Artist: Magma
Label: Seventh Records
Released: 1981
Rating: 4.8/5
In the eighties Magma were still breathing, and just as mightily as ever. Christian Vander always knew how to gather a bunch of talented musicians around him who could bring his ideas to life the way they deserve. Retrospektiw 3 presents three practically brand-new ideas, played live. There are so many highlights on this album that I can safely say it’s yet another masterpiece. The blend of minimalism, avant-garde, jazz, rock and opera works once again, and live, this so-called zeuhl takes on even bigger dimensions and more power.
Retrovision is a track that mixes new ideas with old ones. The intro is new, the melody is demonic, with a pronounced bass line and a blazing guitar. Later, when the vocals join in, the track turns more joyful. Vander’s drumming is once again unbelievably fast and precise. Then the joyful vocals tip over into a livelier version of Dondai from the album Attahk, which this time gets a soul makeover, courtesy mainly of new singer Liza Deluxe. That already kind of hints at the new stage in Magma’s development, which peaks on the album Merci. Magma completely take apart and rework the main Dondai theme, until one of the earlier motifs comes back around. A long rocker of a guitar solo proves that Magma really are a true rock band. After that they dive back into reworking melodies from the album Attahk. They develop those melodies and add a few new ideas. At times the music sounds like it’s straight out of hell (when Vander is on vocals), and at times divine (when you hear his wife Stella on vocals). For the finale, Magma saved a funky-soul-jazz jam that’s lightning fast and tight at the same time. Without the vocals it would remind me of Mahavishnu Orchestra. I’d never heard a Magma like this before. Funk, soul, r’n’b – all of that was new in their arsenal.
Hhai is by now one of the classics in Magma’s repertoire, ever since the album Live/Hhai, where Didier Lockwood shone on it, and he lends his violin skills this time too. This Hhai is an extended version with a longer vocal section and a longer instrumental section, where the solo violin again delivers some outstanding moments. Vander sings the solo vocal at the start like a true opera singer or a preacher, emotionally telling some story from the planet Kobaia. Once again it’s a wonderful combination of operatic zeuhl in the vocal parts and violin jazz rock (kind of like Jean-Luc Ponty) in the instrumental parts.
And finally, Dawotsin – a slow, hypnotic song in the style of Coltrane Sundia from the album Kohntarkosz. There are lots of repeating motifs that keep building on each other and growing in intensity.
Magma have once again proven that they’re unbeatable live. Once again they’ve recorded live tracks you won’t find on their studio releases, and all three are top-notch. Everything is played at such a level that all you can do is shake your head in disbelief. Magma “tore it up” in the 80s too. Recommended to all fans of the band who want to hear both their typical side and a different one.
Lineup
Christian Vander – piano (3), vocals (2), drums
Rene Garber – first lieutenant
Stella Vander – vocals
Liza Deluxe – vocals
Maria Popiewicz – vocals
Didier Lockwood – violin
Benoit Widemann – keyboards
Bernard Paganotti – bass (2, 3)
Guy Khalifa – vocals (1, 3)
Jean Luc Chevalier – guitar (1, 2), bass (3)
Jean Pierre Foquey – Fender piano(1, 2)
Francois Laizeau – percussion (1, 2)
Dominique Bertram – bass (1)
Production
Magma
Track list
1. Retrovision (Je Suis Revenu De L’Univers) 18:13
2. Hhai (Version Intégrale) 13:23
3. »La« Dawotsin 4:10
