Atoll ~ France

Tertio (1977)

Tertio was the very first progressive rock album for me to own from France (i.e. not electronic). Or at least one that sung in French versus Kobaian. I was still in college and had started my deep dive into other countries like Italy, Spain, and Sweden. With that comes the understanding that if you want to go forward with the international prog rock chase, you better be able to handle languages other than English. Honestly that wasn't too hard for me, as I was never a "lyric guy" anyway (and still not). And besides, who can understand half of the metal albums as it is? They might as well be singing in Bulgarian and I wouldn't know. While language wasn't a barrier, it would still be a few years before I truly appreciated language in song. The sound and the delivery of it. That's a different concept than lyric understanding. This concept, as it were, is arguably one of the great secret sauces of Italy's scene. And the same could be said for France and any of the other countries. At age 21, I still had a long way to go to grasp these nuances. Tertio is one of those albums that would have been better for me to discover in the 90s or later, as it does require an understanding of the language, culture, and 1977 time frame. This isn't the all-in progressive rock that I was expecting, rather a more subtle version. While there are commercial aspirations, this is no AOR album. It's sophisticated but not brash or jarring. Nonetheless, I kept everything in those days and worked hard at understanding what I had bought. While Tertio never really clicked with me back then, I did eventually appreciate the contents. And here we are almost 40 years later, and the title has never left the collection. Today it does click with me, in a big way. I was initially drawn in by the two part closer 'Tunnel' which is the most overtly progressive rock track on the album. Now I hear the other songs in a similar light. I imagine my trajectory through the French progressive rock landscape will be much different than most. It was truly exploration at the street level, finding albums at random record stores with no knowledge other than instincts. I feel fortunate that my journey unfolded in this manner. A bit of struggle is needed to fully appreciate what you have.

Ownership: 

1977 Eurodisc (LP). Gatefold.

2009 Arcangelo (CD). Papersleeve gatefold. Comes with the Musea booklet with English historical liner notes. 

1986 (acquired); 1996; 1/28/07; 2010; 9/1/25 (review)
 

Musiciens-Magiciens (1974)

When I first started collecting French progressive rock 30+ years ago, Atoll were a band that were often lumped in with Ange, Mona Lisa, and their various followers. But to my ears, Atoll comes from a different lyrical branch of the UK progressive rock tree. Whereas Ange and their lot took on Genesis, and further added a huge dose of French theatrical sensibilities, Atoll were much more influenced by Yes, and without the theatrics. I cannot understand at all the subtle, and in some cases blunt, accusation that Musiciens-Magiciens isn't even progressive rock at all. Are we listening to the same album? How does one hear 'Au-delà des écrans de Cristal' and come away with a different conclusion? Or any of Side 2 for that matter? If there's a spot on the LP where it might be a bit tough sledding it's the bookends of the 'Le Baladin du Temps' opus, where the vocals can get a bit whiny. Though honestly any veteran of Italian progressive rock will recognize the SSW crooning from the off. It was of-the-era. Otherwise what one hears is the pure definition of progressive rock - complex meters, woody bass, great guitar and organ work, and energetic drumming. This is really the only album like this in Atoll's canon, as their next LP, L'Araignee Mal takes on a more sinister stance along with fusion elements, and is arguably their masterpiece. On this point we all agree. From there the band moved onto more accessible waters, with Tertio closing out in fine style before the band lost the plot altogether. But I maintain my stance that Musiciens-Magiciens is essential progressive rock from France.

The live bonus tracks on the CD are really rough in the sound department, not even good enough for bonus honestly, but they can be skipped.

Ownership: 

1974 Eurodisc (LP) Gatefold.

2009 Arcangelo (CD). Papersleeve gatefold. Comes with the Musea booklet with English historical liner notes. 

1989 (first acquired); 1/4/19 (review)

Also own and need to review L'Araignee Mal.

1/4/19 (new entry)