(Review from gepr.net)

After a second and more lengthy silence, French TV re-surfaced in 1994 with their third album Virtue in Futility. It contains tracks “recorded sporadically” between July 1987 and October 1990. Diverse yet cohesive, most of the seven songs are supported on foundations of strong, engaging compositions built by talented musicians.

Often, one song will tread across many different styles. For example, “Clanghonktweet” opens with violin, piano and bass in classical rigidity, overlaid with a fusion-esque rhythm, later followed by a somewhat melancholy wind- synth solo, bound together in a matrix of proggy synth. After the wind-synth solo, the band jumps into a groove ala Jean-Luc Ponty.

“The Family That Oonts Together, Groonts Together” works through tight twisting riffs characteristic of Zappa’s excellent fusion work. “I’m Whining For That Baby of Mine” sounds like an improvisational blow across Henry Cow and Soft Machine fields. “Empate”, after a “contemporary” trumpet solo, plows headlong into an oncoming train of progressive fusion.

“Friends in High Places” is Sary’s political statement. A mash of tapes extracted from the Iran-Contra hearings, infused with synth and drum machines, the song portrays Sary’s anger with the covert deal gone awry.

Sary, no slouch on the bass, has coupled himself with a superb and tasteful drummer- the two make a powerhouse rhythm section to propel the music through the many surprising hairpin turns.

Line-up:
- Mike Sary / bass (1-5, 7), tapes (6)
- Fenner Castner / drums (1-5 & 7)
- Paul Nevitt / keyboards (1-3)
- Dean Zigoris / guitars (1)
- Artie Bratton / guitars (2-5, 7)
- Reid Jahn / WX7 Wind Synth (2), saxophone (4, 7)
- Gretchen Wilcox / violin (2)
- Jon Encifer / piano (2)
- Bruce Krohmer / saxophone, clarinet (3, 5)
- Richard Brooner / trumpet (3, 5)
- Howie Gano / Scream (3), spastic keyboard solo (5), keyboards (6), drum machine (6)
- Bob Ramsey / keyboards (5, 7)

Track List:
01. Hey! Real Executives Jump From The 50th Floor – 6:05
02. Clanghonktweet – 6:42
03. The Family That Oonts Together, Groonts Together – 7:45
04. I’m Whining For That Funky Baby Of Mine – 6:23
05. Empat’ – 7:55
06. Friends In High Places – 8:06
07. Slowly I Turn … Step By Step … Inch By Inch – 12:16

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