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Hugh Hopper - Volume 2 Franglo Band (CD)

Genre: Prog rock
Release Date: 25th August 2014

Label: Gonzo
Catalogue Number: HST241CD
Price: £9.99


Hugh Hopper - Volume 2 Franglo Band

Hugh Hopper started his musical career in 1963 as the bass player with theDaevid Allen Trio alongside drummer Robert Wyatt.  There can be few other free jazz bands of the era with such a stellar line-up. Unlike other legendary ensembles such as The Crucial Three (a Liverpool band from 1977 which featured three musicians who were to go on to enormous success) the Daevid Allen Trio actually played gigs and made recordings.

All three members ended up in Soft Machine, which together with Pink Floydwas the ‘house band’ of the burgeoning ‘Underground’ movement which tried so hard to turn British cultural mores upside down for a few years in the latter half of the 1960s.  (Hopper and Wyatt had also been in another legendary Canterbury band called The Wilde Flowers).  Hopper stayed with Soft Machine (for whom he was initially the group’s road manager) until 1973 playing at least one session with Syd Barrett along the way.

During his tenure the band developed from a psychedelic pop group to an instrumental jazz rock fusion band, all the time driven by the lyrical bass playing of Hugh Hopper.

After leaving the band he worked with many pillars of the jazz rock fusion scene such as: Isotope,Gilgamesh, Stomu Yamashta and Carla Bley.  He also formed some co-operative bands with Elton Dean who had also been in Soft Machine

This is the second of a ten part series compiled by Michael King, a Canadian Hugh Hopper Scholar. He writes: “My first encounter with the music of Hugh Colin Hopper backdates to the summer of 1976. While visiting a friend I was intentional played a record titled Volume Two from a British rock group about whom I knew little, The Soft Machine. The experience was staggering and prompted a radical reappraisal for the conventions I had been conditioned to accept as ‘Progressive’. Once smitten I undertook to follow and purchase a spate of seriously inventive record albums that Hugh Hopper released and appeared on, namely; Hoppertunity Box, Rogue Element, Soft Heap, Cruel But Fair and Two Rainbows Daily. Throughout these works I found Hugh’s textural bass guitar by turns anchored and animated the music with ample good taste. Here was a rarefied musician who avoided overplaying his instrument in favour of approaches reflecting his personal musical Zen”.

Technically, by processing his bass guitar with fuzz box, flanger, wha-wha, octave pedal effects, his use of tapes loops, and latterly computer programming, Hugh constructed multilayer soundscapes with great attention to detail. His creative template embraced aesthetics well beyond the orthodox roles assigned to the bass guitar and its practitioner. As example, Hugh cleverly adapted the time altering effects of the repetitive tapes loops he was creating with two tape recorders in the early sixties - to his bass guitar - by playing such repeating patterns in real time. Furthermore, minimalist mutations and modularity often characterize the rhythmic, harmonic, melodic foundations of Hugh’s musical compositions (many displaying melody lines of uncommon length). These aspects, alongside a brilliant capacity to freely improvise, (dynamically from a whisper to a roar) distinguish Hugh Hopper as a consummate musician of great standing, one who thrived in myriad musical settings”.

This ten part series is to compliment an heretofore large body of work (over sixty titles) by presenting previously unreleased concert and studio recordings, with the focus on Hugh’s compositions as performed by groups under his leadership.


Tracks:

 



 Review: German review translated


Hugh Hopper / Frangloband

Playing time: 70:32 
Format: CD 
Label: Gonzo Multimedia, 2014 
Style: Fusion, Jazz
Review on 10/23/2014 Joachim 'Joe' Brookes


"Frangloband" is the second part of Hugh Hopper -Anthologie from Gonzo Multimedia. The present plate documents a concert at the Paris Le Triton from 13.03.2003. The Franglo band (or FrangloBand) was one of the projects of the Soft Machine / Soft Machine Legacy -Bassisten Hugh Hopper . Almost all the songs played here are from the pen of the protagonist. "Mr. Syms" was written by John Coltrane written.
The FrangloBand there were from 1999 to 2005, but "Actually Played only six gigs in as many years." So the accompanying writer Aymeric Leroy . One should mention at this point that the booklet compared with Memories is down considerably narrower. The double-page spread in the inner part is covered with said, informative text and on the back there is a photo montage with all the musicians involved.
The concert begins with "Facelift" and after a sensual soprano saxophone beginning brings Hugh Hopper 's driven by the fuzz bass used. The nearly thirteen minutes of play are a huge-compelling mixture of prog jazz and fusion. 
The tasteful, sometimes furious solos from saxophone or the outstanding guitarist Patrice Meyer are remarkable. Needless to say, is not given here for the entire season gas. Spherical-floating phases accompany the solo activities and already during the first track we become aware with what great musicians you have to do it here.
If the opener shone with progressive jazz, then the following "Lonely Sky And The Sea" probably more traditional jazz modern style. Wonderfully structured melodies mingle with it alone, in which the French guitarist turns to even the blues in a flash. This piece is largely the playground of Patrice Meyer .Incredible Fretboard rides are typical of his style presented here. But also in this piece can bring gentle tones to sound the six string wizard.
Prior guitarist for "Lonely Sky And The Sea" in the foreground, it is in the fusion number "Sliding Dogs" definitely Hugh Hopper . What he creates on his instrument, are sound-cascades which a psychedelic base to Pierre-Olivier Govins give extravagant saxophone antics on the woodwind. 
This kind of music needs space and even the piece last mentioned, with its nearly seven minutes real masterpiece.
The song "Shuffle Demons' experiences on this album almost a remake, because it was already included in the tracklist of" Memories ". What is now preferred version, each listener must decide for themselves. From my perspective, the race goes to the first place a draw, because both issues have their musical charm. The very groovy finale is just great and distributed in the piece Twin sounds are great. 
, not only because Didier Malherbe (among other things Gong ) is at "Miniluv" of the party, you can call this number as something special, special . The Tablas of Francois Verly and Didier Malherbebamboo flute give a Far Eastern accent that dominated the first few minutes and runs in a playful transformation like a red thread through the piece. It is really brilliant, as you can but incorporate different themes in the song.
John Coltrane's "Mr. Syms" devoted Hugh Hopper , according to Aymeric Leroy's text, Pip Pyle (National Health , Hatfield And The North ) and the number is a successful interlude of a song that is not by Hugh Hopper was composed. 
Concert presents, among other pieces on his time with Soft Machine or isotopes go back.
The first two editions of the ten-part Hugh Hopper -Werkschau are extremely entertaining and important. What kind of genre, the artist has also served, there is always something special to listen to him and his multitude of accompanying musicians.
Line-up:
Patrice Meyer (guitar), 
Pierre-Olivier Govin (saxophones), 
Hugh Hopper (bass), 
Francois Verly (drums, tablas) Special Guest: Didier Malherbe (bamboo flute, soprano saxophone - # 7) 


Tracklist
01: Facelift (12:48) 
02: Lonely Sky And The Sea (13:06) 
03: Mr. Syms (8:31) 
04: Sliding Dogs (6:45) 
05: Shuffle Demons (8:35) 
06: Wanglo Saxon (10:17) 
07: Miniluv (10:31) (all songs by Hugh Hopper except, # 3 by John Coltrane)

 Review: fRANGLOBAND REVIEW


In the second volume of Gonzo’s Hugh Hopper collection fans get a peek at Hopper while performing with his Frangloband. Like the last album you get 7 tracks that feature great horn work, splendid guitar ramblings, and a cornucopia of other sounds you’ll have to pinpoint for yourselves. 
 
I especially enjoyed the first song on the album, Facelift. Imagine a lost track from the Lethal Weapon era. Moody horns placing you in the Hollywood of yesteryear where horns and guitar stood side by side. The song is very hip and easily separates itself form the rest of the album. The only other song that comes close is Shuffle Demons with it’s Detroit feel and classic rock jazz drum sound. Those have to be two of my favorites form the album. 
 
Hopper and his band cover Coltrane’s Mr. Syms in a live performance and set a contemporary tone with Lonely Sky and The Sea and Sliding Dogs. The album closes out with an odd mix of tribal spirituality and a classic blues rock like concoction. In any case, Hopper and Gonzo deliver again with a fantastic assortment of tunes that make for great listening. 

 Review: Belgium review translated


HOPPER, Hugh - Frangloband

/ Published on 05-10-2014 /
The second volume of the great fresco with Hugh Hopper by Gonzo Multimedia label leads us in the footsteps of Frangloband . This group has obviously a long history and the Paris concert in 2003 exposed here shows the whole evolution of this group used a medium of expression Hugh Hopper. Things back to 1985, when Hugh Hopper out of a sabbatical and starts to rotate in the company of a group. This training is quite erratic in its composition and in its name. There are at first Dutch musicians in training six calledHopper Goes Dutch . When the French guitaristPatrice Meyer joined the group in 1989, Hopper renames all FrangloDutch Band .Live recordings with this combo lead to albums "Meccano pelorus" (1991) and"Hooligan romantics" (1994), some other extracts being associated with studio sessions on the album "Carousel" (1995). At the end of the year 90 the FrangloDutch Band lived and Hopper rotates with its last original member, saxophonist Frank van der Kooij . He returned some time later Meyer and creates a project 100% Frenchie, called therefore the FrangloBand. With confirmed jazzmen as Pierre-Olivier Govinand François Verly , will accompany the FrangloBand Hopper 1999-2005. With only six concerts in Paris and commuters in six years, one can not say not to say that the FrangloBand displays a record worthy of concert Ramones and Motörhead. But the live performances of Hopper and his French compensated by the scarcity of exceptional quality. We find here an example with this concert at Triton, small club of Common Lilac, east of Paris. We March 13, 2003 and the band delivers a concert based occasions Soft Machine ( "Facelift" ), John Coltrane ( "Mr. Syms" ) or 'd Isotope , Gary Boyle group where Hopper had happened ( " Sliding dogs " ). There are also excerpts from solo albums Hugh Hopper ( "Miniluv" and "Lonely sea and the sky" ).These securities are paving the way to long improvisations on saxophone, with the support of an elastic rhythm section served by the textures bass Hugh Hopper, flexible and powerful. From time to time, Hugh Hopper is for the public to announce the songs, revealing a perfect command of French. long beaches that run this disc are exciting, burying the listener into a progressive jazz technically perfect. It is not surprising that the Frangloband was considered by Hugh Hopper as his favorite live band.

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