TODAY'S ALBUM: No.7 (1st November 2011)

'Si On Avait Besoin D'une Cinquieme Saison' 

by Harmonium
(1975)

Hailing from Quebec, Harmonium started life as classically-influenced folk quartet led by the talented multi-instrumentalist Serge Fiore, releasing an acclaimed self-titled debut in 1973. However, it would be on this 1975 release, roughly translated as 'If We Needed A Fifth Season', that the group would boldly enter the prog-rock sphere, in the process becoming one of the most revered musical institutions to emerge from French-speaking Canada. 
If the modern history of rock and pop music has taught us anything, it is that the majority of groups develop along a path, usually growing from humble and simplistic origins into something much more special. Yet the transformation of Harmonium from simplistic folkies to full-blown symphonic prog-rock pioneers must go down as one of the most astonishing transformations so far. This album, along with the group's third and final release, 1976's 'L'heptade', are some of the most beautiful and evocative expressions the genre has ever produced, defying the fact that they are sung in French and appealing to progressive rock fans across the globe. The fact that Harmonium have produced just four full-length albums during their tragically-truncated career(three studio, one live) also shows just what a powerful effect they have had on those who have heard their albums, and the group harbour legendary status throughout Quebec and the rest of Canada. For many, however, Harmonium have been retrospectively discovered, which may well explain why they are now considered one of the seminal groups of the genre when, in their own time, they were generally ignored outside of their home nation. Whatever the reasons, they have since been identified as one of the key groups outside of the classic British set of Pink Floyd, Genesis, King Crimson and Yes and despite the lack of recent activity their stock continues to rise year-on-year as more prog fans discover their wonderfully original take on the progressive rock genre.
'Si On Avait Besoin D'une Cinquieme Saison' was recorded in Montreal during the latter half of'74 and throughout the early part of '75 before being released by the Canadian arm of Polygram several months later. The album is a complex concept piece featuring a song for each season and a fifth song for what the band described as the 'new' season. The style's on offer run the gamut from folk-inspired medleys, zydeco-inflected jaunt-pop and powerful symphonic rock, with the band's original acoustic sound emboldened by the addition of keyboards, flutes and the occasional electric guitar. There is, however, precious little percussion and absolutely no drums are evident whatsoever, giving the music a soft, organic flow that accentuated Fiori's graceful vocals. The fact that they are sung in French only seems to add to the whole mystery of the album, though, somehow, it doesn't detract from the overall meaning of the music, such is the clarity of the instrumentation on offer. 
The line-up for 'Si On Avait Besoin D'une Cinquieme Saison' would see Fiori(vocals, guitar) augmented by Michel Normandeay(vocals, guitar), Louis Valois(bass), Pierre Daigneault(flute, clarinet) and Serge Locat(keyboards) whilst singer Judi Richards would also appear on the album's longest track, the epic, eighteen-minute long 'Histoires Sans Parole'. 
The album's lyrics, which were written mainly by Fiori with assistance from Normandeau, hinted at a Canadian separatist ideology, whilst also embracing elements of fairy-tales and the fantastical. This is summed up by the artwork featured on the album sleeve, which at first glance seems to show a multi-coloured countryside scene populated by flower-decked humanoids. However, glance a little closer and the flowers surrounding them take on a more sinister turn, with strange, twisted faces, locked somewhere between smiling and grimacing, staring back with ominous glee. Much like the music, there is a undercurrent of both darkness and sadness here, a hidden factor which lends this ethereal and emotionally-charged album genuine pathos. Simply put, Harmonium's second album is amongst the most beautiful - and diverse - on offer throughout the entire progressive rock spectrum. Like all good examples of the genre it hovers around the defining lines that delineate each style, borrowing fragments of each to create a remarkable whole, remaining resolutely mysterious into the bargain and taking the listener through the full range of emotions, from upbeat melodies to darkly-wrought instrumental passages. 
Utterly original and completely compelling, 'Si On Avait Besoin D'une Cinquieme Saison' is the sound of a truly unique group creating truly unique music during a truly unique period in the history of popular music, and those who enjoy the folksier side of prog are advised to seek out this group with haste.


Key songs: Dixie, Depuis L'Automne, Histories San Paroles