Flairck "Variaties op een Dame" 1978***

Virtually unknown outside of The Netherlands, Flairck must have been quite popular here in their prime - I'm judging by the amount of old LP's on sale in record fairs and in antique/ charity shops, the everpresent in Holland kringloopwinkels. The band's music is usually categorised as prog, though there's not even a hint of rock about it. It's all instrumental and played on acoustic guitars (Erik and Hans Visser), woodwind instruments (Peter Weekers) and violin (Judy Schomper). A fair description could be "chamber music with folk and world music elements". The latter are, for example, evident in the pan pipes of the gentle opener "Aoife". "Voorspel in Sofia"  is a fast number with gypsy swing guitars, classical violins and Jethro Tull-ish flute. "April 3rd" is a sleepy sitar tune, while "Oneven Wals" is a pastoral piece enlivened by the insertion of Celtic reels and jigs. The main attraction is, of course, the same-named "Variaties op een Dame" (Variations on a lady). It is a 21-minute suite with slow and fast passages through classical, folk and ethnic melodies. Without a doubt a display of superior compositional and instrumental skills. The album closes with the forgettable country-ish acoustic guitar of "Dubbelspel". I'm not really a fan of instrumental music but I enjoyed this album. It works great as background music - who knows? maybe it was conceived as a musical backdrop for intimate sensual contacts. The album title and cover are suggestive enough, as for a title like "Foreplay in Sofia", that goes beyond mere suggestion. Well, maybe that's the explanation for both its popularity in the 70's and why the 2nd hand stores are now all full of it: 40 years later, those former lovers have less use for it, so off it goes to the thrift store. Get it and let their loss be your gain - because all joking aside, it is a very good record!

**** for Aoife, Voorspel in Sofia, Variaties op een Dame 

*** for April 3rd, Oneven Wals, Dubbelspel