Biography
Carpe Diem emerged
out of the particularly strong local scene of Nice, France,
which also included bands like Shylock and Step Ahead, and made
a name for themselves as being among the greatest, and most
distinctive, symphonic rock groups in the world. Formed
in 1970, the band started out playing covers in clubs along
the French Riviera, performing renditions of songs by the likes
of Jethro Tull, East of Eden, King Crimson and Uriah Heep. Original
compositions gradually made their way into the band's repertoire
over the five years between their formation and their debut
album, En Regardent Passer le Temps. Little wonder
then that the band sounds as magnificently tight, polished and
mature on this classic debut, truly one of the gems of the French
progressive rock scene.
The success of
the album brought them dates with other major French bands like
Magma and Ange, leading up to the release of their second album,
Cuelle le Jour. Though generally not regarded
as a classic of quite the same magnitude as the debut, Cuelle
le Jour effectively upholds the band's legacy for at least
one more album. Unfortunately, after the release of the
album, bad management and changing public taste led to lineup
changes and losses of key members such as Gilbert Abbenant and
Alain Berge. Lack of support from their label, Crypto,
forced the band to become more self-sufficient, and mounting
frustration eventually led to the group's demise. Demo
tapes of their unreleased third album were recorded, featuring
a violin player, but have not as of yet been released. Nonetheless,
the group's two albums are among the finest French progressive
rock currently available. - Greg Northrup [July 2002]
Source: Liner Notes to Musea
Reissues of En Regardent Passer le Temps (1994) and Cuelle
le Jour (1994)
En Regardent Passer le Temps
(1975)
Of all the French symphonic groups,
Carpe Diem may have been the most innovative and difficult to
pin down stylistically. Certainly there are Gong, Van der
Graaf Generator and perhaps fusion influences here (primarily
due to the inclusion of saxophone), but the music is undoubtedly
symphonic rock. Employing woodwinds, all manner of synthesizers,
along with surging, inspired guitar solos, Carpe Diem weave spacey,
melodic soundscapes of impossible subtlety and beauty. The
playing is free and loose, while retaining a heavily composed
air. Guitar parts and multiple keyboard lines lock into
precise, tightly meshed melodic webs, building tension before
bursting into emotive, furious climaxes.
Soaring,
cosmic guitar melodies glide along churning synthesizer rhythms
in the aptly titled opener "Voyage du Non-Retour" (Voyage of
No Return). The three lengthy tracks that almost evenly
divide the album's remainder are uniformly excellent, with nary
a superfluous or unnecessary moment. It says something
when, in listening to an album, each track convinces you independently
that it, indeed, is the best cut on the record. In trying
to pick out a favorite from En Regardent..., I found
I just couldn't do it. "Reincarnation" features understated, yet gorgeous, vocal passages
in between fiery instrumental portions. The flute and
mellotron introduction of "Jeux du Siecle" perfectly sets up
the driving grooves to come. In closer "Pulbiophobie",
fluid basslines and ultra-tight rhythmic work provide the foundation
for heavily syncopated, enchanting saxophone melodies. Subtle,
smoky vocals return to the fore later in the track, before the
band jumps into the closing instrumental finale.
Refreshing and undoubtedly innovative, the album practically encompasses
the diversity and inspiration of the French progressive rock
underground. It is, easily, one of the finest albums to
have emerged from that scene. At the risk of sounding
like a raving fanboy, En Regardent Passer le Temps is
indeed a classic record for the ages. - Greg Northrup
[July 2002]
Click
Here for Tracklist and Lineup Info
Cueille le Jour (1976)
With the reputation of its predecessor being
so immense, Carpe Diem's sophomore album Cueille le Jour
is often overlooked in the eyes of progressive rock fans and
collectors. While certainly not as strong as the monster En
Regardent Passer le Temps, few things are. Ultimately the
album is a logical stylistic follow-up; essentially more of
the same. The trademark Carpe Diem sound is here in spades.
Guitar-led flights of fancy, cosmic synthesizers, fluid woodwinds
along with an incredible degree of compositional and harmonic
sophistication.
The highlight here is easily the 20-plus minute
suite, "Coleurs", a piece which develops slowly through a series
of sublime melodic motifs. As should be expected, the musicianship
is monstrous, the playing is tight and energetic, and the melodies
veer from gorgeous to haunting. The remainder of the album is
taken up by short tracks in the 3 to 4 minute range, which present
more concise takes on Carpe Diem's ideas. "Le Miracle de la
Saint-Gaston" features traditional 'verses' broken up by some
rousing synthesizer themes, while "Tramantane" highlights some
excellent piano work. Musea's CD reissue closes out with an
interesting bonus track: an excerpt from the English version
of the album, which actually ends up sounding like Pulsar at
their best.
While unavoidably outshined and made less essential
by Carpe Diem's magnificent debut album, Cueille le Jour
nonetheless holds its own. Without presenting anything astoundingly
different, or better, than anything off of En Regardent...,
fans of that album will certainly find Cueille le Jour
a satisfying complement. -
Greg Northrup [July 2002]
