I just spent the weekend gigging in France and found this in one of the record shops in Montpelier – from 1977, a gatefold LP cover by Moebius. According to those who I showed it to, Guy Beart was a very cheesy singer who played guitar and was the kind of un-hip singer your parents’ liked (if they were very un-hip) and they were surprised such a record existed.
Well he must have had a late flowering moment of inspiration for this release with what looks and sounds like a concept album based on a future civilisation, no doubt cashing in on the craze for all things sci-fi in 1977 once Star Wars opened. The music has its moments, there’s plenty of synth and space noises in there amongst the whimsical songs but the gem here is the cover, click for a larger version.
Beart is more a kind of intellectual singer, off the beaten tracks, writing mysterious and mystical songs, as well as very popular ones. His best Science-Fiction EP is that one, with a cover from Pellaert : http://www.cybersfere.com/docs/musique/musiquebeart01.htm
Moebius is great. A shame he left us. Greetings from Chile.