Search - Harmonium :: Harmonium

A very good "Made in Quebec" album.

Guy Campeau | Stoneham, Québec Canada | 06/17/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This cd is a classic in the history of music for any citizen from the Province of Québec, in Canada. Acoutic guitars, vocal and a bass, most of the time without and drum kit.

The lyrics are great, in French or course.

Harmonium has a short history and a short discography, only four albums, which are quite different one from the other, but each of them worth the listening. If you like acoustic guitars, you will love this cd."

If Ever "Genius" Was A Word Applicable ...

J. Carney | 12/04/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"... to songwriting then this is as prime an example as one is likely to encounter.



One after another after another ... does this album ever stop!? It's just certified classic after certified classic. "Vielles Courroies" might well be in the top 20 most gorgeous songs of all time. The juxtaposition of sad, weepy piano weaving its way through your heart into the diatonic sounds of harmony vocals and flute soaring through the sky alongside the backing is nothing less than extraordinary. Serge Fiori is a freaking genius if there ever was a songwriter worthy of that description. Some of these songs are so good they will leave you breathless.



Best heard on vinyl, IMO, but the CD release is decent. I think it was probably digitally dehissed as it sounds a bit sterile compared to the vinyl and has an extremely low hiss level, but just get it if you can't spin a record. You need it, the end."

Pretty modest debut, more folk than prog

BENJAMIN MILER | Veneta, Oregon | 05/12/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Harmonium was like the Strawbs in that they started off as a folk band and then later explored the Mellotron and more progressive realms. While the Strawbs continued to stick to the 4-5 minute song format (no side-length epics ever) even during their more progressive phase, Harmonium were not afraid to explore anything up to side-length epics. And even during their more progressive moments from both groups, their folk influences still shone through. Aside from that neither the Strawbs nor Harmonium sound alike. The Strawbs took about five or so albums to become progressive, while it only took Harmonium with their second release, Les Cinq Saisons to become progressive.



In 1974 was their debut, with Serge Fiori, Michel Normandeau, and Louis Valois with a drummer as a guest on some of the cuts. For most part, this is not a particularly progressive album, but it's still a good album in its own right, although "Aujourd'hui Je Dis Bonjour à la Vie" shows a more progressive leaning that the band will explore on following albums, although no Mellotron. In fact, it's largely acoustic guitars, and some of it reminding me oddly of ELP's "From the Beginning", perhaps the way the guitars were strummed. Some of the songs on this album were actually hits in Quebec, especially "Harmonium" and "Pour un Instant". Non album single "100.000 Raisons" was also a hit, and included as a bonus cut on the CD reissue. As you gather, this is largely a folk album, although for some reason I detect some minor psychedelic tendencies in a couple of the pieces, like on "Si Doucement". Much of the album tends to be rather upbeat, a huge, stark contrast to L'Heptade, two albums later, released about two and half years after their debut. While acoustic guitars dominate, flute, piano, and electric piano are used some.



While the prog community look to their following releases, Les Cinq Saisons, L'Heptade and its 1977 live counterpart En Tournée (which was recorded in 1977, but not released until 1980 after the group broke up), this debut is still a nice album to have to see where these guys started, plus there are several great songs making this a worthwhile album to have."