Bériau, Robert - Falling Back To Where I Began

Year of Release: 2005
Label: The Runner Studios/Ipso Facto
Catalog Number: ROB0005-IF2023
Format: CD
Total Time: 63:00:00

Private composer over the last 25 years, this Canadian musician has just released in December 2005 his first solo album.

Falling Back To Where I Began is an instrumental prog album (but the presence of nice melody lines replaces vocals very well), very spacey and mystical, that makes reference to the major events in everybody's lives. This is really a concept album as all 8 pieces go together with the same music, sound line and "mood." Robert Bériau's music is a fusion of progressive rock, jazz and classical, where he takes the best of each (like the spacey groove of progressive rock merged with grave, slow and ponderous movements in classical and speedy guitar notes from jazz) without their less appreciated aspects (brass timbre in classical and speedy envelope in free jazz).

It offers a pretty dosage of synthesizer, acoustic piano and guitar, electric guitar with special effects (re-routed sometimes within synths) and a subtle use of saxophones that reflect the declared influence of Van der Graaf Generator.

Two pieces request an outstanding mention and each will be remembered as "a classic": the superb early entry of the introductory track, "Anyone's Life: A Humble Story In Mankind," is a powerful, melodic piece, with magnificent "counterpoints" (to the many melodic lines) done by mellotron, "staccato" piano, electric guitar, phased saxophones and synthesizers. The crescendo at the end of the song is brilliant and charged with emotion; it introduces the 2nd song ... where sentiments left after the suicide of a close person is the subject! "The Cycle Of Love: Part 1 to 4," is a 25 minute masterpiece, as they sounded in the early seventies, where slowly building patterns, surrounded by sound-effects, create a unique, textural and theatrical music. Unique guitar sounds, mellotron and delayed bass, pushed by powerful drums, create magical moments in well placed situations. Listening to this piece is like riding a water wave, with its slow dark peaceful movements, and screaming saxes and melodic piano ("The Cycle Of Love Part 2: Teen Pain") growing slowly to high and percussive crests ("Part 4: Home: An Empty Nest"). Plus a heavy distorted guitar on a dark jazzy rhythm, leads to the piece finally ending with an acoustic grand piano and bass (where the bass is leading the melody!), supported by alto voices.

I really appreciate the homogeneity of this album and the perfection of the overall arrangement within songs. Everything flows in harmony for more than 1 hour of intelligent music!

Rating: Worth a nice 4.75 / 5

Tracklisting:
includes: Anyone?s Life: A Humble Story In Mankind / The Cycle Of Love: Part 1 to 4

Musicians:
Robert Bériau

Discography:
Falling Back To Where I Began (2005)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin CA

Added: January 5th 2006
Reviewer: Mike Bechard
Score:
Artist website: www.robertberiau.com
Hits: 3186
Language: english