Dionysos - Le Grand Jeu (1970)

From Valleyfield, Quebec, Canada comes Dionysos who were the very first Quebecois rock band to record an album in ''joual'', Quebec's own slang heavy variation of street French. They recorded a 45 in 1969, a bluesy track called ''Suzie''.

In 1971 came their first album ''Le Grand Jeu'' playing a rough and heavy bluesy psychy prog rock topped by gruff vocals that would have been at home on such labels as Vertigo, Dawn or Neon. The second album "Le Prince Croule" came a year later and showed band in a more experimental and symphonic mode yet still heavy and raunchy. Both albums were produced by 60's teen idol Donald Lautrec which may explain album's low-fi sound shortcomings. Fans of early British organ driven hard/prog rock such as Uriah Heep, Deep Purple and Atomic Rooster should enjoy these early albums.

They disbanded in 74 only to regroup in 76 to record an eponymous album unofficially called ''Chang? d' Adresse''. Most of the early albums' roughness is gone and replace by a jazzier and poppier sound yet still progressive in places, making the album a bit more accessible. Despite a better production, the album lacks direction and for the second time band calls it quit. In 1978 bandleader Paul-Andr? Thibert records a ''solo'' album entitled ''Musique De Mes Amis Dionysos'' enlisting most of the band's members resulting in a fairly similar work to his band's preceding record. Thus logically ending up in their discography.

A third and final reunion took place in 1994 when 3 original members got together to do a small tour and re-record some old classics for a CD release called ''Pionniers 1969-94''. progarchives