PLAT DU JOUR

One of many prog bands that left only one album and called it a day, the French band PLAT DU JOUR came to the prog party a bit late and released a mere self-titled album in its wake before fading into obscurity for decades to come. 21st century interest in lost artifacts from the 70s however has given new life to once long forgotten artists and this hitherto unknown band even within its own nation has found some new life at least amongst prog treasure hunters who love to seek in the nooks and crannies. Not much is known about the band but it was formed in 1974 in the Rouen region in Normandy. The early lineup played gigs in France and Holland and broke up in 1975.

The group reformed in 1976 with a new lineup that consisted of Vincent Denis (vocals, guitar), Rodolphe Moulin (bass), Oliver Pedron (percussion), François Ovide (percussion), Alain Potier (saxophone), Jacques Staub (keyboards, percussion) and François Maze (vocals) and they recorded this sole album which captured a variety of musical styles that had been popular in the world of progressive rock up til that point. Primarily steeped in jazz/rock/fusion, PLAT DU JOUR engaged in tight musical interplay that allowed jazz chords augmented by saxophone squawks and keyboards right out of the Herbie Hancock playbook to give the album a veritable 70s feel but the band also ripped out the big guns with psychedelic fuzz organ segments as well as meandering spacey passages.

The opener "5 & 1" immediately showcases not only the jazzy touches with psychedelic chill-outs but finds random bursts of heavy rock guitar heft and avant-prog jittery angularities punctuating the cadences at various points. While much of the album is dedicated to instrumental passages in the style of a jam band at many moments, Vincent Denis inserts his vocals in random parts and sounding like a crazed madman showcases one of the weakest elements of an otherwise stellar set of musical performances. During lengthy jazz workouts, Denis proves he's a much better guitarist than vocalist with sizzling fuzzed out psychedelic guitar solos right out heavy metal world.

"Autoroute" debuts the funk vibe to the jazz-rock mix with that develops a rather Mahavishnu Orchestra groove complete with a rampaging bass line and a number of hairpin turns into different musical directions offering one of the more energetic and diverse tracks. "Zilbra" follows suit with a thundering funk bass run along with Denis' unhinged vocals that remind me of that orgasm song on Aphrodite's Child's "666" only not quite as over-the-top. The track continues into primo jazz-fusion territory. "Totem" continues the trend with a lazy bass stomp and another crazed vocal performance by Denis. His antics suggest that PLAT DU JOUR must have been a wild act to see live as the band's general vibe is one of high energy and fiery passion.

"L'Homme" is the softest track with only acoustic guitars and feint percussion which firmly places this in folk territory offering yet another diverse sound in the album's midst. While the chord progressions remain fairly simple, the track picks up psychedelic electric guitar fuzz chords and jazz keyboards accompaniments. The finale "Rock'n Speed" picks up the energetic jazzy rock stance again and is my vote for best track with stellar percussive workouts, sizzling saxophone melodies with some serious squeals along and a brutal bass bang party, ELP worthy keyboard workout and just an overall festive vibe with really cool tradeoffs between the instruments. The track shifts gears a few times and offers some nice interludes of time signatures and other instrument workouts.

In the end PLAT DU JOUR comes off as a sinister electric jazz-fusion-fest laced with heavy prog and psychedelia that is both alienating and inviting at the same time with thumping bass runs, ethereal backdrops and jazzy accoutrements. It excels at mood swings and one of those albums that is instantly appealing for jazz-rock addicts but also requires a few spins to sink your teeth into. While it took 40 years for someone brave enough to re-release this on CD, i also hear that it was done without the band's consent and can be considered a bootleg but i guess if that means saving it from the funny tricks of time then it can't be too overly bad. Not the masterpiece many make this out to be but an excellent long lost relic from the wild 70s.