concept album, it's a dark journey but space rock this is not. This is orchestral pop twisted into modern classical music akin to some of Franco Battiato's output. The opening title track clocks in just shy of 25 minutes and it's a remarkable piece of music. A small string quartet leads to a spoken word piece by Manset, followed by a female operatic interlude and light East Indian raga all within a minute and a half. Astounding and Manset's voice is wonderful on 'Vivent Les Hommes' (Living Men) backed again by soprano vocals and a crescendo of strings and piano while 'Le Paradis Terrestre' (Heaven on Earth) alternates between opera and pop effortlessly.

My command of the French language is non-existent, but that has never interfered with my enjoyment of this album. It's one of a kind and should be bookended with the Serge Gainsbourg classic 'Historie de Melody Nelson' and William Sheller's dazzling 'Lux Aeterna' as the best in early 70's French music.

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