Record Reviews

DUVDEVAN ~ DUVDEVAN NOT ON LABEL ~ ISRAEL ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2002 - 2004 Released: 2009 Legendary Israeli Prog group DuvdevanFind albums by this artist is probably one the best kept secrets of the local scene, hidden for decades and now finally revealed to the public. Formed in Jerusalem in 1980 the group quickly established itself on the local scene as the best live act around, playing highly energetic mix of Blues, Prog and Jazz-Rock Fusion. The fact that the group was fronted by an electric violin made it especially attractive, as this was highly unusual with most groups being fronted by electric guitars and keyboards. Most of the group´s material was instrumental and included extensive improvisations by the three solo instruments: violin, keyboards and guitar. Unfortunately the group lasted only for a short period of time and disbanded, leaving almost no recorded material except for a few marginal radio recordings. The musical scene in Israel in the early 1980s was of course not exactly the proper ground for Prog, or any other non-mainstream activity, which made the sheer existence of groups like Duvdevan, or other ambitious ensembles active at a time (like Electric StageFind albums by this artist, Gan EdenFind albums by this artist and others), virtually a miracle with little survival probability. The moving force behind the original band was French-born keyboardist Yves TouatiFind albums by this artist, who immigrated to Israel in the mid-1970s. The other original group members consisted of violinist Danny TiberinFind albums by this artist, guitarist Eyal TaubenhausFind albums by this artist, bassist Arnon PaltyFind albums by this artist and drummer Rony HolanFind albums by this artist. After Duvdevan disbanded Palty left to the USA and Holan to France to study music and upon their return to Israel both became part of the local Jazz scene and both are still active. Duvdevan and its music would have been completely forgotten if not for the initiative of Arnon Palty to reunite all the original group members and professionally record the music played by Duvdevan, at the time when the group was originally active. This happened finally in the early 2000s, with the resulting music present on this album. Unfortunately the album was not released for several more years and had to wait until 2009 to be finally made available, after painstakingly being put together and produced by Palty. The album´s release was celebrated by several live performances by a new version of the group, which included three original members. Sadly at the same time the news of Yves Touati´s untimely death (he died in Paris) reached the group, casting a sad shadow on the celebrations. In retrospect the music of Duvdevan is some of the best Prog / Fusion ever played in Israel and an integral part of the country´s musical heritage, proudly standing shoulder to shoulder with such legendary recordings as the debut albums by ZingaleFind albums by this artist, SheshetFind albums by this artist and others. The fact, that this music is now available, albeit 30 years after its original timeframe, should make all fans of Israeli music quite happy. An absolute must for all Israeli Prog fans!

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ZINGALE ~ PEACE EARSAY 050 ~ ISRAEL ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1975 Legendary album by the Israeli group ZingaleFind albums by this artist, who mixed Prog and Psychedelic elements to create the first true Prog record recorded in the country. It`s also the most famous Israeli album among Prog collectors around the world. The music was very innovative for the period and their reputation is well deserved.

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ZINGALE ~ THE BRIGHT SIDE NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 634479880407) ~ ISRAEL ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2008 Released: 2009 The two founding members of the legendary Israeli Prog band ZingaleFind albums by this artist: guitarist / singer / composer Ephraim BarakFind albums by this artist and bassist / singer / composer Udi TamirFind albums by this artist, reunited 30 years after the original band disappeared from the local scene and revived the band, recording this new album. Zingale caused quite a stir in the late 1970s and their only album recorded at the time, called “PeaceFind albums with this title”, is considered a Prog masterpiece among the genre’s collectors all over the world to this very day. Barak and Tamir worked together for months to write the new material and later added drummer Barak Ben-ZourFind albums by this artist to complete the lineup, which recorded the music. The new album was initially available only as digital download, but demand from fans all over the world prompted the band to release the album in physical format. As to the music, it is obvious that the band faced an enormous challenge trying to follow and recreate the success of their legendary debut album after so many years. Therefore the band took the right decision to open a new page and create new music, essentially different from their earlier effort. The music here is completely up to date, using a wide array of instrumentation (overdubbed guitars and keyboards) in order to create a rich orchestral sound of Symphonic Prog, with the dual vocal parts (in English) overlaid on top of the complex instrumental layers. Although the spirit of YesFind albums by this artist hovers somewhere in the background, this music is quite original, sometimes mystic, sometimes bombastic, as appropriate for Symphonic Prog at its best. The album is quite overwhelming at the first listening session and requires several attempts to absorb its content. Don’t give up, as eventually this will pay off big time. Fans of Symphonic Prog will eat this album alive and considering the reputation this band already has among Prog fans they don’t have to prove themselves. Definitely worth investigating!

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