PRIMADONNA

Second Spheroe album from 1978 entitled Primadonna is a step forward in their jazz rock sound. I've always liked this second album over the first. It's realy something strange that this band is so low rated here, the second album is not only low rated but aswell has no review, I wonder why. Still for me a very pleasent album with a lot to offer. Not necesarly an overblowing band from late '70's in jazz, but thie work, both albums are good and needs a better view if you are in this kind of musicc. I said this is more enjoyble than the first who was also a good one, but this time they are more confident in their skills and have better ideas than on first. Primadonna has the same ingredients as the previous one, jazz rock with some latino leanings, but not as DiMeola, they are more towards Iceberg and Return To Forever in places. All the pieces stands as good for me, in places even very good. I like very much the up tempo of the album with great interplay between musicians. A quite excellent parts , made to me to give easely 3.5 rounded up to 4. Pleasent all the way. One of those albums from the late '70's in jazz that are forgotten. The best pieces are all with a plus on Hep deliler bisi bulur and Arlechino.

Second (and last) album from this later-70's JR/F French quartet (the standard prog line-up as RTF); well within the artistic continuation of their self-titled debut album, even if the pieces on Primadonna are a little more elaborated. Ten tracks ranging from 1.5 to 8 minutes of instrumental fusion, mostly penned by keyboardist Gerard Maimone and drummer "Cactus" Garel make this Swiss-recorded (in July 78) album a fairly-usual artefact of those days in French prog scene, graced with back-alley artwork. Musically, this album is nothing to write home about, despite the group's relatively virtuoso capacities and apt songwriting, but there is nothing to differentiate it from dozens of other groups of the times. Obviously taking their blueprint from an RTF inspiration, their music sounds like a cross of Brand X and RTF, with a very funky bass, courtesy of African-origined Ribo Bayonne. Unlike a lot of French group, Spheroe doesn't seem to have been affected by the cumbersome presence of Magma in the French skies and concert circuit, as they don't sound Zeuhl at all. In the jazzy side of the French rock realm, Spheroe were not alone outside the Kobaian gravitation zone, but they don't sound like the Moerlen-lead Gong, but a bit more in the Transit Express mould, but if Primadonna doesn't lack energy, I wish I could say the same about enthusiasm and inspiration. This has a bit of a going-thru-the-motion feel, just content of doing what it does (well), but not searching for its identity. Don't get me wrong here, this is a fine album that consolidates the genre, but it breaks no ground at all.

The Musea re-issue (now in a Mini-Lp format, made by MALS in Russia) is an interesting but not essential addition to the JR/F-inclined proghead, but as mentioned above, the movement was slowly coming to an end, and Spheroe were not the most original group of the French scene.

Haven't got or heard the first album so it's just the second and final album of this French band that is my sum total of knowledge. By 1978 JRF was probably past its peak, certainly commercially....unless you wanted watered down crossovers....and probably creatively. Having said this, a collection of musicians with serious chops and a European as opposed to a purely US based aesthetic ment you could still detect a pulse if you searched hard enough. The opening track has a NY funk influence but also a suggestion of Canterbury in parts. As happens throughout and it is a carp of mine, some musicians in a band like this...yes am talking to you Mr Bass...really don't understand that there are times to shine and times to provided the basis for others to step up. Yes we all know you can play but...groups are called groups for a reason. The second track is still driven by funk but gallops along at a pace. Primadonna is more interesting with prog leanings and sounds like a composition rather than a vehicle for showy offery. There is little hint of any US JRF influence, more a Euro/Italian prog feel and stands out because of its difference to what surrounds it as track 4 we go all generic again and Mr Bass still hadn't got the memo...but bits of National Health rescue things. Karin Song takes a standard minor descending structure and bends it out of shape but a really thin keys sound and a simple melody line leaves me a bit meh. Arlecchino is standard late 70's JRF and see above for perhaps why it was past a peak. Bits of Zappa are nodded towards (no bad thing) and it sounds like a King Crimson riff was borrowed for a bridge. The guitar man is half decent and at least the track is partly his latin/eastern tinged solo which works well enough. It is followed by a shorter keys based track that sounds more like an exert from a longer piece but it reminds me of Neutrons ...a favourite Man spin off band of mine. Jeff...the track, not some bloke....comes across as a harder edged Sea Level cut and I like the guitar led melodies/leads and an Al Di Meola leaning without being too flash. The penultimate track overdoes the funk for me. Am all for it as an influence and I do have some funk in my collection but we are back to generic and stale for all the collective abilities of the musicians.

All in all props to these lads for not going down some sell out crossover path but they had little to offer that we hadn't heard before and better. Yes there are moments and will restate that their European influence gives it an added dimension and am caught in the PA ratings dilema ...again....as it is a fair way better than a 3....probably a 3.5...but not within touching distance of a 4 so my rating brings down the average even though the average as it stands (3.55) is where I would mark it.