Guy Duris was born on the Left Bank, raised in heady French sunshine, and matured in the halls of European culture. A modern minstrel, he wandered and sang his songs, and began a romance with the ancient Arabic guitar, the oud. Journeying eastward, his music turned to the East. In Iran, he met Farshid Golesorkhi, the scion of a respected Persian family. Farshid, decorated by the Shah of Iran for his drumming, felt that Eastern rhythms could be applied to Western music. He found an eager co-experimenter in Guy.
Together they travelled - Guy with his guitar and oud, Farshid with his dumbeck drums. Working their way Westward, they returned to Paris, where they met Bruno Giet, a Belgian pilot and guitarist. Radio Luxembourg's progressive pop sound had shaped Bruno's musical ideas, and he moved Guy and Farshid into rock.
Soon the three members of The Orient Express undertook another voyage - to the United States. In New York's East Village they solidified their music into the many-faceted sound you hear on this album. The marriage between Eastern and Western musical forms could easily become a self-conscious hybrid, but The Orient Express has smoothly and honestly achieved the merger individually and as a group.
Instead of mixing cliches of each form, they have deeply explored each music, and exposed the profound similarities between their cultures... at once creating a highly original music and a timeless one.
Like the train whose name they bear, The Orient Express travels easily from West to East and back again, maintaining their individuality and integrity all the way.
Tracks
1. Fruit of the Desert (Duris) - 2:54
2. Dance for Me (Duris) - 2:47
3. Layla (Duris, Golesorkhi) - 3:41
4. Birds Of India (Duris, Giet) - 3:49
5. Train To Bombay (Duris, Giet) - 2:50
6. Caravan Of Silk (Golesorkhi) - 2:45
7. Azaar (Golesorkhi) - 4:30
8. For A Moment (Giet) - 2:06
9. Impulse (Forty-Two Drums) (Golesorkhi) - 4:48
10. A Little Star (Duris, Giet) - 2:25
11.Cobra Fever (Golesorkhi, Giet) - 2:29
The Orient Express
* Guy Duris - Electric Oud, Electric Sitar, Vocals
* Bruni Giet - Electric Minitar, Vocals
* Farshid Golesorkhi - Electric Melodica, Dumbek, Tympany, Vocals
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Nice. But they are from another part of world....
ReplyDeleteHi Guinea Pig,
ReplyDeletethere's a point in your words,
let's say they're on the verge between East and West, there are some tracks that clearly refers to more traditional Eastern forms, but there are also some others with psychedelic western elements (Layla, Cobra Fever) or some blues shuffle (For a moment).
The Orient Express' sole LP from 1969 stands today as an early experiment in world fusion — and a pretty successful one at that, at least artistically. Originally released on Mainstream in 1969, they only 35 minutes for posterity, but these minutes are filled with interesting ideas, the frantic strumming of opener, “Fruit of The Desert” establishes a driving rhythm that effectively captures the feeling traveling on the titular train that provided the band’s moniker.
ReplyDeleteListening to Guy Duris sing his French lyrics to “Dance for Me” over an Eastern backing is just one of the many disorienting album and, like a journey on the fabled train, there are twists and turns and unexpected surprises around every corner.
The mystical aura of “Birds of India” and “Caravan of Silk” will leave more than visions of hookah-smoking caterpillas dancing in your head, while “Train to Bombay” and “For A Moment” deliver some of their most westernized arrangements they’re giddy little pop numbers that might actually have made some noise on the singles charts to help introduce the band to a wider audience. (Unfortunately, the marketing geniuses at Mainstream failed to recognize the importance of using singles to sell albums and they declined to release any from the album.) The other tracks are instrumentals ranging from Indian-tinged psychedelic tunes to crosses between French pop and Middle-Eastern classical music.
Σε ευχαριστώ πολύ για το "upgrade" Μάριε.
ReplyDeleteBased on the sample track, this album sounds brilliant. I've always loved "world music" and "fusion" experiments, and Orient Express seems to fit the bill nicely. Many thanks, Marios, for furthering my education yet again.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant stuff ! Thanks very much...
ReplyDeleteMany thankx for this.
ReplyDeleteΚαταπληκτικος δισκος,ειμαι λατρης της παραδοσιακης μουσικης απο ολο τον κοσμο,ιδιαιτερα της ανατολικης.Ευχαριστω πολυ Μαριε.
ReplyDeleteThe link is dead.Could you mind to fix it?Thanks a lot!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThanx a lot!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletemayblitz, Orient Express 1969 ....updated
ReplyDeleteGuy...RIP...crazy genius...I knew him well, as he was my father's best friend.
ReplyDeleteExcellent --much appreciated Marios!!
ReplyDelete