Eden Rose was a french band from Marseille led by Henri Garella and Jean Pierre Alarcen who recorded only one album back in 1970. In 2003 Musea records has the brilliant idea to reprint "On The Way To Eden" with the addiction of a bonus track (not here). The progressive rock revolution had just started in England and France immediately followed it: Eden Rose followed it even more strictly. This album sounds more english than anyone else english band of the same period and here you can't find the classic french prog style. I could tell you more: this work is completely instrumental, so it could be confused for an english underground proto-prog release.
There are some classical elements, canterburian sounds and some jazzy interludes; everytime melody is clear and warm they remind me Procol Harum, but I found many relationship with Spring and Cressida music. My favourite tracks are "Faster And Faster", "Sad Dream", "Feeling In The Living" e "Walking In The Sea", but also the bouns track "Under The Sun" is really enjoyable and confirm the deep Procol Harum influence.
Sometimes the most interesting news come from the past: "On The Way To Eden" is a so bright example. Recommended.
Luca Alberici
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Eden Rose - On The Way To Eden
For one awful moment, I thought my rudimentary grasp of the French language would have to be called on to translate the gist of the CD booklet notes on the history of this fantastic early seventies band but, as usual, Musea provide an English translation a couple of pages in.
You may have heard of a band called Sandrose, a French progressive rock group very popular in the seventies. Prior to releasing an album (under the name of Sandrose), they recorded On The Way To Eden back in 1970 under the name of Eden Rose. Incredibly, Sandrose only released one album, in 1972, before they split in 1973, so this early work is a treasured discovery.
Hammond organ dominates the album, thus the comparison to the likes of Procol Harum and The Nice. Santana can be added to those two comparisons for the rhythm and keyboard sound and some of the guitar work. The melodies are bright and cheerful and the riffs very memorable. This is ‘good mood’ music with a hint of 60’s and 70’s kitsch. If you cast you mind back to Gerry Anderson’s series Stingray and Thunderbirds and other popular television shows such as Jason King/Department S, you may recall the occasional party scene full of hip and happening people grooving away to instrumental music predominated by Hammond. It wasn’t ‘pop’ and neither was it ‘serious’ prog such as King Crimson and Genesis, but it was often rather tasty. Eden Rose fits in with this category.
Thirty-three years on and the music sounds remarkably fresh and vibrant, even the Space 1999 style Feeling In The Living, which is a brilliant piece of music in fact, with some superb guitar licks.
Even if you only get this album because you are holding a party where something like Anekdoten would go down like a lead balloon, you are certain to be asked questions about it by your guests, and your ‘coolness’ would never be doubted again. Highly recommended.
Jem Jedrzejewski
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