Clearlight — Symphonies( CD boxset)

Symphonies is a five CD boxset collecting together the output of French Prog Rock Band Clearlight- whose sound brought in elements of symphonic rock, space rock, jazz fusion, and proto new-age music. Most of the albums come from the 70’s, though the last album is from the 2010’s.

The release appears on Cherry Red’s prog sub-label Esoteric Recordings. Each of the five CD’s come presented in mini slips that recreate the original album art work. Also inculded is a glossy/ colourful twenty page inlay booklet – this features a new seven and a half page write-up about the evolution of the bands sound. Full album credits, band pictures. Album artwork. With the release been present in a thick/ glossy flip side box, feature a dark blue colour scheme, and a recreation of the bands debut album cover, with a illustration showing a removed of it’s flesh head wired into a effects pedal.

Clearlight were formed in Paris in 1973, by keyboard player Cyrille Verdeaux ( Barricade ,Delired Cameleon Family, Spirits Burning). The band featured a rather shifting all-star line up taking in members of Gong, and other musicians from the French prog and underground scenes.Between 1975 and 2016 the band has released eleven albums.

So the set opens with 1975’s Clear Light Symphony, which originally appeared on Virgin. It’s a two track/ purely instrumental affair- Verdeaux’s keyboards/ piano are very much at the centre of each track, though we get a input from notable names. For example on "Clear Light Symphony Part. 1" we get appearance from three Gong members- there’s Steve Hillage on guitar, Tim Blake on synth/ percussion, and Didier Malherbe on tenor saxophone. And on "Clear Light Symphony Part. 2" we have Martin Isaacs(Half Human Band and Lard Free) on bass, Gilbert Artman(Catalogue, Komintern) on percussion, and Christian Boulé(Delired Cameleon Family, Steve Hillage Band). The sound on both of tracks is decidedly dense, dramatic, and shifting symphonic rock- with darts into jazz, space rock, and jam rock. It’s all certainly played very competently- with both tracks been eventful and engaging enough. There are just not that many melodies or disstictive parts present, and there’ is I’m afraid a feeling of look how great players we about the whole thing. So Clear Light Symphony, is very well played, if not spectrally composed.

Next is Forever Blowing Bubbles- which was also from 1975, and on Virgin. This seven track album features better/ well realized songcraft, as well as more variation in pace/ type of track too. We move from the opening track “Chanson” which starts off as a lulling blend of piano keys/ light wavering vocals- along the way alternating between mellow bounding, and more guitar scored rock outs. There’s “Way” which blends cascading keys, rousing operatic rock backing vocal risers, and shifts into jazz/ prog rock outs. Later on we have “Et pendant ce temps la” which blends bounding piano, whooshing to jazzily simmer synth tones, and complex drum patterns. And the all out bubbling ‘n’ blip-blopping synth meets rapid tribal precussion manicness of “Jungle Bubbles”. The disc tacks on five bonus track- featuring aluternive mix of album tracks, and other tracks from the period.

Disc three takes in Les Contes Du Singe Fou- this is from 1977, and saw the band move from Virgin to French label Isadora Records. It saw the band having maybe a slightly more space/ prog rock focus- with sci-fi focused lyrics. And depending on what version you look at it either features two side long suites, or seven tracks- for the this release it’s the latter. It moves from the tense bounding keys, baying/ simmering tone build, slashing dating percussion, weird warbling/ wail vocals, slicing violin work of “A Trip to Orient”. There’s the melodic paino line flow, light string swoons, hissing sound effects, and building drums of “Soliloque”. Later we have the tolling keys, smarting percussion, singsong layered vocals, synth wooshes, and building symphonic/ space rock feel of “Prelude”. And ticking-tapping keys, moodily strutting groove, and loader string/ synth stabs of “Return To The Source”. This is certainly more consistent of the albums featured here- yes the piano/ keyboards are centre stage again, but they are implemented with other elements better- with more variation between the tracks.

Next up we have 1978’s Visions- this was the bands final album of the 70’s, and the band wouldn’t record another album until the 1990’s. It original appeared on Celluloid / LTM Records. With the original album featuring seven tracks, and seven bonus tracks. We open up with “Spirale D’amour” featuring dramatically bounding keys, violin led rock out moments, sassy wailing horns, soaring synth trails, and touches of bird field recording. “Au Royaume Des Mutants” is all about broodingly struck/ rolling keys, atmospheric guitar & saxophone, with touches of breathy in French female vocals. Latter on we have the sitar twang ‘n’ wail of “Raga(Coda)”, and the warbling electronics, discordant key stab, and eerier hissing vocals of “Paix Profonde”. From the albums cover illustration of a floating/ see-through woman with a rainbow, and pyramids below- you’d imagine quite a bright/ mellow album, but there are some real great dark/ off kilter moments here. And the feeling of a group effort seems even more so here- so I’d say this stand as the bands most varied/ wholly rewarding album- such a pity they went to hibernation. The seven bonus offer up a few gems too- there’s the brooding bass roll, choppy/ wailing synth tones, and electro tabla like percussion of “Crystal City”. Or the haunting-yet-mellow “Heymae” with it’s warbling ‘n’ wavering flute work and banks of simmering to sparking synth work.

The fifth and final disc in the set is Impressionist Symphony- this originally appeared in 2014, it’s the band last album to date , and it originally appeared on Gonzo Multimedia. It’s a eight track affair- with a fair bit of genre merging/ blending go on take the opening track “Renoir En Couleur” here we find a mix of effortlessly cascading keys, Gong like space ambience/ jazziness, and building symphonic rock tone. “Pissarro King” is mixing of jaunting keys, epic baying guitar, and zooming ‘n’ choppy synth texturing. Later on we have “Gauguin Dans L'Autre” with it’s blend of flowing ‘n’ fruitful flute, swirling tones, synth sizzle, and of course up front and sparkling keyboard work. With the album playing out with “Monet Time Duet” which is duet between grand piano and violin. As comeback albums go Impressionist Symphony isn’t bad, though at times it does start wondering into how flashy we play territory, and at these points the rewarding compositional elements do slip somewhat.

If you enjoy piano/ keyboard focused prog/ symphonic rock then this Symphonies boxset, will most certainly be of interest.