"Malicorne (aka Malicorne II)" 1975

One of Malicorne's peculiarities was to keep on putting out eponymous LPs; their second was also simply entitled Malicorne [Hexagone CD 193.652 (1975)]; most critics call it Malicorne II. If Malicorne revealed a great band in the making, Malicorne II realized that potential marvelously. The choral richness of the group's harmonies are fully developed here, and Gabriel allows his full, round acoustic guitar playing to emerge, on such tracks as "Le garçon jardinier." Most importantly, the band is unusually tight and inventive; their arrangement of "J'ai vu le loup, le renard et la belette," for example, uses two dulcimers, an épinette des Vosges, a bouzouki and a mandocello to produce a merry jangle of harmonies, while violin and hurdy-gurdy take the lead and electric bass and tabor the rhythm. The other set of dance tunes begins with the completely traditional sound of the fiddle, but soon adds a fully realized arrangement featuring hurdy-gurdy, mandocello and bass. As for the songs, Malicorne's best-known piece of a capella harmonizing, "Marions les roses" is here, as are some classic songs in the vein of the first album's material: historical ballads, songs about courtship, and a brief taste of potentially supernatural motifs, which would become a trademark of the band in the future.

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