Artist: French TV
Label: Self-released
Released: 2005
Length: 51:42
Rating: 4.6/5
French TV is an American band playing mostly in the RIO/avant-garde style, but to be honest, it’s hard to pin them down to just that category, because you can hear so many influences in their music. The only original member left from the early eighties, when the band got started, is bassist Mike Sary, who always manages to find capable musicians to play with him. This Is What We Do is their eighth studio album and, as far as I’m concerned, their best so far.
Since French TV is one of the most original and hardest-working bands in the US, it’s even harder to explain why they’re so under the radar, both in the US and elsewhere. Mike Sary even stopped looking for labels to put out their albums and started his own instead.
The album kicks off with a song with a typically (for French TV) abstract title and music that matches it perfectly. There are loads of rhythm changes and just as many mood swings, from meditative parts to angry and goofy ones. This composition shows off everything that’s great about the band. They can pack so many emotions and styles into a single track that you can only marvel at it. The follow-up is much the same. Ska Face starts with a ska rhythm but soon turns into typical French TV madness. Next comes My Little Cicada, where we get eerie mellotron parts that nod to King Crimson, and when the reeds and winds kick in you can hear the Henry Cow influence too. The transitions are smooth again, and later in the track there’s some gorgeous violin playing (Chris Smith), plus standout Hammond organ and guitar parts. Look at the Bears at times reminds me of Happy the Man, and at other times of Emerson, Lake and Palmer or Henry Cow. It’s another track with great energy, and I’m not surprised they love playing it live. To close out the album, they saved one more treat with an unusual title. It starts out as a great fusion workout, then the mood shifts plenty of times, but they always come back to that original level of excitement.
French TV draw on so many different sources that it sometimes feels like a mash-up of genres and influences, yet that mash-up feels completely natural and the music flows without a hitch. Bands usually struggle to handle so many genres and to jump between them, but for French TV it seems dead simple. One moment you can hear pure jazz-rock, the next ska, then symphonic rock in the style of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, sometimes there are Mexican and Eastern influences, and other times they sound wildly experimental. In their music I hear the influence of many other musicians – Zappa, Hatfield and the North, Henry Cow, Samla Mammas Manna, Happy the Man, Van der Graaf Generator… – but I think their main goal is to create music with a character of its own.
I have no complaints about the playing or the sound on the album. The band’s leader, Mike Sary, is a crazy bassist. He can often get lost in the sea of keyboards and reeds and winds, but when you do hear him, he’s always spot-on and interesting. With his mountain of keyboards and reeds and winds, Warren Dale is perhaps the most noticeable musician on the album. He knows how to conjure up just the right atmospheres, and he can also play fast as the wind on the synth and Hammond organ. Chris Smith is just as convincing with his Fripp-like style – reserved but always in control. He also contributes some important violin parts. The last piece of the puzzle is drummer Jeff Gard, who is solid and fitting in what he does. There are also a few guests on the record, the most notable being Paolo Botta (Yugen), who joins French TV when they play in Europe.
I don’t think it’s possible for French TV to put out a bad album. They simply have the right feel for combining good melodies with experimental parts. It would be hard for me to pick just one album that’s closest to my heart, but if someone forced me, I’d probably go with This Is What We Do. I don’t know exactly why, it just feels like everything clicked here. French TV only get better with the years, and I can’t wait for the next album.
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French TV is an American band playing mostly in the RIO/avant-garde style, but in all honestly, it is hard to categorize them with just this term as their music is influenced by so many different things. The only original member left from the group that started out in the early 80s is bass player Mike Sary who always manages to find competent musicians to play with him. This Is What We Do is their 8th studio album and as far as I’m concerned, their best to date.
Seeing as French TV is one of the most original and prolific American bands, it is hard to account for their lack of recognition, both in America and everywhere else. Mike Sary even gave up looking for a label to sign them and instead opted for releasing their albums on his own label.
The album starts with a song with a typically (for French TV) abstract title with music that fits the abstract moniker perfectly. There are many changes of pace and different moods, from meditative to furious and quirky. This piece exhibits everything that’s great about French TV. They are able to incorporate so many emotions and styles into just one composition. The next piece fits that bill as well. Ska Face starts with a ska beat, but it soon transforms into a typical French TV frenzy. The album continues with My Little Cicada, where we hear some eerie Crimson-like mellotron passages and Henry Cow reed and wind work. The transitions between these parts is again effortless and later on in the composition we hear some fine violin playing by Chris Smith and some amazing Hammond and guitar parts as well. Look at the Bears reminds me in parts of Happy the Man, in other parts of ELP or Henry Cow. This is another composition with great energy and it’s no wonder that it’s one of their concert favourites. For the end of the album, they saved another corker with an unusual title. It starts off as a great fusion workout, then goes through several steadier moods, but always returns to the original level of enthusiasm.
French TV draw from so many musical wells that their music sometimes seems like a collage of different genres and influences. However, this collage seems completely normal and the music flows without any disruptions. Usually, bands find it difficult to master so many genres and switch between them, but with French TV it seems easy. Sometimes, you may hear straight-out jazz-rock, sometimes ska, sometimes symphonic rock in the ELP style, on occasion you may even hear Eastern and Mexican music influences, while at other times they sound very experimental. I hear many influences from other musicians in their music – Zappa, Hatfield and the North, Henry Cow, Samla Mammas Manna, Happy the Man, Van der Graaf Generator… – but I think that they mainly strive to create music with its own character.
The playing and the sound on the album is beyond reproach. The band leader, Mike Sary, is a monster bass player. He may sometimes get lost in the sea of keyboards and reeds and winds, but when you do hear him, he is always precise and intriguing. Warren Dale is perhaps the most noticeable musician here, with his array of keyboards and reeds and winds. He knows how to create atmospheres and also play lightning fast on the synth and Hammond. Chris Smith is a sublime guitarist who continues in the Robert Fripp tradition of reserved yet totally controlled playing. He also contributes some hugely important violin parts. The final piece of the puzzle is drummer Jeff Gard, who is very solid at what he does. There are also some guest musicians on the album, most notably Paolo Botta (Yugen), who also plays with French TV when they tour Europe.
I think it’s impossible for French TV to record a bad album. They simply have such a great feel for balancing the good melodies and the experimental passages. It is hard to choose just one favourite French TV album, but if I was forced into it, I would have to say that This Is What We Do is my personal favourite. I don’t really know why, it just seems that they got all the ingredients right for this one. French TV just keep getting better, so I eagerly await their next release.
Lineup
Mike Sary – bass, vocals
Warren Dale – keyboards, reeds and winds, hammers
Chris Smith – guitars, violins, exotic plucked instruments
Jeff Gard – drums
Guests:
Steven Dale – trumpet (1 & 2)
Pam Thompson – trombone (2)
Paolo Botta – keyboards (3)
Production
Mike Sary, Warren Dale
Track list
1. Colorless Green Ideas Sleep Furiously (10:19)
2. Ska Face (8:24)
3. My Little Cicada (11:48)
4. Look at the Bears (8:10)
5. Theme from ESPN X-treme (13:01)
