MAIS ON NE PEUT PAS RÊVER TOUT LE TEMPS

Sole solo album from bassist Laurent Thibault, and coming rather late in his career, since he was in the studio business by this time. Indeed one of the pioneers of French prog/Zeuhl (via Magma and MGP) in the late 60's and early 70's, he had become heavily involved into producing, than managing studios and none the least the famous Hérouville studios, where the entire world music industry fought to get in. Based on a concept of interpreting musically the paintings of Douanier Rousseau (the inventor of the naïve movement, who never used models for his paintings, but only his memory). This almost instrumental album is made of 24 pieces assembled into four suites (two per side) and graced with two of Rouseau's paintings as artwork, and released on the small Ballon Noir label (also releasing Ripaille) became one of the best album from France in any decade.

Starting relatively slowly in Oree, we are charmed by the ex-Northette Amanda Parsons' celestial vocalizings, accompanying a slow crescendo-ing track where Thibault's bass is gradually taking the calm reflective music into Zeuhl territory then climaxing to resume to its start again and end quietly. Starting on wind noises, Aquadingen picks up speed with a Pastorius-like fretless bass (played by Moze) slowly Zeuhl-ing away under jungle animal noises, obviously hinting at the front cover artwork.

The flipside is just as enchanting and the magic works much the same way, but the start of Caravane De L'Oubli will remind you of Genesis' Unquiet Slumber, but this is temporary as Arabic ambiances and Oldfield-ian influences creep in and Islamic prayer-type of scat vocals intervene over layers of guitars, keyboards, violin and ending with the only spoken vocals mentioning the album's title. The final title track explodes out of the spoken line with Thibault's bass starting, soon relayed by Moze's fretless bass, then Thibault's guitar grinds appears, launching some wordless chants and some blood-curdling screams, machine gun firing, madcap laughing all over Moze's fretless Pastorius-ian basslines.

A rather short album (barely clocking in over the half hour), but certainly one of the better to come from the later 70's, MONPRTLT is definitely worthy of attention by all progheads.