Genre: progressive
Rating: 3 stars ***
Title: Substratum
Company: Splendid
Catalog: SLP
50 108
Year: 1973
Country/State: Switzerland
Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+
Comments: gatefold sleeve; laminate still in very good shape
Available: SOLD
GEMM catalog ID: 5661
Price: SOLD $250.00
Years ago I had a friend who owned this album and continually swore to its artistic quality and value. I was just in my teens and remember hearing it once or twice and somehow being less impressed. Anyhow some thirty years later I stumbled across a copy and it somehow rang a bell in my collective conscious so I picked it up. Curiously, I have clear memories of the distinctive album cover and even remember looking at the liner notes, though I never realized these guys were Swiss ... I must have known that fact given the performer names and the fact the album was pressed in La Chaux-De-Fonds, Switzerland ...
So what can I tell you about this short-lived quintet? Unfortunately nothing other than what's found on the liner notes. They were apparently from the French speaking part of Switzerland and at the time they recorded this album the line up consisted of lead guitarist/singer Raymond Amey, drummer Jean-Francois Donze, bass player Giancarlo Duella, rhythm guitarist Freddy von Kaenel, and keyboard player Olivier Maire. 1973's "Substratum" was self-produced (J.P. Louvin serving as executive producer and engineer) with the band responsible for penning all nine tracks. Unlike most of their contemporaries who'd fallen under the spell of Krautrock, or "zeuhl" these guys had clearly been listening to English folk and progressive bands. On the surface that wouldn't have seemed to hold a great deal of promise - oh boy a bunch of Swiss Genesis wannabes ... To be fair, the collection was actually far more diverse than that. Material like 'With A Sweet Whistle To My Ears' and the title track certainly reflected an art rock influence, but you could also hear hard rock, jazz, psych, and even pop influences (occasionally on the same song - check out 'In The Morning Sun' which started out as an acoustic ballad before morphing into a blazing hard rock number, and then sidestepped into a brief progressive movement). Lead singer/guitarist Amey was certainly one of the reasons the album was as good as it was. While his vocals had a distinctive French accent, it wasn't overwhelming, or distracting and actually gave the music kind of a exotic edge. Yeah, their lyrics were occasionally on the clunky side ('It's Only Your Memory Playing Just The Thought Of A First Love'), but so were lots of product put out by US and UK bands. The other saving graces were Amey's searing lead guitar and Maire's tasteful keyboards. It all came together on the side two suite 'The Disgusting Story of the Captain Bloom'. I'll admit that the plotline was large lost to me, but musically this four part concept was quite enjoyable, bouncing all over the musical spectrum. Propelled by a kazoo solo, the only real disappointment was the throwaway Vaudevillian-flavored 'Good Old Time' (imagine something off of an early Scaffold album). It certainly won't appeal to everyone, but progheads will probably want to check it out.
"Substratum" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) With
A Sweet Whistle To My Ears (Country Lane) - 6:13
2.) It's Only Your Memory Playing Just The Thought Of A First Love
(Country Lane) - 2:22
3.) Substratum (Country Lane)
- 2:40
4.) In The Morning Sun
(Country Lane) - 3:17
5.) Good Old Time (Country
Lane) - 2:29
(side 2)
The
Disgusting Story of the Captain Bloom
a.) Song To Ivan (Period)
(Country Lane) - 5:25
b.) Letter To A Friend
(Country Lane) - 7:35
c.) Captain Bloom (Country
Lane) - 2:24
d.) Lilliput's Safari
(Country Lane) - 2:07
I don't know if it's a legitimate pressing, but in 2000 the French Musea label reissued the collection (Musea catalog number FGBG 4304.AR).
Amey's still actively involved in music as a member of the international Safar Ensemble