(Review from frenchtvonline.com)

French TV is a band you can count on. Now with six albums under their belt, any new French TV album is always a load of fun and great playing. A fairly consistent band membership throughout the 90s, with the core of Sary, Zigoris, Robinson and Douglas contributes to the cohesive whole, with other members contributing on several tunes.

The album kicks in with “The Kokonino Stomp”, a dance suited for epileptics with diarrhea. This track is all over the place: the craziest stomping rhythm, constantly changing, and an angular melody line that is actually catchy. “The Secret Life of Walter Riddle” is even worse (or better) with its hilarious marching intro and strong surfbeat inclinations. Held together by a mood coming from old detective series, this piece is a sound orgy going from swing to circus music to cartoon music.

“The Odessa Steps Sequence” gives the listener a pause while bringing us back to a more straightforward progressive. A rendition of Volare’s track (featuring their drummer Brain Donohoe), this one transcends the original recording and pushes this tune one step further.

“Mail Order Quarks” starts like a fusion ballade but quickly turns into a fusion-esque Hawkwind drive or something like that. “Tiger Tea” takes a dive into calypso music, for 90 seconds or so, and then takes a progressive left turn, the first of a long series of strange mutations.

The album closes with a 22 minute monster rendition of the Zamla Mammaz Manna’s “Joosan Lost/The Fate”, a wonderful juxtaposition of symphonic melodies and all out improv noise with a lullaby like intro.

Line-up:
- Mike Sary / bass, percussion
- Dean Zigoris / guitar, keyboards, vocal, percussion, synth guitar, noise, analog synthesizer
- Bob Douglas / drums (1,5)
- Greg Acker / flute, sax, Hawaiian nose flute, percussion (1,3-5)
- John Encifer / keyboards
- Eugene Chadbourne / banjo
- John Robinson / keyboards, ’1/4″ jack noise’ (1,3,5,6)
- Brian Donohue / drums (2,3,6)
- Steve Good / saxes, clarinets (2)
- Chris Vincent / drums, vocal, percussion & “Popsicles” (4)
- Cathy Moeller / violin (4)
- Kirk Davis / vocal, percussion, “unbridled enthusiasm” (4)

Track List:
01. The Kokonino Stomp – 4:40
02. The Secret Life of Walter Riddle – 8:13
03. The Odessa Steps Sequence – 8:41
04. Mail Order Quarks – 10:26
05. Tiger Tea – 12:15
06. Joosan Lost-The Fate – 21:40

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