REVIEW: Janet Speaks French, The Planet Janet (7 Records)
- Dan Enright
I thought concept albums had died in the 70's with the Who, Hawkwind, and the Alan Parsons Project. Well, the disc by Janet Speaks French, The Planet Janet, is evidence that the art form is not entirely lost. And, it's got a sci-fi bent as well.
The booklet is designed like a comic book, with pages of the purported comic are reproduced inside. So are excerpts of a document "The Sychronization Manifesto" by the "villain" Enrico Mandini, as well as a couple of pages that set up the story by giving background on the band members/characters.
The songs themselves don't contribute to the story, although there are short inserts that carry claim to be radio broadcasts (WEMJ New Amsterdam) from the "events" being depicted. The music is quirky/classic rock that is amazingly unique considering how worked-over the genre is. The musicians are seasoned performers and songwriters and the production on the album, as well as the imagination for the album 's concept, is outstanding.
The band consists of:
Mike Levy (Destructo Lad) on bass/lyrics (he's billed as the band's "resident poet"). He's toured with Maynard Ferguson and his poetry has been featured on the NYC Transit System.
Sean O'Sullivan (Danger Boy) on vocals/keyboards He's the co-founder of the band and (despite a third grade singing disaster) he got the highest score in New York's public school system fourth grade Musical Aptitude test.
Chad Sonenberg (Molasses) guitars He's served as Ibenez Guitars' Southeast Clinic rep and his solo project Bent was featured in the February '94 Guitar Player magazine.
Dave Stern (The Wise Guy) on guitars/vocals The other cofounder of JSF, he adds guitar tunings, mandolins, and keyboards to create "atmosphere" on the album. He's also proud of having a month of vocal lessons with Michael Bolton (don't hold it against him) and co-writing a song with actor Jimmy Stewart.
Mark Ambrosino (no character name) on drums Mark's been playing professionally since the age of twelve and has worked on over a hundred studio projects including the Brecker Brothers and Patti LaBelle. He also specializes in digital sampling (which is featured on this album).
In conclusion? The more I listen to The Planet Janet, the more I like it. There isn't a better recommendation one can give to an album.
For more information on purchasing this disc, you can contact the distribution label Indi at 201-865-4100.
