Minimum Vital - Pavanes

[Kai]

Nervous about this comment. Didn't see anyone deny this. Please tell me they have a real drummer on the album..... I have every MV studio album to date (and bought them all real time). I'd hate to stop now, but programmed drums will do that.

They only had a real drummer on one track onCapitaines and even he played electronic percussion. I would guess that some of the other "kit" parts on the album were programmed rather than played Jean-Luc Payssan.

[ashratom]

Thanks Kai. Obviously I didn't fuss about it on Capitaines, so I should at least give this album the same courtesy.

[Zalmoxe]

They really are the last surviving French unit from that day and age; Eclat, Tiemko, Versailles, Edhels, Halloween - they're all gone except for MV. I'm often baffled at how long ago it seems now, those mightily pedestrian 90s.

As Aymeric noted, Éclat are still going and their last couple of albums are actually quite good.

[Reach]

I kind of liked Éclat before, what little I've heard of their '90's material. Any specific album recommendations?

So far, I'm digging the new MV. A little different, but a fair amount to digest...

[Scrotum Scissor]

I kind of liked Éclat before, what little I've heard of their '90's material. Any specific album recommendations?

Last one of theirs I heard was Le Cri de la Terre from sometime early 2000s, and it wasn't all bad.

Another 80s/90s French "clinical sounding" band I just remembered were Elixir, whose stuff I really didn't care for all too much. They were arguably closer to British "neo" of the day, completely lacking the sting and originality of acts like Halloween or Tiemko.

[Progbear]

Thanks Kai. Obviously I didn't fuss about it on Capitaines, so I should at least give this album the same courtesy.

Programmed drums have come a long way since the 1990s. I’m pretty sure the drums on the Psychedelic Ensemble albums are programmed, but they sound awfully convincing.

I’ve never heard of Eclat, who would you compare them to?

[Scrotum Scissor]

I’ve never heard of Eclat, who would you compare them to?

Edhels or Minimum Vital.

Seriously, if you can imagine a more fusion-oriented take on Hackett's instrumental material from the Spectral/Defector-era, that's about as close as I get. But very uniquely French, I'd say. In a sense, the French had these kinds of bands already in the late 70s with acts like Cortex, Spheroe and the admittedly way more interesting Transit Express.

[Reach]

Edhels or Minimum Vital.

Seriously, if you can imagine a more fusion-oriented take on Hackett's instrumental material from the Spectral/Defector-era, that's about as close as I get. But very uniquely French, I'd say. In a sense, the French had these kinds of bands already in the late 70s with acts like Cortex, Spheroe and the admittedly way more interesting Transit Express.

Yeah. I was going to say something like early '80's instrumental Camel, but your description is more fitting (from the little I've heard).

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

Edhels or Minimum Vital.

Seriously, if you can imagine a more fusion-oriented take on Hackett's instrumental material from the Spectral/Defector-era, that's about as close as I get. But very uniquely French, I'd say. In a sense, the French had these kinds of bands already in the late 70s with acts like Cortex, Spheroe and the admittedly way more interesting Transit Express.

Transit Express kills!

are you saying that Éclat is instrumental? I avoided them all this time thinking there was a warbler in the band

[Scrotum Scissor]

^^

They have a cuppa tracks sung in klingon.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

^^

They have a cuppa tracks sung in klingon.

I already have some Magma albums

[zeprogmeister]

I remember Éclat being about 1/2 instrumental. Some stuff is like Minimum Vital, but I also remember some less interesting tracks that were kind of GRP fuzak sounding.

[Scrotum Scissor]

I just realized that it's actually 25 darn years since Minimum Vital released Sarabandes, which was, what - their third or fourth album? That's a mighty long run and indeed impressive for a band who remain largely unknown with even its purported audience of "prog rock" fans, although I suspect that they were somewhat more appreciated with that crowd in the 90s before those alleged "third wave (blah-blah)" artists came along and pretty much narrowed down the whole deal instead of expanding it in any way.

I'm almost getting a bit nostalgic at the very thought of MV still existing and producing music.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

since we started referencing MV's French peers... the guy who was on the Iris album was in another band... what were they called and were they any good?

[Progbear]

Edhels or Minimum Vital.

Seriously, if you can imagine a more fusion-oriented take on Hackett's instrumental material from the Spectral/Defector-era, that's about as close as I get. But very uniquely French, I'd say. In a sense, the French had these kinds of bands already in the late 70s with acts like Cortex, Spheroe and the admittedly way more interesting Transit Express.

Maybe I had heard about them before and the Edhels comparison turned me off. I did finally hear Astro-Logical, which I think is strides ahead of the rather amateurish-sounding first two Edhels albums. (The original LP cover to Oriental Christmas never fails to give me a chuckle, though.)

I only have the second Spheroe on CD. I’d seen the first on vinyl before (it was released in the US on the Inner City label) but never picked it up. It’s OK. The only Transit Express I have is Opus Progressif. Again, it’s...OK, but a bit slavish with the Mahavishnu cloning (they recycle the “Dance of Maya” riff several times over the course of this album!). Are the other two better?

I'm almost getting a bit nostalgic at the very thought of MV still existing and producing music.

I like pretty much everything I’ve heard by them, and I’ve heard them all save for Atlas and the new one!

since we started referencing MV's French peers... the guy who was on the Iris album was in another band... what were they called and were they any good?

I imagine you must mean Arakeen. Seems to be some kind of neo-prog with female vocals.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

The only Transit Express I have is Opus Progressif. Again, it’s...OK, but a bit slavish with the Mahavishnu cloning (they recycle the “Dance of Maya” riff several times over the course of this album!). Are the other two better?

Priglacit is their master work

[Scrotum Scissor]

Priglacit is their master work

Absolutely! And, I have to say, way ahead of the other three. It is also their least obviously "big fusion"-influenced record, I think.

[Kai]

Maybe I had heard about them before and the Edhels comparison turned me off. I did finally hear Astro-Logical, which I think is strides ahead of the rather amateurish-sounding first two Edhels albums. (The original LP cover to Oriental Christmas never fails to give me a chuckle, though.)

Haven't heard Oriental Christmas (though that cover is a classic), but I don't find anything amateurish about Still Dream. Their writing style of superimposed ostinati together with lyrical lead lines is actually quite well thought out, their playing neat, though not flashy, and their use of cool and spacey textures stylish. They may not have a grand, large-scale musical ambition or vision on that album, but their miniatures are charming and often much more imaginative than many of the similarly styled attempts at short-form progressive at the time. I actually like this better than their later and more elaborate Angel's Promise.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

Haven't heard Oriental Christmas (though that cover is a classic), but I don't find anything amateurish about Still Dream. Their writing style of superimposed ostinati together with lyrical lead lines is actually quite well thought out, their playing neat, though not flashy, and their use of cool and spacey textures stylish. They may not have a grand, large-scale musical ambition or vision on that album, but their miniatures are charming and often much more imaginative than many of the similarly styled attempts at short-form progressive at the time. I actually like this better than their later and more elaborate Angel's Promise.

I couldn't have said it better. Edhels (especially on Still Dream) is an excellent band with their own unique style and sound. Sadly they are often overlooked, falling victim to the onslaught of people labeling them as "Neo". I think their music is a few notches above any "Neo" Prog I've ever heard.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Edhels (especially on Still Dream) is an excellent band with their own unique style and sound. Sadly they are often overlooked, falling victim to the onslaught of people labeling them as "Neo".

Yes, but this was the case with several of these bands - including Halloween, Tiemko and Versailles. "Huh?! Vocals in French?! Why don't they play more like The Spockingflowerillions?"

[No offense to Leonard Nimoy here]

[Burley Wright]

since we started referencing MV's French peers... the guy who was on the Iris album was in another band... what were they called and were they any good?

According to Gibraltar Iris' http://www.gepr.net/i.html#IRIS guitarist Sylvain Gouvernaire was in Arrakeen http://www.gepr.net/ar.html#ARRAKEEN

[HONDO]

Some maybe programmed, not a fan either but have heard it work real well when done right. IF that is what is needed for the end product to be right then so be it. I assume that Thierry is doing percussions but how much real or programmed IDK.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

According to Gibraltar Iris' http://www.gepr.net/i.html#IRIS guitarist Sylvain Gouvernaire was in Arrakeen http://www.gepr.net/ar.html#ARRAKEEN

hmm... thanx, but upon reading the reviews it seems nothing like Iris

I'm going to take a chance on this new MV album though... sometimes programmed Drums can work out ok

[adewolf]

I like this. While not original, an enjoyable listen for me.

[Progbear]

Wondering if they’ll ever reissue the complete Les Saisons Marines; the 2-on-1 CD is missing the last track (“La Scala”).