Jannick Top – Soleil d’Ork

Jannick Top

Soleil d’Ork (2001)

http://www.mediafire.com/?aymn2udnzjw

Solo compilation from the legendary bass player and co-composer of Magma collecting the material he recorded between 1974-80. Jannick was a member of Magma during their best years (from Mekanik through Üdü Wüdü) and his approach to the bass was arguably the defining characteristic of the band (and of Zeuhl in general), so if you’ve heard Magma you probably know what to expect here. There’s even a cover of “De Futura” from Üdü Wüdü (with a drum machine instead of Christian Vander, hah), an excellent unreleased Magma song “Mekanik Machine”, and a reworking of “Soleil d’Ork” also from Üdü Wüdü. Jannick’s bass here is as nasty as it ever was, maybe even moreso than his days in Magma. Sound quality and production values vary a bit from song to song due to the nature of the compilation, but nothing too drastic. The album ends on a surprisingly dull note with the more subdued “Glas” but other than that it’s solid Zeuhl all the way.

Maneige – Libre Service – Self Service

Maneige

Libre Service – Self Service (1978 )

http://www.mediafire.com/?gngdjjcmx92

A later album from Maneige, one of the best-known Canadian prog bands. By this point they had almost entirely moved away from the symphonic sound of their earlier classic albums and are playing a kind of light fusion style, somewhat similar to Camel or some of the Canterbury bands. Unlike their previous work, the emphasis here is on shorter, less proggy compositions with more melody and short solos. Fortunately, as with all good fusion, it never becomes merely a showcase for how well these guys can play their instruments. There’s also some messing around with latin, reggae and funk influences that sometimes work and sometimes don’t. The album really gets going with the final four songs, which are among the best they’ve done (and are also the longest songs on this album). Lots of xylophone and flute to be found. Not necessarily as essential as their earlier albums, but a nice album anyway. One of the examples of a successful transition from prog to jazz rock.