''L'Heptade'' is the third and final album from
Harmonium
The pump organ is a type of free-reed organ that generates sound as air flows past a vibrating piece of thin metal in a frame. The piece of metal is called a reed. Specific types of pump organ include the reed organ, harmonium, and melodeon. T ...
, in which the band made a serious foray into
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
. It was released as a
double
A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another.
Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to:
Film and television
* Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character
* Th ...
-
LP in 1976. It remains one of the best-known popular music double albums in Quebec.
Album description
''L'Heptade'' is composed of seven core songs, in order: Comme un fou (Like a mad man), Chanson noire (Black song), Le premier ciel (The first heaven), L'exil (The exile), Le corridor (The hallway), Lumières de vie (Lights of life), and Comme un sage (Like a wise man). These seven songs were mainly written by the band leader
Serge Fiori
Serge Fiori (born March 4, 1952) was the lead vocalist and guitarist for Harmonium, a progressive rock band from Quebec. After Harmonium broke up he pursued a solo career.
Biography
Serge Fiori grew up in the Little Italy district of Montreal, ...
. The title, heptade, is the compound of two Greek affixes, hept- (seven) and -ade, which expresses both the notion of group (décade, pléiade) and epic movement (as in
Iliad
The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odysse ...
). Fiori mentioned, at the beginning of the live album of ''L'Heptade'', that the album, framed in seven songs, was evoking the journey of a man in one day through seven levels of consciousness; a rapid sigh of a man waking up, followed by steps on a cracked wooden floor can be heard in the prologue, the first musical movement preceding the first core song. A man preparing to sleep can be heard in the finale of the album.
Each of the seven core songs includes from two to six different melodies, often with lengthy solos. Serge Locat performs on synthesizers, especially at the end of "Le premier ciel", and on piano in "Lumières de vie". The voice of Serge Fiori's
falsetto
''Falsetto'' (, ; Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave.
It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous ed ...
(head voice), sometimes broken by emotion, creates an emotional intimacy.
["Harmonium L' Heptade"]
''AllMusic'' Review by François Couture His singing is often counterbalanced by a chorus formed by well-known Quebec singers of the time, including
Beau Dommage
Beau Dommage was a rock band from Montreal, Quebec, who achieved success in Quebec and France in the 1970s. The group's style included rich vocal harmonies and elements borrowed from folk and country music.
History
Beau Dommage started in 1972 a ...
's Pierre Bertrand,
Les Séguin's
Richard
Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Frankish language, Old Frankish and is a Compound (linguistics), compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language, Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' an ...
, and
Ville Émard Blues Band's Estelle Ste-Croix. The signature of Harmonium, that is, the rich sound of the 12-string guitar, still remains the backbone of a few songs, particularly in "Comme un fou" and at the end of "Le corridor". But ''L'Heptade'' offers a more sophisticated music than in the past. Lush arrangements, creative use of piano, electric piano, and synthesizers, and the sophistication of the melodies are some elements that set this album as full-fledged progressive rock.
The other musical titles listed on the album represent musical interludes of classical, minimalist signature. These interludes are the result of the collaboration between Fiori and classical music composer and teacher
Neil Chotem
Neil Chotem (9 September 1920 – 21 February 2008) was a Canadian composer, arranger, conductor, pianist, and music educator.
Works
Chotem's compositional style is tonal, and often incorporates elements of jazz and popular music. He comp ...
, and are played either by a single synthesizer or with the
Orchestre symphonique de Montreal
The Montreal Symphony Orchestra (french: Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, or OSM) is a Canadian symphony orchestra based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The orchestra’s home is the Montreal Symphony House at Place des Arts. It is the only orc ...
.
["Il y a 40 ans : Harmonium – L’Heptade"]
''Voir'', Olivier Boisvert-Magnen. 15 November 2016
The lyrics of the album are mainly based around the personal, inner conflict of the main character. A major theme, recurring in all songs of the album, is the antithesis of the world: the Black and White, the Light and Darkness, the Day and Night. The struggle to unite these antitheses, which the lyrics in the first disc of the double-album, suggest is the source of the character's internal conflict, leads to the realization in the second disc that these antitheses can be overcome through love, but that true appreciation of love appears to be possible only with an uplifting mind. In the original cover of the album, the only printed lyrics were a section of "Lumières de vie", where the character begs to be spoken of love in order to overcome both nights and days (''...Lumières de vie... parle-moi d'amour, assez pour éclipser les deux
a nuit, le jourpour toujours'').
Michel Normandeau, the co-founder of Harmonium, left the band at the beginning of the recording of ''L'Heptade''. He thus appears only as contributing to the guitar playing of the first song, as well to the lyrics in many songs of the album.
Production and performance
''L'Heptade'' was recorded in a country house belonging to the
Fiori family, in
Saint-Césaire
Saint-Césaire () is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department, administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine (before 2015: Poitou-Charentes), southwestern France. In the 1970s, a Neanderthal skeleton was found near Saint-Césaire. . The creaking of the old floor can sometimes be heard on the recordings.
At $90,000, the production of ''L'Heptade'' was, at the time, the most expensive ever in the Quebec music industry. While a large part of this amount was provided by a new contract signed with CBS, the musicians still had to contribute to the financing of the productio
Big Bang MagThe album was released in 1976.
During the long tour supporting this album, Harmonium was recorded performing in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
which was later edited and published under the name ''
Harmonium en tournée''.
The original matrix of the album was thought to have been damaged by a water
flood
A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...
in the offices of CBS. As a consequence, the 1990 CD reissue was done from a
vinyl record
A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts nea ...
. However these tapes were later found undamaged and a remixing and remastering project was done by Serge Fiori and Louis Valois
and released as ''L'Heptade XL'' in November 2016. It was released as l''Heptade XL'' on November 18, 2016 to mark its fortieth anniversary.
For the occasion, a new song, called ''C'est dans le noir'', which was recorded at the
National Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre (NAC) (french: Centre national des Arts) is a Arts centre, performing arts organisation in Ottawa, Ontario, along the Rideau Canal. It is based in the eponymous National Arts Centre (building), National Arts Centre build ...
in
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
during the original tour for the album, has been released on
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
.
On June 23, 2008 as part of
St. Jean Baptiste Day celebrations,
Gregory Charles
Gregory Charles, OC (born February 12, 1968) is a Quebec performing artist of Trinidadian and French Canadian origin.
Biography
Charles' father Lennox was a black anglophone of Trinidadian origin; his mother was a white francophone Canadian. Cha ...
, the
Laval Symphony Orchestra, the
World Choir, and several singers performed a re-orchestrated version of ''L'Heptade'' in
Laval, Quebec
Laval (; ) is a city in Quebec, Canada. It is in the southwest of the province, north of Montreal. It is the largest suburb of Montreal, the third-largest city in the province after Montreal and Quebec City, and the thirteenth largest city in C ...
. Charles had collaborated with
Neil Chotem
Neil Chotem (9 September 1920 – 21 February 2008) was a Canadian composer, arranger, conductor, pianist, and music educator.
Works
Chotem's compositional style is tonal, and often incorporates elements of jazz and popular music. He comp ...
prior to the latter's death.
Reception
The album was (and still is) one of the best-selling double albums in the history of Quebec popular music, selling over 100,000 copies after a few months. Nevertheless, at the time, it had less impact in Quebec than the two previous albums, because of the not-radio-friendly lengthy songs and the sophisticated melodies. Critics largely offered a warm reception to the album, particularly in the world of
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
, where it was praised well outside the borders of Quebec. Harmonium was invited to tour with
Supertramp
Supertramp were an English rock band that formed in London in 1969. Marked by the individual songwriting of founders Roger Hodgson (vocals, keyboards, and guitars) and Rick Davies (vocals and keyboards), they are distinguished for blending pro ...
in Europe.
''L'Heptade''s popularity grew in the Quebec musical scene, and the album has sold over 400,000 copies
"Certification quadruple platine pour L'heptade"
''La Presse'', 23 December 2016 since its release.
At the 2017 Polaris Music Prize, the album won the public vote for the Heritage Prize in the 1976-1985 category.["Tragically Hip album makes Polaris Heritage Prize list"]
''Toronto Star
The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...
'', October 25, 2017.
Track listing
All interludes by Neil Chotem. All music and lead vocals on the remaining tracks by Serge Fiori except where noted. All lyrics by Serge Fiori and Michel Normandeau except where noted.
Side one
# "Prologue" (interlude) – 4:20
# "Comme un fou" (music: Serge Fiori, Michel Normandeau) – 7:50
# "Sommeil sans rêves" (interlude) – 1:25
# "Chanson noire" – 8:12
#* "A. Le Bien, le Mal" (lyrics: Serge Fiori) - 3:39
#* "B. Pour une blanche cérémonie" (music: Serge Fiori, Serge Locat) - 4:32
Side two
# "Le Premier Ciel" – 11:19
#* "L'Appel" (Interlude) - 0:10
#* "Le Premier Ciel" - 11:09
# "L'Exil" – 12:56
#* "Sur une corde raide" (Interlude) - 0:17
#* "L'Exil" (lyrics: Serge Fiori) - 12:39
Side three
# "Le Corridor" - 8:10
#* "Le Corridor" (lead vocals: Monique Fauteux) - 6:33
#* "Les Premières Lumières" (Interlude) - 1:37
# "Lumières de vie" – 14:12
#* "A. Lumières de nuit" - 6:59
#* "B. Éclipse" (instrumental) (music: Neil Chotem) - 1:27
#* "C. Lumière de jour" (instrumental) (music: Serge Locat) - 3:09
#* "D. Lumière de vie" (instrumental) (music: Serge Fiori, Serge Locat, Louis Valois) - 2:38
Side four
# "Comme un sage" – 14:04
#* "Prélude d'amour" (Interlude) - 0:41
#* "Comme un sage" (lyrics: Serge Fiori) (lead vocals: Serge Fiori and Estelle Ste-Croix) - 13:23
# "Épilogue" (interlude) – 2:50
Certifications
References
External links
L’Heptade XL website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heptade
1976 albums
Harmonium (band) albums
Concept albums