Anna's revolution by Puzzle King
This text aims to present my first concept album Anna’s revolution : a progressive rock that plunges its roots in the 70's and spreads its foliage in the third millennium. As for the theme, it is set at the beginning of the twentieth century, during the Russian Revolution : Anna and Anatoli are struggling at a time favourable to extremist situations, behaviors and feelings. They try to preserve their love in spite of the war, in spite of the revolution.
Why did I choose the Revolution of 1917, a polemic topic, as a background to the story of Anna’s revolution ? Well, : in 1917, My paternal grandfather was 13 years old and was already a young worker. My maternal grandfather was a modest 18-year-old farmer. From France, they experienced the Russian Revolution as a great hope for all peoples. They supported with sincerity this fragment of humankind in search of dignity. Today, the revolution of 1917 has fallen into disgrace. It is easily condemned without further ado. To put the balance right and to distinguish myself from a musical sphere too often conformist and sanitized, I’ve decided to write Anna’s revolution.
Musical style :
Progressive rock. What's more difficult than to describe objectively one’s own music ? That's why I will not ... More specifically, I'll describe it all the same (you are reading these lines for that), but not impartially, this is not possible. You have been warned, let's go.
To enjoy my music, you must accept the loss of our traditional musical models (the famous "song" format). You must put a lot of youself in the listening and devote yourself to it exclusively for an hour and a quarter. And, ultimately, what a trip !
The freedom of compositions allows a successful combination of various musical genres (progressive rock, hard-rock, classical music, song), between calm passages and slamming sequences. They jump within each title without monotony or systematization and surprise the listener with their originality constantly renewed.
Despite these rhythm changes, the puzzle that is offered comes together seamlessly thanks to a captivating and intense story. It's a potential movie that keeps us in suspense in an atmosphere filled with emotion. And you find yourself enjoying a French text (for the French version of course), poetic and narrative, on a punchy rock music. Then, a decompression stage is needed, just after the last note of the album : a moment where one remains troubled and thoughtful, it's a sure sign that the challenge has been met.
To sum up, my music is free, saturated with emotion and with enchanting sensitivity. This is a “shivering music”. It can be described as cinematographic, progressive rock. However, for sure, it is away from fashions, it is not trendy. If you love Justin Bieber’s « positive attitude », this album is probably not for you. If your goal is to have fun on the dancefloor, this is probably not the right option. For all the others, listen !
Influences :
Progressive rock bands :
Genesis, Yes, Anathema, Pain of Salvation, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Sylvan, Moongarden, Mars Volta, Dream Theater, Saga, Galahad, Rush, Marillion, Kaïpa, Riverside, The Flower Kings, Lazuli, Nemo, Gazpacho, Blind Ego, Eureka, Unitopia.
Hard-rock or pop bands but always with a light background of prog :
Queen, Supertramp, AC-CD, Barclay James Harvest, Queensrÿche, Muse, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Faith No More, Journey, Boston, Kansas, Toto, Thin Lizzy, King’s X, Status Quo, Van Halen, Scorpions (with Uli Jon Roth), Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Fishbone, Foreigner, Maroon 5.
French music and more :
Jacques Brel, Georges Brassens, Jean Ferrat, Daniel Balavoine, Francis Cabrel, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Renaud, Téléphone.
Classical :
Erik Satie, Edvard Grieg.
Tracklist
| 1. | My name's Anatoli | 6:24 |
| 2. | Along the river | 8:05 |
| 3. | The soviet | 5:51 |
| 4. | Anna, me and the war | 5:53 |
| 5. | Live together | 6:45 |
| 6. | Blind and deaf | 5:07 |
| 7. | At the front | 6:05 |
| 8. | A beautiful morning | 7:01 |
| 9. | The mad warrior | 6:05 |
| 10. | In Petrograd | 2:47 |
| 11. | The assault | 6:55 |
| 12. | The drenched pavings | 5:41 |
| 13. | The great evening | 4:58 |
Credits
Nathalie Prost : Bass
Pierre Fournier : Clarinet
Yannick Thinon : Trombone
François Puzenat : Vocals, guitars, keyboards, programming, songwriter.
