RAOUL DUGUAY-L'ENVOL, LP, 1976, CANADA

 Lovely though it was, the debut solo outing from former L'Infonie front man that I posted just recently cannot begin to prepare you for his sophomore effort; an epic of unfettered imagination with the kind of spiritual/emotional gravitas of a Franco Battiato or Lucio Battisti. Beginning on a quiveringly profound note, "Alllo" is a shower of Robert Wyatt-style multi-tracked vocal love from the deepest caverns of Duguay's consciousness. plangent acid folk cedes to pungent brass rock and back again over the rest of side A before going out with a side ending bang, as Duguay whips out his most salaciously foul and greasily leering delivery on "Le Krrrash A" and inserts unguent in mouth again for a reprise on side B's opener "El Hsarrrk".  The reminder of side B continues apace, trawling through a similar expanse of humanity-steeped higher key conjurations.