Intestinal Fortitude

• Artist: French TV
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1995
• Genre: Rock

Review

Mike Sary plays bass and Stick. Crazy, wild jammin' abounds on this one. Guitarist Tony Hall contributes two songs: "Perseids," 14:12, and "Black Day, White Light," weighin' in at 9:34. Talented keyboardist Captain John Robinson gives FTV a fuller, orchestrated, slick, Zappa/Minnear/Dave Stewart feel. We begin the joyride on "Um Tut Strut" with a carnival calliope carousel in a Zappa vein, Raymond Scott twists with rockin' musicians. Is this a CW Vrtacek tribute? Back to outer space; you drift away in a Happy the Man/Yes outro with flute/guitar overlays. Vocals appear in the madrigal Hatfield and the North mien appear on "No Raven Tonight." They're done in Elizabethan Gryphon style. They even do the PFM chat-sing as well, backed up with Brand X/Canterbury keys and violin/flute interplay. We also rock out in a Peter Banks-battles-Eddie Van Halen way and finale in a true Genesis/Hackett moment. They outro with nightmare-cool Beatles-type "I am the Walrus" crowd buzz. Hall's "Perseids" is a three-part piece beginning with a syncopated PFM/Curved Air shuffle in the Dixie Dregs ballad flow. Part two is acoustic guitar with flute work in a drifting bass, relaxed groove. ELP Lucky Man keys build to finish, replacing the flute. Part three is early Blue Oyster Cult with vocals. Hall strikes again with track four in a King Crimson meets Ozric Tentacles meets Magma composition. "The Souls of the Damned Live in Failed Works" has the eerie circus keys, free jazz guitars and sax all ambling along, twisting, turning doing the Zappa/Magma thing. Last (listed) track is "Pioneers over 'C'," a well crafted redo of a Van der Graaf Generator song. ~ John W. Patterson, All Music Guide

Credits

French TV (Main Performer)