Halloween part II (Pulsar, 1977)

The second part of this wonderful suite (for part 1 introduction, please search this blog) of French band Pulsar features as good and varied music as the previous installment. This B-side suite is divided into five movements: a) Lone Fantasy, b) Dawn Over Darkness, c) Misty Garden Of Passion, d) Fear Of Frost, and e) Time, for a total duration time of 18:40 minutes. This composition surely deserves an in-depth description.

The first section is mellow and mostly acoustic, full of mysterious and almost spacey sounds, while the second one is a perfect specimen of symphonic rock, also including some good vocals, and this same fully progressive mood goes on during the third section. The following passage is more varied as it includes some harsh sounds and the rythm rises at places, generating a pleasant constrast with the most peaceful moments of the track. The finale brings back an arcane and suspended atmosphere, probably the band's trademark. Once again, this is very, very good prog.

Halloween part I (Pulsar, 1977)

If you like dark and mysterious tracks, with a sad atmosphere and lots of 12 string guitars and keys, this is your track! I adore the slow, foggy, lunar sound of this suite from the French band Pulsar, leading me through a ghostly land, where childhood and evil walk side by side. This first part of "Halloween" includes four movements: "Halloween Song", "Tired Answers", "Colours of Childhood" and "Sorrow in My Dreams", being the first two instrumental tracks and the first one an adaptation of the Irish traditional "Londonderry Air". The child's spoken intro is also fascinating. The background sound is provided by Jacques Roman's keyboards (mostly synths and mellotron), but other acoustic instruments enrich the suite and draw its special, somber flavour: vibes, timbal, flute, piano, cello, violin, clarinet and so on.

Doesn't this cover say it all?

The lyrics (in English) add some more nostalgy and fear, suggesting bloody secrets hidden under the purity of childhood. So, you have idyllic scenes lake this one:

Gentle dreams in fading blue

Summer dusk in golden green

Feeling turned to season hues.

And such disturbing pictures:

 

Rumbling waters underneath

Gleamed with many dizzy whirls my head spins

Bulging eyes staring at me

Chilled my spine, their spell holds me tight.

 

 

This composition requires a taste for classical inspired prog, but believe me when I say that it touches me each time I listen to it.