PLAT DU JOUR

The only self-titled album from this obscure French band. Released in 1977, this sounds like 70s prog yet also sounds unique at the same time. Musically there are moments of jazz-rock and psych rock with hints of Zeuhl and avant-rock. Sometimes this album sounds like a less crazy Etron Fou Leloublan (who also released their first album in 1977). You can listen to the album on Myspace; I heard it there years ago but forgot the actual URL for it. Thanks to David(Guldbamsen) for reminding me of the address in his review. This is one of the few albums in the PA database that deserves all the 5-star ratings it receives.

"5 Autoroute" starts off the album in a very subdued jazzy manner with saxophone and electric piano. Guitar and drums enter and the music goes into an almost Gong-style, slightly funky jazz-rock vibe. Vocals arrive sounding in between yelling and singing in a rough voice. Some phased guitar picking and steady hi-hat brings some urgency to the track. Killer guitar solo towards the end. "11 Autoroute" is the second half of this mini-epic, although it's basically a different song. After an almost spacey beginning it suddenly switches to some great jazz-rock. About halfway changes to some kind of Zeuhl/Canterbury hybrid. Mellows out later.

"Zilbra" is a highlight. Starting off very upbeat and festive sounding with scat-like singing. A guitar figure leads the band into a more laid-back sound while the vocals become more accessible and melodic. Nice jazzy guitar playing in the middle before the drumming gets more upfront. Suddenly it changes to a heavy rockin' section with aggressive vocals. "Totem" is another highlight which you can listen to on PA. Based around a funky mid-paced groove. The vocals here are pretty nuts, or in other words: awesome! The guitar tones are generally great. Some organ leads the band into an instrumental section. Pretty intense stuff. Goes back to the vocal section before ending on a quiet note with almost whispered singing.

"L'homme" is the most accessible and mainstream track on the album. Basically just vocals and acoustic guitar with a little bit of percussion and electric piano. Features the most 'normal' singing on the album. Around halfway begins a simple yet memorable fuzzed- out guitar line. "Rock N Speed" has a title that would translate into "crack and meth" in today's world. Very jazzy saxophone soloing before the whole band plays hard (rock) and fast (speed). Slows down in the middle but doesn't stop rockin'. Eventually mellows out and the tempo decreases even more. A great one-shot album from the late 1970s. Well written, well played and sounds great (not too polished but fits the mood of the music perfectly). So, I'll give this a 4.5 but bump it up to 5 stars.