TRIUMVIRAT
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Albums reviewed:
1972 – Mediterranean Tales (Across the Waters) (5)
1974 - Illusions On a Double Dimple (GAP)
1975 – Spartacus (7+)
1976 - Old Loves Die Hard (8)
1977 – Pompeii (5)
1978 – À La Carte (3)
1980 – Russian Roulette (1-)

To be honest with you, I'm starting the Triumvirat page just to prove to you that I'm not a generous reviewer with no ears that throws nines and tens all over the place... The album cover is great, albeit cliché and probably spat on by people who dislike progressive rock, I for sure enjoy it... I have my own little antiquity fascination. Anyways, maybe before I start I should say a few words about this band... Triumvirat started as a German trio that was often accused of being a ELP-clone; they at least partially deserve the tag. Awww there's just nothing to say about this band without history. Just a bunch of geeks trying to entertain other geeks. They don't always fail...

This album however is ripping boring. It sounds so teenager-ish that you'll feel stupid when listening to it. Actually that applies to most of Triumvirat's discography, but they have two albums where you can forgive yourself. Jurgens Fritz is the man at the center of the band, he's like... the... well... the Keith Emerson I guess (deeuurhhh, I hate myself for saying that because it is exactly what everybody would expect me to say). He's classically trained, and he puts that into action right away as he uses some of Mozart's music in the overture and the end of the first track, which happens to be a multi-part 17 minutes song about people dying in ships when trying to cross the Mediterranean sea. To be true, their Mozart quote really sucks and breaks the song, especially at the end, it totally feels out of place and it's anti-climatic. And why the hell would Mozart have anything to do with antiquity stories? Bah... the piece features moog to the core and jolly rhythms that are quite inspiring in parts, but never go beyond that childish feel; I'm sure I already composed some parts of this on my mini Casio keyboard that I got when I was 10. However, if it wasn't for this *at least* entertaining song, this album, and the band, would be even more lost into the empty abyss of times. It's the piece that got them a bit of recognition (and I couldn't know why since it's SO, but SOOO stereotypical). You're really far from complexity here, this is just exactly what you hear, there's no depth whatsoever. It's like a cheeseburger, you eat it and that's it, now shut up. After this feel good track, everything sinks into forgetfulness. Eleven Kids has really bad lyrics and vocal parts, even if the musical parts are at least interesting, I can't help but like to forget it. The only bit (BIT) of originality comes in E Minor etc. etc. etc. where there are actually german tones. It's a long germanic sounding low-key "evil" instrumental. The problem is that the level of entertainment I get from it is pretty much nil. Sounds like a boring version of The Nice with a faint energetic part. The final "official" piece is more stereotypical rhythmics and time changes with ugly sung parts that you don't want to hear anymore... A part of the end is interesting but really, guys, let's just end the album... And screw the bonus tracks, they are even less memorable, a bit of the same sound with a try at a more poppy approach; can you imagine? The last thing that I can say is that they sing in English, they do have an accent, it's not too offensive though... It just further increases this feeling that those guys were probably nerds.

But boy, I do enjoy listening to Across the Waters once in a while...

Simon Lac, January 22nd 2005

 

1974
Illusions On a Double Dimple - GAP
I don't have it, but it's often hailed by fans (yeah, I think they actually have some...) as their best... Well yeah, maybe I should try to hear it... One day. I might actually BUY it who knows!

Is this planned? Look at the song titles, really, I think if there had been more song called "The X-Y of Z" I would've lowered the mark of 'Spartacus'! Why not "The sleep-inducing song of full-crappiness"!? Well no, that would not be good because this album is actually enjoyable. Then again, I warn you, this is not for everybody. You really have to forget the pride when you listen to a Triumvirat album... If you're going to enjoy this, it's because you either liked it back in the days, or you played to many computer games like me. Now if you don't fit any of those categories I mean, you could still try, who knows, I might be wrong, but the synthesiser riffs that make the album great might sound quite geeky to you. It's one of the band's most famous albums actually, and it's quite easy to find it in used-LP format all around the province.

Now, of course, you'd better ignore the lyrics and such... This is a concept album about Spartacus' attempt at overcoming Rome's power (more antiquity). Really, I only pay attention to this a bit at the end. Those kinds of concepts by a teeny band like Triumvirat are sure to come out as incredibly immature. 'Spartacus' is clearly divided in two types of songs; synth galores and acoustic strumming. Since Triumvirat is a cheesy synth band, none of the latter are very memorable... I guess The Sweetest Sound of Liberty is okay, but it's hard to find a song more NORMAL than this one. Then there's the other category; synth galore. Now this album makes this part shine. But I'll tell you again that you'll most likely enjoy this if a part of you is nerd. Basically you spend your time waiting for "that great synth riff" coming. The Walls of Doom, March to the Eternal City and Spartacus are the examples of that. The two last tracks are definitely the highlights, and considering they make up 20 minutes of the album they surely give 'Spartacus' a bit of credit. I don't know how to describe the Triumvirat synth-tone to you; "Emerson-lite for Final Fantasy" could work. German influences only show up in March to the Eternal City, and the end has an interesting groove of building tension as Spartacus approaches his enemy. Now Spartacus is the most fun part, it's half serious half not serious. It makes me wonder because it sounds like they fully assume their pansiness here: "Spartacus knows, though he has won, too many men of his army are gone"; right... "It was all in vain, there'll be more blood and pain"... RIGHT!!! And of course the finale of the album is the best part with the bestest synth riff. I can understand the appeal, I actually like some part of this a lot, but on the whole this geeky beyond belief. I can't really recommend that album to anyone, in fact, I can't recommend ANY Triumvirat album to anybody, because if I did I'd feel really stupid. Download Spartacus (the song) and you'll know what Triumvirat is about, then decide by yourself...

Simon Lac, January 23rd 2005

 

Before I start, I must say the cover photo I used is from the then-US release of the album, and that's the one I have on LP. The CDs of nowadays use the far less attractive black and white cover.

As far as I know, 'Old Loves Die Hard' is the only album where Fritz sounds like himself. Mister Fritz, who I remind you is a classical pianist, still does some "game synthesisers riffs" once in a while, but he also finally takes out his piano skills (and the piano also!) and writes some very beautiful simple piano melodies. The best example of that is the middle section of A Day In a Life called "Pisces at Moon", which consists of a long soft piano melody accompanied by NOTHING, niet! It then explodes into a synthesiser bombast that finally SOUNDS LIKE IT'S FROM TRIUMVIRAT AND NO ONE ELSE!!! In 1976, Jurgens Fritz finally graduated from the "free yourself from the ghost of Keith Emerson" school. There are quite a few interesting instrumental parts, but the two first tracks remain the best ones, even if I believe... This one is a weird one really, it's not much more than a ballad, but it has special tones flowering it. Now why they decided to put a Part Two to the History of Mystery track is beyond me since it's basically a note for note repeat of the first one and it's plain boring. I'd say the only track with a purely usual Triumvirat feel is Panic On Fifth Avenue, and it's enjoyable (you know, just long synthesiser parts...). Also the lyrics are still quite idiotic, but since they don't follow one of those dumb concepts so tightly, they are quite more forgivable. Nothing really stands out but with I Believe and A Day In a Life I have the proof that Jurgens Fritz was not a complete ignorant who became known around the world by mistake. It's proof enough for me anyway, but probably not for most people... Anyway, just listen to it and you'll get transported into the world of dynamic keyboards in a fashion that is finally somewhat different from what you already know (a bit...). What a bad description of the music!

The album starts with the awful line "I sold my soul to rock'n roll, and never got it back". I think you sold your soul to ELP, but you did get it back.

Simon Lac, January 23rd 2005

 

The "New Triumvirat" is apparently presenting you this album; right... I think they shouldn't have renewed themselves JUST as they were starting to make acceptable music. Like if you hadn't heard enough crappy concept albums yet! They revert back to 2 years before using another antique subject matter and sticking a half-ass concept to it; the destruction of Pompeii.

There's actually an orchestra backing the band, and choirs here and there. How on Earth they ever got the money to do that is beyond me! Apparently they still sold pretty well, probably in some obscure South American, Southeast Asian or Eastern European country (prejudice party). The most obvious thing for me is that the sung parts are sometimes pretty, but make the songs with lyrics SO MASTODONTICALLY OVER-LONG! Just listen to the overly usual Journey of a Fallen Angel which just NEVER ENDS. And when I talk about Triumvirat and describe their songs as "normal"; that's because it's just impossible to give an accurate description simply because the songs are just too darn NOTHING. It's a song you know, an elevator type song. That's why by the time you heard Journey of a Fallen Angel, you'll be bored to death by the ridiculously cheesy pop of The Time of Your Life and The Rich Man and the Carpenter. Those songs cannot be enjoyed without the lyrics, and since the lyrics have many characteristics but are certainly NOT enjoyable, the songs themselves end up being even worse than Styx songs (imagine Styx, except with less rock, more pop, and less imagination, with stupid orchestras and choirs, now imagine how much that HAS TO SUCK!). Really, all you want to hear from this album are the instrumental parts that CAN remind you of the best moments on 'Spartacus', except this is mostly in a more tame (and lame) form. For instance, Dance on the volcano has some awesome parts in it, but somehow the drum beats are able to screw it half the time (still awesome in parts though). The good parts are the closest thing to a RPG anthem I ever heard in a song (RPG: role-playing game, for consoles in that case... Like Super Nintendo). To top everything 'Pompeii' ends with an extremely lame coda of repeated female chants that could fit in a Céline Dion song. I'm absolutely not kidding you when I say it sounds like the ending credits of your grandma's favourite Tuesday afternoon soap opera (Santa Barbara?). The music doesn't fit the concept at all. I guess they realized that and they started doing like most progressive acts at that time: bad pop. But I put the emphasis on BAD pop. If you thought Genesis, Gentle Giant and Emerson Lake and Palmer were the worse in that department, you surely haven't heard the two next albums. I can't rate 'Pompeii' much lower though because when the uplifting Fritz parts appear they touch a kid's sensibility deep in me somewhere (I guess that it's this little part of me that pushes me to give this band some of my time...).

Simon Lac, January 23rd 2005

 

Holy shmanzey! What the heck is that crap? I - am - SO - happy that I didn't pay for that. You've got to be kidding me! That's their stab at pop? NO WAY! It stinks beyond belief. Why would those guys even try that? Their audience is based on progressive rock nerds: that is, surely NOBODY who decided to switch their hair band and brown leather clothes for Travolta's disco suit. They don't need to please the crowd; there's no crowd! And those who actually liked Triumvirat and switched to disco and punk probably won't ever look back on the band. So tell me, what's the friggin' point of this hardened pig manure disc?

This is late 70s pop with disco throughout. Songs ending in fadeouts while repeating the chorus, and what sounds like 3 black women doing the back vocals (I say black women because you get the image right away). There's nothing really offensive on the album, let's just say that it's one of the most derivative pieces of crap I've ever heard. You know, like those pop songs that were just too much like all the others to ever gather an ounce of attention? Baaaahhh... Some of the horrible choirs of the last track of 'Pompeii' come back to haunt you in the sloppy love song For You (total belch). I Don't Even Know Your Name is pure disco with the most stereotypical bass line ever and DAMN UGLY KEYBOARDS! What the heck is that!? Ugly keyboards all over the place UGLY UGLY!!! Electric piano doesn't sound good here. A Bavarian In New York has the ugliest keyboard solo ever! It's a stupid fast-paced track that sounds like a song they'd play just between the announcer's last words and the start of the commercial on a TV gala. Stay away from this stinking album please, it's ugly. You can download a few songs, like the first three, which are tolerable, but not worth your time. Past track 2 you pretty much have heard all you need to hear. I'm not giving this album lower simply because I really think up to now, the band was still harmless. But this is utter merde. (PS: Yes, Darlin' is the Beach Boys', I don't think you need to know more really, I suppose you can guess the rest by yourself).

Get Camel's 'Breathless' for God's sake. It came out the same year, except succeeds at this.

Simon Lac, January 23rd 2005

 

No, seriously, no. The hell with that, I give up. Come With Me is a straightforward rocker that reminds me of another classic rock radio staple that I can't pinpoint right now. I thought it was a cover. It's the only moment I don't die on this album. The rest is... No way, I'm not wasting my time with this crap. The best description I can come up is that this album seems to be a collection of hugely derivative pop songs, with incredible poor vocals and unimaginative melodies. They're cheesy, they stink, they sound like the result of an overlong constipation. Rockers, disco-funk, reggae, ballads, everything to make a hit. Don't waste your time. Again, I can't believe they remastered this in 2002. I'm certainly not paying a dollar for this. Maybe I should even sue someone. No, I just have to say it; Holy FUCK. The only songs I didn't point as being very bad are those that I can hear without feeling sick. And they're all twice as long as they should be. This one couldn't even be played in elevators. NO -- The End --.

Simon Lac, June 26th 2005