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Harmonium - En Tournee (1980)

Posted By: mad_frog
Harmonium - En Tournee (1980)

Harmonium - En Tournee (1980)
dBpoweramp Rip | FLAC (Tracks) - No CUE - No EAC LOG, Audiochecker LOG | 494 MB | Scans
Progressive Rock/Folk Rock | Label: M2U Records 2-1012 | Release: 1980 | RAR 0% Rec. | RS.com



Line-up / Musicians

- Libert Subirana: flute, saxophone, vocals
- Serge Locat: piano, organ, Mellotron, synthesizers
- Monique Fauteux: Rhodes piano, vocals
- Robert Stanley: electric guitar
- Serge Fiori: acoustic & electric guitar, vocals
- Denis Farmer: drums, percussion
- Louis Valois: electric bass, Taurus (bass pedals)


Total time: 1:07:59



This double live album was actually released two years after Harmonium broke up, and shows the band on stage in Vancouver in June 1977 on the tour for "L'Heptade". Instead of displaying songs from their entire career, "En Tournée" focuses entirely on the band's live rendition of the complete "L'Heptade" album. And it all makes perfect sense when you hear how insanely good and solid this performance is. What Harmonium did here is to a certain extent similar to what Gröbschnitt did with their "Solar Music" piece when they released it as a live album on its own. Harmonium didn't have an orchestra with them on the tour, so Neil Chotem's orchestral parts had naturally to be dropped from the piece. What you get instead is a more loose and energetic version of the album, with more room for the band itself to stretch out instrumentally. "Comme un Fou" and "Chanson Noire" stay both structurally true to the studio versions, but with a more energetic live feel. But the fantastic 20-minute version of "Le Premier Ciel" is where the band really shows their full strength as a live band, and probably remains the highlight of "En Tournée". The song is considerably jazzier here than in studio, but without losing any of its symphonic grandeur and many beautiful melodies. The playing is absolutely superb, and the band manages to keep the focus all the way through, despite churning out one tight jam after another between the main parts of the track. And Locat's extended version of his synth-solo at the end is the icing of the cake. Now, THIS is what a REALLY good live band should be. "L'Exil" is another highlight, despite being much more true to the studio version. Fiori manages to sing just as emotional and good live as in studio, and the instrumental part in the middle sounded now quite a lot like the first part of Klaus Schulze's "Mindphaser" of all things. Monique Fauteux then takes the main spot for a while with a perfect rendition of the vocal part of "Le Corridor". The instrumental part is ditched, and the track goes instead right into an extended version of "Lumière de Vie" that continues on side four. The instrumental section is far more varied than on the studio version, as Locat now beside the piano also added lengthy passages with lot of organ, Mellotron and looping synths. "Comme un Sage" stays safely to the studio version, and is perhaps the only track here that I think is a tad weaker than its original version. I especially miss the orchestral climax at the end, but by any means, this is still an outstanding performance of the song. And the sound quality of the entire album is actually just as good as on any studio record. But no matter how good "En Tournée" is, I prefer to see it as an alternative version to the more atmospheric and polished studio original, and not a substitute as some people do. My advice is to get both versions, as the piece itself is in my opinion the best thing that ever came from the progressive rock scene of Québec.
(vintageprog.com)




This is a MASTERPIECE LIVE album! It is among my all-time favorite live albums. Harmonium with modern & vintage keyboards is a perfect combination. Fiori's eccentric lead vocals are amazingly fluid. The ecstatic compositions parts have outstanding follow through, because the complex music is VERY changing here and significantly varies in intensity. The musicians play absolutely flawlessly & irreproachably. Every note is absolutely CAREFULLY placed with the right level of intensity: the ensemble is all the time perfectly synchronized. The very melodic flute & saxes may also participate to the complex & colorful rhythm involved. The music can be funny but melodramatic too. All the time, the emotion is VERY palpable. The enthusiastic crowd is very favorably responding after each track. The electric piano reminds me a bit Supertramp at their best. The soaring electric guitar notes contribute to produce ultra pleasant ethereal & atmospheric textures at the right time & at the right place. The music can be very loaded, fast and complex like on "Le premier ciel". The dynamic music is the opposite of linearity and monotony. Almost 90 minutes of unforgettable music with neither fillers nor dull parts, that's a real tour de force!
(greenback. Progarchives reviewer.)



Disc 1:
01 Introduction
02 Comme un fou
03 Chanson Noire
04 Le premier Ciel

38:12

Disc 2:
01 L'Exil
02 Le Corridor
03 Lumiere de vie (pt. 1)
04 Lumiere de vie (pt. 2)
05 Comme un sage

49:47