Member:
maribor
(Profile)
(All Album Reviews by maribor)
Date:
8/30/2006
Format:
CD (Album)
Bernard Cormier – violin, percussion
Andre Duchesne – acoustic guitar, dulcimer, vocals
Jacques Laurin – electric bass
Rene Lussier – electric guitar, 12-string guitar, mandolin, percussion
Guests: Jean Derome – flutes (2,11), Pierre Cartier – acoustic bass (11), Edouardo Pipman – drums (11)
One of the many bands to emerge from the Quebec scene in the 1970s, Conventum recorded their second and so far last album in 1979. From the titles of songs, it can be deduced that this album has a political tinge to it. In fact, the atmosphere in Quebec at that time was quite tense due to the upcoming referendum. It was up to musicians, like those in Conventum to relieve the tension a bit with satirical tributes to the political dealings of that time. The mastermind behind the titles and the lyrics is the group’s leader Andre Duchesne. It was he that created the concept and ideas for this album.
Most of the tracks on this album are instrumental. The only songs with vocals are the title track and Le Pays du Bruit. The album is characterised by plenty of acoustic guitar from the both guitarists. On top of that there is great violin playing and electric guitar, with the bass a bit lower in the mix. The band plays a style that is usually described as progressive folk. But folks, don’t expect Jethro Tull. This is a whole different beast. Some of the pieces (“Le Reel des Elections” and “Le Reel a Mains”) are almost straight folk pieces with dynamic playing by all members. However, most of the album is quite original. Most of the songs start of with acoustic guitar supplying the main melody and with violin solos on top. Bernard Cormier must be one of the most underrated violinists I have ever heard. Sometimes he plays in a purely folk style but he occasionally effortlessly switches to a style almost classical in nature. The acoustic guitar passages are very tasty but used mostly to supply the basic melody. It’s the violin that seems in charge. There is also some very nice electric guitar playing by Rene Lussier. His style in a way resembles Robert Fripp, with long sustained notes. It is quite a treat listening to a guitarist with such a lovely style. The title track features only a few short segments that are sung, otherwise it’s again the violin that does most of the work. The other vocal track is a bonus piece, however this is truly a bonus and nothing more. Duchesne is basically telling a story to the audience with some playing in the background. A similar thing was done by Peter Gabriel in between songs at Genesis concerts.
With Le Bureau Central des Utopies, Conventum created a timeless piece of work. The playing is brilliant, the compositions are interesting and the ideas are fresh. There is nothing boring about this band because there is always something interesting going on. Their style is very original with lots of different influences, ranging from folk, jazz, classical and probably more. I only wish they had used some keyboards, particularly a piano would have been nice. But you can’t have everything and it’s only my preference because I adore keyboards, especially vintage ones like the piano, mellotron and Hammond. Nonetheless, this is an excellent album that will please everyone who has an open mind and is interested in adventurous music.
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