Pollen

Coming from Lyon, France, Pulsar was formed in the early 70s by keyboardist Jacques Roman, guitarist and vocalist Gilbert Gandil, bassist Philippe Roman, drummer Victor Bosch and fl autist Roland Richard. Th ey have the distinction of being the fi rst foreign band signed by Caravan manager Terry King to his Kingdom label. Pollen was released by Decca Records in 1975 (UK release was 1976). Th e short, perhaps autobiographical “Pulsar” opens; it’s a slice of spacey rock à la Eloy (more so than Pink Floyd) that ultimately dips into the gentle trance of the following “Apaisement.” Augmented with acoustic guitar, Roman’s soothing French-language vocals provide an evocative, pastoral mood. “Puzzle/Omen” follows, with lyrics in English this time. Again, the band make good use of space, alternating symphonic passages with quieter, spoken word moments. Th e second side opens with “Le Cheval de Syllogie,” its highlight being Roman’s twisted ARP synthesizer lines. Clocking in at over 13 minutes, the title track is the album’s zenith, showcasing the band’s originality and the musicians’ nimble command of their instruments. Philippe Roman left the band before their second record, 1976’s excellent The Strands Of The Future. With lyrics also penned by François Artaud, the album builds on the premise of their debut, again presenting Pulsar’s original mix of euphonious and symphonic rock. Bassist Michel Masson joined for a third album in 1977, Halloween, this time on CBS. But by the early 80s, the band had shifted gears to musical theatre, though a fi nal album did appear in 1989.