Customer Reviews

Black Noise

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

FM was one of the few Canadian prog band people seem to know (other than Rush and Saga). There are a few other Canadian prog bands I know of like Symphonic Slam, Spirit of Christmas, and Robert Connolly, but much of the great Canadian prog I know of is from Quebec, like Pollen, Et Cetera, Harmonium, Sloche, Maneige, Opus 5 and the likes. FM often had a futuristic, hi-tech sound to them. You will never mistake their music for Gentle Giant, this is all fairly accessible stuff. Cameron Hawkins tended to use great synths like the Minimoog and the Elka Rhapsody. "One O'Clock Tomorrow" and "Journey" are nothing short of amazing, very energetic and exciting. "Journey", for some odd reason, reminds me of Saga, it bear an odd resemblance to "On the Loose" from Worlds Apart, although that song and album did not appear until another 4 or so years later. The instrumental "Dialing For Dharma" is a great spacy cut with violin work from Nash the Slash. "Aldabaran" has some rather commercial tendencies, but I guess that can't be too surprising, all the FM albums (aside from Direct to Disc) has some commercial inclinations (but of course, their mid '80s reunion effort, Con-Test is supposedly full-on commercial, which I can't be too surprised as that was the era of Phil Collins' No Jacket Required and Genesis' Invisible Touch). The title track is by far the most progressive cut on the album, I particularly love the spacy string synths in the middle.

To get the confusion about the release of Black Noise straight: CBC first issued this album in 1977, unfortunately it was never released in record stores, but rather through mail order. Only 500 copies made so the original Black Noise is probably the rarest FM item (along with their following album, Direct to Disc aka Headroom). The original Black Noise features a totally different cover. Then in 1978, the album finally got a full release on Visa Records in the United States with a new cover (the cover everyone is most familiar with), and Passport Records in Canada. Of course it's this LP pressing that's so common as dirt you can easily find a copy for next to nothing (it also helped that it became a cut-out bin staple, as was so many other titles on Passport Records). But in case you no longer own a turntable, it's nice to see this album reissued on CD.

I keep hearing FM being compared to Rush. Yes they did tour with them, but don't sound much like them, and they were a trio. FM had no heavy metal tendencies, much more emphasis on synthesizers (although synths have been used on Rush albums as far back as 2112, it didn't totally dominate their sound until after 1981), and Cameron Hawkins vocals sound nothing like Geddy Lee.

If you like Black Noise, you really need Direct to Disc, their 1978 followup (and the one that premiered Ben Mink), unfortunately you can only get that as a rare LP, as there are no master tapes, and acetates are long missing. That album shows a more experimental side of the band with less of the commercial tendencies. The far easier to get Surveillence is also good, but approach City of Fear with caution, as it's more commercial than what they did before (although oddly the Mellotron pops up on a couple pieces).

Well maybe not the greatest progressive rock album, Black Noise is still a great album and worthy of your collection.

If your here, you dig FM! We saw FM live back in the late 70's at a bar in Schaumburg (Il), and they didn't let us down. Extremely talented Musicians in every right. Cameron Hawkins had each hand on a seperate keyboards, while his feet were kicking the Bass pedals. Ofcourse he was singing lead as well. Can't take anything away from Nash or Martin either. Nash's playing takes the Mandolin into new realms and Martin Dellers druming is flawless. All three gents combine their talents well. Back to earth and a review of the album. Whether listening to this music through your system (on 10!) or through headphones, Black Noise is a masterpiece. Personally (and this is MY review), I never want 'Phasors on stun' to end. Very powerful! 'Dialing for Dharma' is another jamming piece (especially in the headphones). Mellowing it out (a bit) is 'Aldebaran'. Beautiful, melodic....and, once again, Powerful! Finally, the title tune itself 'Black Noise' brings the disc to an end, but not before displaying yet another epic production. This is FM's best, though if your a die-hard, you realize this already (BUT....we all know their remianing disc's are excellent as well).

What can you say about a three piece band that doesn't feature a guitarist? I used to believe, until 1978, that it was impossible for a group to sound good without one. Well, two groups proved me wrong in the 70's, FM and UK. Funny, they both have two letters for names. Why this wasn't huge I will never know. "Journey" is about as pop-hit as a song can sound. Cameron Hawkins' vocals are stupendous, as are his ability to play multiple keyboards, bass, taurus pedals and more. Not to underwrite the rest of the band, because Martin Dellar is an excellent drummer and Nash plays electric violin and mandolin without compare, other than Eddie Jobson from UK.

I bought this album originally because of "Phasors on Stun". I figured that title and several of the others led to these guys being trekies, so, I would check it out. They blew me away! The sound on each track is full and hypnotical. Take a trip to "Aldebaran". Go "Dialing for Dharma". Witness the "Slaughter in Robot Village". The music on this disc is stunning. You will be amazed at the intensity at which these three musicians play. The only warning is be aware this is not main-stream music, with the exception of "Journey". Give your ears a treat; try the best of FM on Black Noise. I say buy it!

Eight years ago I moved from the mid-west to the east coast. Unfortunately, my old Phillips 212 turntable couldn't take the strain and expired. My vinyl copy of Black Noise sat safely tucked away in the dark for most of a decade. Occasionally, it called to me but I let the "white noise" of family and work draw me away. I recently discovered that this music had been remastered to CD and I had to hear it again. When I finally listened to it, I realized that this is a truly stunning collection. "Phasors on Stun" will take your breath away. The title cut "Black Noise" is heart stopping. "One o'clock in the Morning" burns with energy. "Aldebaran" echoes with an exquisite wistfulness. All cuts are good and many are great. At times there are light airy elements similar to Yes and at other times there is a sense of Kansas at full power. Aside from Rush this is the only trio that appropriately fills the voids that usually occur with so few musicians. Although one can sense a wisp of these other bands, the music never sounds derivative. As in all great art, this body of work is both intelecually and viscerally satisfying. To be fair this is progressive music and requires a moderately sophisticated listener. However, very few albums are in this class. Buy it, and play it LOUD.

FM is yet another band that has been unfairly relegated to the far corners of the prog rock niche, which is too bad - this 1977 release is a great example of highly melodic and synth heavy progressive rock. In a manner similar to another much more famous prog band from Canada, FM is a trio. The three musicians on this album include Cameron Hawkins (synthesizers, Rickenbacker bass guitar, piano, and lead voice); Martin Deller (Drums, percussion, and synthesizers) and "Nash the Slash" (electric violins and mandolin, glockenspiel, vocals, and effects). All of the musicians are very good and really crank out some tight performances. There are eight tracks on the album that range in length from 2'36" to 9'55". Overall, this is well written and performed progressive rock that sounds a great deal like the prog band England, not to mention UK (especially their Danger Money album from 1979). Melodies and harmonies abound, and synthesizer use is very heavy. In fact, there are points where a low frequency left hand synth bass line is used in place of the real bass guitar. As a bassist, I like to hear the bass guitar, but then again the synth bass lines are not too bad. The vocals are excellent and work well with the predominantly upbeat nature of the music. Although many of the songs have vocals, there are some excellent instrumentals as well and include the fantastic jazz-rockish piece Hours that features excellent soloing on the violin, mini-moog, and drums. The other instrumentals include Dialing for Dharma and the excellent Slaughter in Robot Village. The instrumental Dialing for Dharma is pretty interesting and starts off with a pulsating synth line that would not be out of place on an album by electronic composer Larry Fast. Slaughter in Robot Village is very different and features some great sounding Rickenbacker bass lines - my only wish is that this instrument had been used throughout. The 9'55" closing title track Black Noise is a very interesting piece that ranges from thunderous "tribal" drumming to spacey electric violin leads, and is a personal favorite. I guess that my only complaint is that the piece Black Noise ends so abruptly- the ending literally comes out of nowhere. Ah well. All in all, this is a great album that is recommended to all fans of melodic progressive rock.

I first picked up this album in 1979 on a whim for $0.99 in the cut-outs of a Woolco store. What a bargain!!! Being a drummer, I really appreciate the intricate rhythms played wonderfully by drummer/percussionist Martin Deller. There are no guitars on this album (except bass) and any resemblance to one is really a mandolin. The Violin is brought to life by Nash the Slash and at times is haunting. Subsequent FM albums have Ben Mink (later to hitch up with K.D. Lang) on violin. This group demonstrates there is another Canadian power trio other than Rush, a favorite group of mine. Years later when I found the CD, it was nearly $22.00. The price offered by Amazon is outstanding. This album is a must for fusion enthusiasts.

Nash the Slash played in this fine band before going solo. This is grand and uncharacteristically (for Prog) gloomy stuff. For some inexplicable reason, this record fell through the Prog cracks and very few have heard it. You'll want to listen to this over and over again, I promise you.

I really enjoy this album, but I am sad that there is'nt much available from this group. The music is simply amazing and I recommend RUSH fans to listen to the 3rd track, it has a few amazing drum solos. Once again, this is a great album.

Just as their contemporaries were dropping off - Genesis, ELP, Yes, etc., FM jumped in with a fresh approach. Combining old-school Prog with new electronics in the vein of Ultravox, Brian Eno and later Gary Numan, FM created a niche of their own. The drumming (Martin Deller) on Black Noise is powerful and intricate, the keyboards (Cameron Hawkins) look to the '80's without forgetting the '70's, the bass (Hawkins) is gutsy, the vocals smooth and distinctive (Hawkins), and the electric violin and mandolin (Nash the Slash) make a unique replacement for guitar without compromising power. If only FM had further developed the style they created on Black Noise they might have achieved the status they deserved.

In the late 70s, Canada's FM had a sound that was all their own--a sound that owed its dynamism to the essential tension between the fiery, new wave-influenced electric mandolin/violin of Nash the Slash and the prog-influenced keys/vocals of Cameron Hawkins. Sadly, the original line-up (along with the Slash and Hawkins, there was also drummer Martin Deller)would only survive just long enough for Black Noise to be released. Nash the Slash went on to an interesting--if often erratic--solo career, while Hawkins and Deller reformulated FM as a kind of prog/pop group with the addition of Ben Mink. But Black Noise is the ONLY disc by FM you'll ever need to own. Many reviewers here seem to not acknowledge the quite obvious influence of the then burgeoning punk/new wave movement on the architecture of FM's sound. But several of the songs on Black Noise almost sound like some unholy hybrid between Yes and Ultravox (particularly "Slaughter in Robot Village" and the killer opening track "Phasors on Stun"). There's hardly a wasted note on Black Noise, though the lyrics to many of the songs (courtesy of Hawkins) are often embarrasingly juvenile, without the least trace of irony or self-deprecation. As a consequence, Hawkins' lyrics are easily the weakest link in the group's otherwise astounding synergy. Still, the interplay between the Slash's riveting mandolin/violin and Hawkins' excellent Rick Wakeman-inspired keyboard work is at times electric. And Deller's percussion work borders on the Bruford-esque. Virtually unclassifiable at the time, Black Noise can now be seen as an attempt to bridge two disparate worlds: art and punk.