It took a few listens for me to realize that French TV's latest
release titled The Case Against Art is actually BETTER than their
previous release. I have been so impressed by their last one for so
long, I hardly thought it possible for them to improve upon it. Will
wonders never cease?
The creative force behind French TV is Mike Sary. For 20 years or
more, Sary has been the one constant member in an ever-changing line-up
of great musicians. Rolling with the punches through the years, Sary has
always come out on top in his never ending quest to surround himself
with the very finest musicians available, and The Case Against Art is
no exception to this. Sary's fellow Louisvillian and drummer
extraordinaire Chris Vincent along with San Diego-based
multi-instrumentalist Warren Dale are the only people that accompany
Sary on all five of the albums tracks. An incredible line-up of
musicians join these three on various songs, including original Happy
The Man frontman Cliff Fortney, world-class acoustic guitarist Shawn
Persinger, Louisville KY legends like Kirk Davis and Greg Acker, and a
host of other highly talented individuals.
"That Thing On The Wall" is the first cut on French TV's new album,
and it eases into the frenzy with an initial few seconds of
deliciousness that evokes memories of Pierre Moerlen. Take a deep breath
at this point because in true FTV fashion the music suddenly changes,
this time into an all out assault on your senses. You can go ahead and
acclimate yourselves to this phenomenon as well, because there's plenty
more to come. This piece changes direction more often than a housefly on
amphetamines, and not only will it blister your eardrums, it just as
easily leads you into the very choicest of blues segments, dreamy
ethereal moments, contemplative interludes, and suspenseful, dramatic
crescendos.
The second track is titled "Viable Tissue Matter", and like the
previous song, compositional credits are given to Sary, Zigoris,
Vincent, and Dale. It opens in utter space, and takes us gently into a
beautiful interplay between Greg Acker on flute and Dean Zigoris on
guitar. As Sary and Vincent masterfully set the pace, Dale mesmerizes
you with his unique and subtle keyboard styling. After an uplifting jam
into a beautifully timid climax, the band changes direction yet again
into a then subdued, then not, frenzied "monsterpiece" that one would be
quite sure could ONLY have come from a well-schooled Zeuhl ensemble. Now
we roll into Zigoris weaving his magic on the six-string, as Sary and
Vincent franticly send you into "prog rocking heaven." Never satisfied
with keeping to one course, the tune graciously takes one through a
plethora of changes as it gradually revisits the opening theme.
Cliff Fortney's composition "Partly The State", previously released
on the Happy The Man album Beginnings, is (for the fan of great
progressive music) simply to die for. Featuring the talents of Mr. Fortney
himself, as well as
legendary ex-Boud Deun axe man Shawn Persinger, this song realizes its
full potential under the guiding hand of Mike Sary, who teams with Howie
Gano on a stunning mix that truly spotlights the musicianship of not
only Fortney, but all of the ensemble. This particular recording may
well be the crowning moment of an overall brilliant album.
"One Humiliating Incident After Another" is the fourth cut on FTV #7.
Somewhat whimsical at times (another trademark of the French
TV sound), this track again reminds us not to get too comfortable with
one musical style or direction. Again our senses are shredded as this
song rolls us all over the map, never quite allowing us to rest long
enough to catch our breath. This is some of the most tasty classic
progressive jazz-rock fusion that I've ever heard, but not to stop at
just that (as if that weren't enough), we continue to be vaulted through
a maze of European progressive influences that one can't quite pin down
to anyone for long, as these influences have combined to create
something new and fresh.
Our final listen is with the last track of the CD titled "Under The
Big W." This song features layer upon layer of rich and vibrant
melodies, again visiting with the whimsical playfulness of French TV,
then again visiting with the savage and torturous nature of the darker
artist within, to carry us into so many emotions simultaneously that
only the most adventurous of ears can grasp all of the forces at work
here. With obvious classical influences here as well, this track in yet
another lesson in compositional techniques from French TV.
Someone once asked me if French TV was a fusion band. My reply was:
"Yes, you name the style, and at some point Mike Sary has probably fused
it into one of his tunes." French TV #7 The Case Against Art is but
another fine example of this principle, in a series of such examples
that has continued for the last twenty years. If the previous six
albums weren't enough, surely this release gives the band their cue to
proudly take their place among the masters of progressive musicians.
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