Ame Son - Catalyse (1970)

bitrate: 320 kbit/sec



info: Ame Son were one of the first progressive/psychedelic bands in France. Most members of the band played with Daevid Allen of Gong after Allen was denied entrance to England due to visa problems, which basically ended Daevid's tour of duty with Soft Machine. When Allen was with them, they were known as Bananamoon, and after Allen's departure to form Gong, they renamed themselves Ame Son.

The music on "Catalyse" is very much like a cross between early Gong and "Jet Propelled" era Soft Machine. The shorthand explanation would be psychedelic improv-jam rock with jazzy overtones provided by the flute of Francois Garrel, while guitarist Bernard Lavielle provides appropriately fuzzed-out bliss. Vocals are rough but in most cases mercifully brief.

The music is rewarding and inventive, but the recording quality distracts somewhat. Recording quality is about what you would expect for an album of this time and place; American and British musicians in the 1960's had trouble getting recording engineers and producers to understand their visions, and the troubles were tenfold for French and other European psych/prog rockers. Spalax's typically lackadaisical CD "remastering" does not help much in this regard either. To give you a point of reference, the production quality is about the same as it is on 13th Floor Elevators albums.

If you can get past the rough recording quality, "Catalyse" is a bit of a jewel in the rough for Gong fans and for anyone who likes psychedelia. Ame Son was important in the history of French rock for being one of the first bands who broke out of the three-minute pop song ghetto, and deserve attention on that basis. Not a masterpiece, but not bad either; it takes a few listens to understand what's going on, but overall it's worth it.

info source: amazon.com

link: multiupload