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Thread: Featured album: Transit Express - Priglacit

  1. #1
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    Featured album: Transit Express - Priglacit

    http://www.progarchives.com/progress...2922822010.jpg

    prig.jpg


    Transit Express - Priglacit

    Tracks
    Side A
    1. Priglacit (2:50)
    2. Drousia I (1:40)
    3. Drousia II (0:55)
    4. Contrat Session (2:25)
    5. Planerie (2:25)
    6. Bahar (2:20)
    7. Contradiction (0:50)
    8. Ludition (1:30)
    side B
    9. Vanda (3:40)
    10. Vinitier (1:30)
    11. Connection (1:15)
    12. Flaure (1:57)
    13. Coexistence (3:40)
    14. lls (2:20)

    Line-up / Musicians
    - Dominique Bouvier / drums, vibraphone, percussion
    - Jean-Claude Guselli / el & ac bass
    - Christian Leroux / guitars, synths
    - Serge Perathoner / el & ac piano, clavinet, ring modulator, synths

    So spake yours truly on ProgArchives in 2008

    During one of the timeout in Yves Simon's schedule, his backing band profited from the spare time to record their first album. Indeed this was quite quick (6 days in mid-May at Studio Davout), because they had had time to prepare it, and where even playing their own numbers at soundchecks of the singer's tours. The standard prog quartet developed an excellent jazz-rock that was rivalling the classic-driven Mahavishnu Orchestra, where the songwriting was fairly evenly spread out between the four accomplished musicians, although I wouldn't call them seasoned veterans. On a Spanish scale, you could place them between Fusioon's first two albums and Iceberg's jazzier opus like Coses Nostres.
    The artwork might induce you to think the group is very percussive, but the sound is very much balanced. 14 relatively short tracks (max 3'40") that meddle into one giant number. In some ways, you'd guess that the tracks written by drummer Bouvier are more rhythmic, but then once they morph into bassist Guselli- written ditties, they don't necessarily become funky. As the short tracks keep speeding by, the listener is never bored, because they (tracks) are all very different and never repeat themselves. Their jazz-rock is still fairly academic, but complex, melodious and subtle finesse.

    An excellent but short debut album that did not go unnoticed in the French jazz scene, Priglacit (no idea as to what the title means) is probably the best introduction to Transit Express' music, but you can't go wrong by choosing anyone of their three opus. And when this is the case, it's best to start chronologically.
    review link: http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=183297


    Last edited by Trane; 11-11-2019 at 12:18 PM.
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

  2. #2
    Casanova TCC's Avatar
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    Good call Trane!.
    I'll make the same recommendation that a good friend made me: find their 3 records and buy them:

    - Priglacit (1975).
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJIFHz5yeIs

    - Opus Progressif (1976).
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spGLx5pqFcE

    - Couleurs Naturelles (1977).
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLCMWOVSCK0
    ("David Rose who guested on the final two tracks of the previous album is a full time member now, so lots of violin on this one")


    Regards,
    Tomás.
    Pura Vida!.

    There are two kinds of music. Good music, and the other kind. ∞
    Duke Ellington.

  3. #3
    I've got this one and I've heard the third but never the second one. I quite like Priglacit, which often passes for the best 'non-zeuhl' French progressive fusion album. Better than Spheroe or that debut Cortex, I think.
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

  4. #4
    Opus Progressif is the only one I have (the only easy one to get in the USA, at least on vinyl). It struck me as a second-rate Mahavishnu clone with nothing new to say. Are the others any improvement on this?
    Confirmed Bachelors: the dramedy hit of 1883...

  5. #5
    Member moecurlythanu's Avatar
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    ^ That's the one I have. On P.I., iirc.

  6. #6
    Casanova TCC's Avatar
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    Back in the day I bought the 3 from Syn-Phonic directly (Piano Bass Music's reissues) and I just take their music as it is: good instrumental jazz rock/jazz fusion.
    "Couleurs Naturelles" is probably the most melodic and atmospheric of the 3.
    T.E. created some wonderful music here but yes, similarities to M.O. or even R.t.F. are obvious and never got the recognition they deserved IMO ... of course!.
    Last edited by TCC; 11-11-2019 at 07:18 PM.
    Pura Vida!.

    There are two kinds of music. Good music, and the other kind. ∞
    Duke Ellington.

  7. #7
    Member Sputnik's Avatar
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    I just listened to all three Transit Express albums. They're all pretty short, so it wasn't hard to get through them over dinner. If you'd have asked me before this listen, I'd have rated Couleurs Naturelles as my favorite, followed by Priglacit, and then Opus Progressif. After this listen, I'm inclined to rate Priglacit a bit higher. It really is an interesting album, with a lot of good composition and a diverse sonic palette from the keyboards that the later albums don't have as much.

    Priglacit's main weakness is its length, being under 30 minutes. A lot of ideas could have been developed more, and it really is surprising when it ends and you're thinking, "that's it?" But what is there is very nice. The closest reference I'd make for this album is to Arti & Mestieri; short pieces that flow together and which have both strong composition but also room for improv, and a similar sort of "breezy" feel.

    I think the Mahavishnu influences come more to the fore on the second and third albums, though even with that I don't hear them as MO clones. They have their own sound and approach, and there's lot's of good moments on these albums. There's also some parts where they get a bit wanky, and lacking MO's chops, these parts don't fare so well. That's why I think Priglacit kind of stands out to me, being more through-composed.

    Overall, I'd put this band largely on par with groups like Iceberg, Spheroe, Etna, maybe some Fermata, who mix Prog and Fusion but land a bit more on the Fusion side. For fans of that approach, as I am, I think these are worthy additions to the collection. If this isn't your thing, maybe best to stick with the big guns.

    Bill

  8. #8
    Member Mythos's Avatar
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    LOL, I have or had this album, hated the short songs though...

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Sputnik View Post
    Priglacit's main weakness is its length, being under 30 minutes. A lot of ideas could have been developed more, and it really is surprising when it ends and you're thinking, "that's it?" But what is there is very nice. The closest reference I'd make for this album is to Arti & Mestieri
    Right on. At its best, you can surely hear that parallel to AeM's Valzer or indeed to Salis' Dopo il Buio la Luce (which of course came later). But unlike with these, I'm not hearing too much particular imprint of geography/culture in the expression of Transit Express. Even bands as obvious in their influences as Energit, Fermata and Iceberg displayed some of their own, but this aspect is rather understated here.

    Quote Originally Posted by Sputnik View Post
    Bill
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

  10. #10
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Progbear View Post
    Opus Progressif is the only one I have (the only easy one to get in the USA, at least on vinyl). It struck me as a second-rate Mahavishnu clone with nothing new to say. Are the others any improvement on this?
    Well, I suppose David Rose's appearance in the second album and all over the third doesn't help., but I dfon't think of MO when listening to these guys

    Quote Originally Posted by Mythos View Post
    LOL, I have or had this album, hated the short songs though...
    Wouldn't call them "songs" as they're instrumental

    BTW, TE was the backing band of a French folk-singer called Yves Simon, before being a full-blown group
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

  11. #11
    This album is almost as popular and well-known in "prog circles" as Parzival's Legend. And let's face it; those prog circles are huge, Hugues.

    I wonder how many replies there'd be if someone who was ever involved in Genesis or Yes had contributed five secs of maraca in a song here.
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

  12. #12
    Priglacit is better than Opus Progressif in my book. The problem I have with the 2nd one is that it does not display any elements of frenchness, which is a major let down when discussing camembert produced jazz rock. Never heard the 3rd one though.
    Macht das ohr auf!

    COSMIC EYE RECORDS

  13. #13
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor View Post
    This album is almost as popular and well-known in "prog circles" as Parzival's Legend. And let's face it; those prog circles are huge, Hugues.

    I wonder how many replies there'd be if someone who was ever involved in Genesis or Yes had contributed five secs of maraca in a song here.


    The worst part here is that it is the same PE members that posted on both threads and probably 3/4 of those that postyed in the Jumbo featured album/

    Yup, it's relatively discouraging...

    I could be tempted in featiring CTTE or something of the ilk.
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

  14. #14
    Member Sputnik's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by spacefreak View Post
    Priglacit is better than Opus Progressif in my book. The problem I have with the 2nd one is that it does not display any elements of frenchness, which is a major let down when discussing camembert produced jazz rock. Never heard the 3rd one though.
    I agree with you about Opus Progressif, in fact this was my least favorite of the three (though I don't hate it). And as I said above, it definitely heads in a different direction from Priglacit, much more in line with other Fusion bands of the time. Couleurs Naturelles carries on in a similar vein, but to me the album is more organized and focused to m ears, and I think the playing is better. But the band never returns to the approach on Priglacit, which is too bad.

    Bill

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    Member moecurlythanu's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Trane View Post

    I could be tempted in featiring CTTE or something of the ilk.
    If you really want to be subversive, you could feature an Asia album, just to see how many pages it gets.

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by moecurlythanu View Post
    If you really want to be subversive, you could feature an Asia album, just to see how many pages it gets.
    And how many people argue that Asia isn't prog v/s those who argue it is prog.

  17. #17
    At least now that Geneyesia have been mentioned hopes are high that even a thread on this transsexpress thing might endure a day or two.
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Trane View Post
    Well, I suppose David Rose's appearance in the second album and all over the third doesn't help., but I dfon't think of MO when listening to these guys
    Well, apart from the couple of times where they rip off the “Dance of Maya” riff. Though the MO were doing that themselves (self-plagiarism) by the time Apocalypse came out...

    BTW, TE was the backing band of a French folk-singer called Yves Simon, before being a full-blown group
    That seemed to be something of a French thing. The band Bahamas (who released an album called Le voyageur immobile) started as a backing band for chanteur Christophe.
    Confirmed Bachelors: the dramedy hit of 1883...

  19. #19
    Most people here were listening to the Monkees when this band was active.
    NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF STUPID PEOPLE IN LARGE GROUPS!

  20. #20
    Member Since: 3/27/2002 MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mythos View Post
    LOL, I have or had this album, hated the short songs though...
    Quote Originally Posted by Trane View Post
    Wouldn't call them "songs" as they're instrumental
    it's been so long since I played these 3 albums... but I thought the "songs" all run together as one long piece on each side???
    maybe I'm thinking of another album...
    Why is it whenever someone mentions an artist that was clearly progressive (yet not the Symph weenie definition of Prog) do certain people feel compelled to snort "thats not Prog" like a whiny 5th grader?

  21. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by Shadow View Post
    Most people here were listening to the Monkees when this band was active.
    I still am.

    Both active and listening to the Monkees.
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

  22. #22
    Member Sputnik's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER View Post
    it's been so long since I played these 3 albums... but I thought the "songs" all run together as one long piece on each side???
    maybe I'm thinking of another album...
    That is correct, they flow continuously, so the individual pieces wind up sounding like different parts or "moods" of a longer piece. Again, very much like Arti & Mestieri in this regard, which is one of the big reasons they came to mind for me as a comparison point for Priglacit.

    Bill

  23. #23
    Moderator Poisoned Youth's Avatar
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    I went back and listened to all 3 albums over the weekend. Like a few others, I got the albums on CD when they were released on Piano Bass. I can't say I've spent much time going back to them over the years. Anyway, here's my updated (mostly consistent) short review:

    Priglacit - Decent listening overall, but rather pedestrian fusion. It does have a European slant/flavor that brings to mind groups like Iceberg or Perigeo, but it's not very memorable in the end. The album begins with a gong sound and wind blowing, which is all the indication you need that the band is not ready lol.

    Opus Progressif - This was originally my highest rated and it will stay that way. The band matures and the music is both more complex and more dynamic. The longer selections like the OP suite and Whisperer of Dreams really illustrate the finer works of the band's short history.

    Couleurs Naturelles - The compositional creativity continues on this album, however it takes that uncomfortable step into the late 70s which comes off the most dated. Cheesy funk lines and incongruous song structure make this album the most disposable.


    Overall, I would recommend OP as the best the band had to offer. Beyond that, I can sort of see why I haven't revisited much.
    WANTED: Sig-worthy quote.

  24. #24
    Moderator Poisoned Youth's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sputnik View Post
    I just listened to all three Transit Express albums. They're all pretty short, so it wasn't hard to get through them over dinner. If you'd have asked me before this listen, I'd have rated Couleurs Naturelles as my favorite, followed by Priglacit, and then Opus Progressif. After this listen, I'm inclined to rate Priglacit a bit higher. It really is an interesting album, with a lot of good composition and a diverse sonic palette from the keyboards that the later albums don't have as much.

    Priglacit's main weakness is its length, being under 30 minutes. A lot of ideas could have been developed more, and it really is surprising when it ends and you're thinking, "that's it?" But what is there is very nice. The closest reference I'd make for this album is to Arti & Mestieri; short pieces that flow together and which have both strong composition but also room for improv, and a similar sort of "breezy" feel.

    I think the Mahavishnu influences come more to the fore on the second and third albums, though even with that I don't hear them as MO clones. They have their own sound and approach, and there's lot's of good moments on these albums. There's also some parts where they get a bit wanky, and lacking MO's chops, these parts don't fare so well. That's why I think Priglacit kind of stands out to me, being more through-composed.

    Overall, I'd put this band largely on par with groups like Iceberg, Spheroe, Etna, maybe some Fermata, who mix Prog and Fusion but land a bit more on the Fusion side. For fans of that approach, as I am, I think these are worthy additions to the collection. If this isn't your thing, maybe best to stick with the big guns.

    Bill
    I purposely avoided your review to see how it lined up to mine when I gave all 3 a listen. It's interesting to read how we differ. Arti + Mestieri was also a band that came to mind for me in comparison. I do agree that they became more MO after Priglacit, but I think where we differ is that I felt their compositions were atypical of a lot of fusion produced in 1976 and 1977.
    WANTED: Sig-worthy quote.

  25. #25
    Member Sputnik's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Poisoned Youth View Post
    I purposely avoided your review to see how it lined up to mine when I gave all 3 a listen. It's interesting to read how we differ. Arti + Mestieri was also a band that came to mind for me in comparison. I do agree that they became more MO after Priglacit, but I think where we differ is that I felt their compositions were atypical of a lot of fusion produced in 1976 and 1977.
    Cool! I just read your reviews and will revisit OP. Maybe I missed something. [emoji6]

    Bill

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