OFFERING PART III / PART IV

This album took quite some time to finish, There exists bootlegs way back from 1982 with a 25 minute version of "Another Day" which is in some way better cause its more consise than the album version found on this release, the main problem with this piece is that it have ca 10 minutes of what i like to call jazz noodling, but besides this, this song is so genoius and funky in parts, that it doesnt really matter (i have made a cd-r copy of it cutting out the breakdowns and noodling, and this works better for me) The good thing about these "noodling" themes is that the themes that comes after is stunning, The last 12 minutes of this song is something i think up there with the very best Composions by Vander, this music got to be experienced, but remember, dont let the "noodling" themes put you off, if you cant stand these parts, just skip those parts (It Should have been cut into tracks like Mdk was.....but you cant get everything...)

Then after the glorious finale of "Another Day" we get a BEAUTIFUL ballad in the same style as Lihns (Live 75) and La Dawotsin (Retrospektiw III) called "Eihn Deiss" and this song too is one of the very best ballads Vander have written, the words fail to explain the underlying themes and mood of this song, another song you just have to hear ;)

After this song we get a short reprise of the offering theme which openened Offering I & II which is in some way a strange way to finish the album, it should in my opinion been inbetween "Another Day" And "Eihn Deiss" but this is a minor detail anyway.

This Review is maybe a bit patchy, but if you listen to the music on this record, you will understand how hard it is to review such a stunning album! A Worthy 4 star album! , though i really want to give it 5 stars but because of the 10 minutes turn off themes in Another Day i cant give it 5 stars...

Get it today!

OFFERING are back 4 years later with their second release and not much has changed. I think I like this a little more than the first one but once again it's the piano and vocals that steal the spotlight. This time we have Emmanual Borghi (MAGMA, ONE SHOT) on piano for the over 44 minute opening track and he doesn't disappoint. I have to say though that the vocals of Christian and Stella Vander are really what makes this recording so special. Once again it's dedicated to Christian's hero John Coltrane, and Vander gives him his all here.

"Another Day" is the over 44 minute highlight reel. Would love to see this performed live in it's entirety. It opens with piano melodies before female (Stella) vocals arrive around a minute. It kicks in with drums before 1 1/2 minutes. Christian comes in vocally a minute later as it settles some. Contrasts will continue. Stella is back trading vocals with Christian. So much passion in their vocals. This is so much fun. It starts to calm down around 13 minutes. Christian offers up some vocal melodies after 14 minutes for about 5 minutes as the piano and drums continue in an almost dissonant manner. The piano stops after 21 minutes but drums continue. The earlier melody is back and so is Christian 23 minutes in. Nice bass here. It settles back and we get some percussion. Piano before 26 minutes then the tempo picks up. Vocals stop as dissonant piano takes over. A dead calm 29 minutes in then it starts to rebuild. Flute before 31 1/2 minutes as piano then vocals come to the fore. Stella's back too, as well as the drums. Stella and Christian battle again vocally. Great sound 37 1/2 minutes in as we get that full sound. Christian keeps shouting "Good God y'all" (haha). Too much fun ! It settles around 41 minutes with Stella's vocal melodies, piano and drums. Wow!

"Ehn Deiss" opens with piano as Christian comes in vocally. Stella after 2 1/2 minutes takes over. Flute before 4 minutes then dual vocals end it. A mellow track. "Offering (2)" is led by drums and piano as Stella comes in, and she does get threatrical.

I mentioned how pleasantly surprised I was with their debut on that review, well this might even be better. Highly recommended to MAGMA fans out there.

This is the second longest opening track on an album I've come across, and I must admit, it's where all the action is. It's sprawling, entertaining and very progressive. I enjoy about 35 minutes of the 44 though. Another Day has places in its middle section which really don't do much except squeal and groan, but its placed in between such wonderfully catchy and energetic musical pieces that you can't help but slap your head in frustration that it drags down the album quality that little bit to stop it being perfect by having these additional chunks. And being the mighty length of 44 minutes does make it hard to simply skip when you reach the less wonderful parts.

But make no mistake, this is good music. Even the attempt to make a song of 44 minutes consistently entertaining the whole way through deserves some praise - and that they managed to pull it off pretty well; really shows the talent we're talking about here. And if you look at Christian Vander's earlier work, there's certainly a lot of it. And it shows in the title track. The other two closing pieces don't stand up to the 44 minute Another Day, but they are still nice small additions.

Highly recommended, if you can find it.

Christian Vander's more jazz-oriented Coltrane tribute side project came back with a second album, built around a 44 minute journey which is made god by Emmanuel Borghi's piano work and the vocals of Mr & Mrs Vander. Another Day is pretty catchy from the start, with light and fast paced jazz stylings and a back and forth vocal from the Vanders, and for the most part is entertaining throughout its length. The vocals switch almost seamlessly between English and 'lyric free'. There's very little break from the call and response style in the first passage which slowly rises in intensity until the 13 minute mark where everything is stripped back to Vander's wide range of scatty melodies and some light piano and drums for 5 minutes or so. 20 minutes in we get some chaotic jazz, with the piano just getting mashed with ham fists and Animal from the Muppets on drums. This is the part of jazz I don't like... That's a few minutes before we're back into the previous calm style briefly before returning to the chaos and noodling. Some of the noodling is tuneful but its no where near as fun as the first 20 minutes of the track. In honesty, they probably could have cut the track in half.

The footnotes are then the confusingly titled Offering Part 2 which is a short track featuring a triumphant piano jingle and Stella Vander's almost yodelling vocals, and Ehn Deiss, which is very melodic on piano again, and this time with Christian Vander on the main vocals. Its quite a mysterious sounding track, particularly when Stella and Isabelle Feullebois' backing vocals and Khalifa's flute is introduced. If anything I actually enjoy this 5 minute track more than the 45 minute one!