Nice final album from Clearlight
BENJAMIN MILER | Veneta, Oregon | 01/10/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"It's obvious that by 1976, Clearlight was having difficulties staying on a label, as it seemed Virgin were no longer interested in them (also you have to bear in mind that Virgin started to move away from prog rock in the late '70s, only keeping their most successful acts like Mike Oldfield, Tangerine Dream, and the likes on their roster, while turning to punk and new wave). Les Contes du Singe Fou was released on Isadora, a French subsidiary of RCA. That album is Clearlight's most "conventional" album, conventional that it sticks closest to traditional symphonic prog (including obvious reminders of Genesis' "Supper's Ready"). In 1978 comes Visions, Clearlight's final album (at least until more recent years). This time they were recording for Polydor, and for the cover art, Brazilian Sergio Macedo provided the artwork, and it has strong Eastern themes (including the locations of the seven chakras on your body), as Cyrille Verdeaux was studying Kundalini yoga. So it shouldn't surprise you any there's some Eastern influences in the music, including the use of sitar. Some New Age tendencies also surface, which I thought was the album's weak point. Some familiar figures show up on this album including Didier Lockwood, Didier Malherbe (Gong), Christian Boule, as well as assorted musicians I'm not so familiar with. "Spirale d'Amour" recycles a theme heard from Les Contes du Singe Fou, but also includes some rather intense fusion-influenced jamming as well. "Fullmoon Raga", as you might guess, explores raga, complete with sitar, before going into more fusion-oriented territory. The original LP ends with "Paix Profonde", which ends with chirping crickets that continue in the inner grove that plays forever in a loop (at least until you lift the needle). I really can't give this album a five star rating, some unfortunate New Age tendencies do surface. Not to mention this album is in no danger of beating Clearlight Symphony or Forever Blowing Bubbles, but at least Visions is still good, but go for those two albums first (also the Delired Cameleon Family album, for an even more twisted and sometimes not-so-serious side of the band)."
