Sunday, September 18, 2011

Moravagine (Fra 1975)

Typical french jazz-rock progressive in the mid-70s style, by this I mean featuring highly professional playing, progressive elements a la transit express, potemkine, speed limit, Noetra, Neo, etc., almost in the light magma-derivative style (but not zeuhl) perhaps like Joel Dugrenot or L. Thibeault. Every song features instrumental flute melodic jazz, sometimes more overtly american styled as in the Dave Brubeck-like song Culbuto, sometimes with the inevitable (for this time) hispanic influence as in usted de poisson, and as usual we hear quite a great deal of classical music education, I think particularly of the second track's piano opener, with its splashy piano solo full of scriabinesque atonality and waterfall notes.
On closer exam I'd go so far as to say this album is average compositionally, with the exception of the long first-side track where we take a musical trip to galaxy Andromeda (or constellation andromeda?). Starting with the aforementioned piano intro we hear a wonderfully unusual flute melody in E minor which transcends oddly into different keys, throwing in an unexpected F natural, evoking obviously the spacey aspects. We progress to a very interesting acoustic bass solo (they don't usually get very interesting) before moving into more composed chord changes, modulations, reminding me of the long track on Abraxis (Valse de la mort) before a flute and oboe serial melody closes out the space trip.
I hope you enjoy this completely lost slice of french music. I take it the name, in case you're wondering, comes from an early 20th century novel by Blaise Cendrars. Anyone who read the book who reads this, please comment. Here is the amazon review:

"At once truly appalling and appallingly funny, Blaise Cendrars's Moravagine bears comparison with Naked Lunch—except that it's a lot more entertaining to read. Heir to an immense aristocratic fortune, mental and physical mutant Moravagine is a monster, a man in pursuit of a theorem that will justify his every desire. Released from a hospital for the criminally insane by his starstruck psychiatrist (the narrator of the book), who foresees a companionship in crime that will also be an unprecedented scientific collaboration, Moravagine travels from Moscow to San Antonio to deepest Amazonia, engaged in schemes and scams as, among other things, terrorist, speculator, gold prospector, and pilot. He also enjoys a busy sideline in rape and murder. At last, the two friends return to Europe—just in time for World War I, when "the whole world was doing a Moravagine.'"


Andromeda...
Culbuto...

30 comments:

Tristan Stefan said...

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZZZSSULV

LYSERGICFUNK said...

MANY MANY THANKS !!!

Hajul Ellah said...

Thanks a lot... can't wait to listen.

Dr Dopo said...

Very nice. I'm always a sucker for the jazzier prog. Thanks

apps79 said...

thanks a lot for this one again,really curious to see how it sounds like!

Anonymous said...

Nice! Thanks.

Mit said...

This file is the same as tristan stefan's.But I removed many scratch noises and increased the bass sound.

mp3
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=COPKPJ70

recorded in 1975.released in ?

•Denis Barbier (fl, pic)
•Pierre-Jean Gidon (ts, ss)
•Olivier Hutman (pf, el-p, clavier-violon)
•Jean-Marie Laumonnier (b, el-b)
•Jean-Philippe Lobrot (ds)
•Mino Cinelu (perc)


Side A
1 Funky Seven
2 Anromede

Side B
1 Clubuto
2 Ruhenol
3 Usted De Poisson
4 Zabuco

crabula said...

It's been a long time since I've been to your blog (or any prog blog). I'm glad to see that you are still here. I hope you're doing well.

crabula said...

There seems to be an infinite stream of awesome '70s music as if you have access to an alternate universe where it always has been and always will be the 1970s.

call it.."That '70s Dimension" ?

Dr Dopo said...

You're right crabula, I feel like if I were to investigate further into this I would uncover some sort of sci fi/fantasy plot involving a wizard and a portal.

Thanks for the cleanup Shige!

Dhiraj said...

Goldmine

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU!

HARLOW

Dharma Bummer said...

The Vertigo Swirl - Swirl 3 (2011)

Brian Andrew Marek and "Manik" Myk Thompson return with their newest and grandest audio cathedral to excess. Sequenced to mimic a classic vinyl double album, Swirl 3 is an epic joyride through psychedelia, progressive rock, Krautrock and all points in between. Dive in.

http://brianandrewmarek.bandcamp.com/album/swirl-3

cheap jerseys said...

'm glad to see that you are still here. I hope you're doing well.

cheap jerseys said...

Brian Andrew Marek and "Manik" Myk Thompson return with their newest and grandest audio cathedral to excess. Sequenced to mimic a classic vinyl double album, Swirl 3 is an epic joyride through psychedelia, progressive rock, Krautrock and all points in between. Dive in.

Anonymous said...

Nice post, thanks!

Oracus said...

My ears can't thank you enough for your wonderful shariongs! Delicous jazz rock!

JMahavishnu said...

I'm excited to hear this one! Thanks a million

Anonymous said...

Haven't listened to the track yet (just discovered this blog site) but Moravagine is one of my favorite novels, written by one of my favorite writers, and in fact just reading that Amazon snippet will send me back to it. What an amazing site, btw, intense, in depth, wonderful...

Tristan Stefan said...

wow... finally a comment about the novel! anything to add, anon?

aram said...

I read the novel also. Fantastic. If you can, try to find the Paris Review interview with Blaise Cendrars. It is, in itself, a piece of literature.

serch105 said...

That's really good stuff! thanks for sharing, but as all we know megaupload is off. Could someone upload again the CD in another server? Thanks again!

isabelbc said...

new link http://www.mediafire.com/?4xdf1pfrhstd3js

serch105 said...

Thanks again for sharing this amazing CD! I love this blog.

isabelbc said...

hi serch105, you are welcome!
btw, this is not a CD, this is a LP! :o)

Tristan Stefan said...

thanks for the literary comments guys, I really appreciate it and will look at the paris review issue mentioned

boogieman said...

Amazing album but considering that the band features Olivier Hutman and Mino Cinelu, and the flute of Denis Barbier, this is not your average prog rock album. This is absolutely outstanding musicianship. I can't believe it hasn't been re-issued!+

Franco said...

Any Chance of Re-Up on this Isabel?..........Please!

Regards

un menda said...

reup in great jazz blog:
http://luckylocus.blogspot.com.es/2015/03/moravagine.html

Unknown said...

Please Isabel, it's posible re-up this album?

Thanks!

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