French TV ~ USA ~ Louisville, Kentucky

The Violence of Amateurs (1999)

The Violence of Amateurs is too much embracing the Avant Prog model trying to appease that crowd. Ruins the flow of a perfectly good progressive rock album something that French TV excels at, and proves that here on occasion. Their highest rated album, but not in my world it isn't. 

Former ownership: 1999 Pretentious Dinosaur (CD). Acquired in 2001; Downsized in 2024.

2001; 7/22/15; 5/12/24 (review)

10: I Forgive You For All My Unhappiness (2010)

My opinion of this album is pretty similar to Panzerpappa's Astromalist. I can appreciate the structure of notes and arrangement of instrumentation. But I don't necessarily "get into it". I went too far with French TV's catalog, continuing to buy without giving it much thought. They start to run together after awhile. I think they peaked during the mid 2000s and I probably should have stood pat at that point. Oh well, they're worthless, so might as well keep it.

Ownership: 2010 Pretentious Dinosaur (CD). Acquired in 2010.

10/22/10; 9/12/23 (review)

 

11: Ambassadors of Good Health and Clean Living (2016)

Ambassadors of Good Health and Clean Living is the 11th album from French TV. Their patented brand of instrumental music typically straddles the fine line between Avant Prog and Canterbury styled fusion. On this effort, the needle definitely points to the former. Even though they are joined here by the fine Japanese band TEE, a band deeply rooted in the European progressive rock tradition, French TV's sound doesn't seem to be affected much by their presence. As is often the case with Avant Prog, the music is intricately composed and superbly executed. All the same, it lacks groove and soul, something I tend to champion more as I get older. Music like this seems charted for performance at a symphony hall. One wishes they'd let their hair down, and kick out the jams brothers and sisters. Oh well, still a fine effort despite the cold calculating disposition. However it does appear the band is on the slow decline to irrelevancy. This one was predictable in its unpredictable metric style. 

Ownership: 2016 Pretentious Dinosaur (CD). Digipak. Acquired in 2016.

5/28/16 (review); 2/19/24

 

After a Lengthy Silence (1987)

Fine sophomore album from French TV, a band that continued to grow leaps and bounds from album to album. After a Lengthy Silence is mostly an instrumental progressive rock, heavily influenced by jazz fusion, with a surprising space rock ending. The production is typical of the muddy late 1980s, and holds back the potential of the material. This aspect of the band would also improve as time went on.

Ownership: 1987 Y Records (LP). Acquired in 1990.

1990; 1995; 2009; 11/14/15 (review)

9: This Is What We Do (2006)

Another new album from French TV. Another great album from French TV. There are few bands that can match French TV's consistent high quality over a long period of time. For 20+ years, French TV has produced and continues to produce complex, challenging progressive rock. Even more amazing, they actually get better with each release. Now they didn't set the bar real high in their early years, but they never put out a bad record either. But they seem to be getting better almost exponentially. I’m in awe of a band who can release nine albums in a 23 year time span, and never sound stale, retro or trendy. They never mail it in. And they are what one would want from a band that carries the heady term of progressive around. French TV are a mix of Avant Prog, Canterbury, big name UK symphonic, French and Scandinavian styles, even some of the more obscure over the top US progressives like Cathedral and Mirthrandir (and yes, they would have had access to these bands since their inception). But mostly they sound like French TV. In fact, as I hear This is What We do, I recall another elder statesman of creative rock music: Patrick Forgas and his Forgas Band Phenomena. Commercial success was never part of the blueprint for these gentleman. The material they compose is both complex and mature, yet still maintains the edge of youth. We have so few role models in rock music that carried the creative banner for decades, so we must look to jazz and icons like Miles Davis to see this kind of pushing forward as the years go by.

This is among my favorite releases by French TV. I've never listened to all of their albums back to back, but it would probably be interesting to note the ascension.

Ownership: 2006 Pretentious Dinosaur (CD). Acquired in 2007.

4/24/07 (review); 9/30/11 (update)

Other albums I own: French TV (1984); The Case Against Art; Operation Mockingbird

Previously owned: Virtue in Futility; Intestinal Fortitude; Pardon Our French

9/30/11 (new entry)

Easter Island. 1979 USA-Kentucky

Easter Island is an album with a mixed reputation among prog aficionados, but from my perspective, Easter Island is practically the definition of my USA Midwest / Ontario Progressive Rock (1970's/early 80s) list. I do think subjugating oneself into the mindset of the era does enhance the experience. Tons of time changes, counterpoint, multiple harmony layers, mellotron, 70's analog production, and sundry razzle-dazzle will keep the most ADD among you tuned in. I've come across the term "commercial" in reference to this album. Hardly. Unless one thinks 'Gates of Delirium', Mirthrandir, Cathedral, or Yezda Urfa are commercial of course...

Ownership: LP: 1979 Baal; CD: 2016 Belle Antique (Japan). Very rare album in original form, though you'll often see pressing numbers that are lower than the reality. I've seen plenty over the years, but it's never been cheap. Apparently those with a "gold tear" are rarer than the silver, but honestly they probably just ran out of paint. My LP has the silver tear. The first CD reissue was known as Now and Then. There is almost no "Now" on it, just a short synthesizer prelude and postlude. The Japanese CD reissue on Belle Antique replicates the original to the exact detail (and has a gold tear). This version features two live bonus tracks from the late 70s, but they are very rough sounding, and not worth the purchase price alone.