Wednesday 30 April 2014

Clearlight US review

http://www.criticaljazz.com/2014/04/clearlight-impressionist-symphony-gonzo.html

Wednesday, April 16, 2014


Clearlight Impressionist Symphony Gonzo 2014

Clearlight is back and has elevated their harmonic game to the next level!
Brent Black / www.criticaljazz.com
The first new release in decades finds the iconic French prog ensemble charting yet another new melodic course and thus raising the bar for their contemporaries. The Impressionist Symphony embraces the conceptual notions of impressionism, painting and music coming together as one cerebral aura of sound. Musical influences from the impressionist period would include Ravel and Debussy and it is the vision of Cyrille "Clearlight" Verdeaux that allows for an amazing transcendence to a more contemporary approach with guests from Gong, The Muffins, Spirits Burning and the amazing Linda Cushma from Oxygen 8. Getting by with a little help from your friends worked for the Beatles so why not here?
Progressive classical? No...Prog rock as most people would no and understand it? Hmmm. No. This is the return of a visionary with the ability to grasp the cerebral aspect of impressionism and marry that with the visceral side of a more rock oriented millennium to smash through genres if not time itself and create a new hybrid of sound unique to this amazing collective. Clearlight has been around since the mid 70's and this may be the primary reason why...Stellar.

Songs / Tracks Listing
1. Renoir En Couleur
2. Time Is Monet
3. Pissarro King
4. Degas De La Marine
5. Van Gogh 3rd Ear
6. Gaughin Dans L'Autre
7. Lautrec Too Loose
8. Monet Time (Duet)
Line-up / Musicians
- Cyrille Verdeaux / piano, synthesizers
- Didier Malherbe / wind instruments
- Craig Fry / violin
- Vincent Thomas Penny / guitars
- Paul Sears / drums, percussion
- Linda Cushma / bass
- Chris Kovacks / synthesizers
- Remy Tran / synthesizers
- Steve Hillage / guitars
With:
- Tim Blake / xils synth, theremin



CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AT GONZO:
Les Contes Du Singe Fou
CD - £9.99

Tribal Hybrid Concept
CD - £9.99

Forever Blowing Bubbles
CD - £9.99

Impressionist Symphony
CD - £9.99

Clearlight Symphony
CD - £9.99

Best Of Clearlight
CD - £9.99

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