Patrick Forgas – Cocktail (Cuneiform Rune 3396, 2025). Originally released on LP by Gratte-Ciel - CIEL 2006 (1977, France).
French drummer and composer Patrick Forgas, long dubbed “the French answer to the Canterbury scene,” sees his influential debut, Cocktail (1977), reissued by Cuneiform Records in 2025 (Rune 3396).
Originally recorded when Forgas was just 20, the album featured contributions from former members of Magma and Zao. They bring together the exploratory spirit of the era. It is important to note that this expanded edition includes 13 bonus tracks from the same creative period.
Cocktail was Patrick Forgas’ assertive and quirky debut, a fusion of jazz-rock, funk and psychedelia with a distinct Canterbury progressive rock flavor. Backed by a surprising lineup that included bassist Gérard Prévost, keyboardist Jean-Pierre Fouquey, and violinist Patrick Tilleman, Forgas channeled his admiration for Robert Wyatt through airy falsetto vocals, whimsical passages, with hallucinogenic mood. Although many of the songs are vignettes that often clock in at under two minutes, they are deeply engaging thanks to clever arrangements. Moreover, there is a rich instrumental palette of splendid flute, scorching violin, and other instruments, and Forgas’ understated yet elegant drumming.
The crown jewel of the album is the sprawling 18-minute suite “My Trip,” that combines jazz-rock virtuosity with various stylistic shifts and lyrical oddity, anchored by Prévost’s magnetic bass lines that hold the piece’s episodic structure together.
Other highlights include the bass-fueled opening track, “Automne 69”; the joyful funk of “Rhume Des Foins”; the captivating funk-jazz piece “Monks,” all of which contribute to a cheerful atmosphere that never takes itself too seriously.
The reissue’s bonus tracks offer some intriguing diversions, like the laid back “Arrête-Toi” and the jazzy sway of “Nos Cheveux Emmelés,” though their brevity and inconsistency make them feel more like archival curiosities than essential listening.
Forgas recalls quitting his job in 1973 and dedicating himself to music full-time, recording solo demos with a four-track recorder in a modest apartment in Issy-les-Moulineaux. After initial rejections, his persistence paid off. A blunt letter to Barclay’s Fabrice Cuitadé led to a studio session that caught the attention of Jean-Marc Bailleux (Rock & Folk) and RCAI’s José Ferré, resulting in the creation of Gratte-Ciel Records and Forgas’s first release.
The reissue offers both a look back at his ambitious early years and a rare glimpse into France’s progressive underground during the mid-1970s.
Musicians: Patrick Forgas on drums, percussion, guitar, bass, toy organ, musical box, synth, vocals, composer; Laurent Roubach on guitar; Jean-Pierre Fouquey on keyboards; Gérard Prévost on bass; François Debricon on saxophone & flute; Bruce Grant on saxophone; Patrick Tillman on violin; Patrick Le Mercier on violin; Dominique Godin on keyboard and saxophone; Didier Thibault on bass.
Artwork by José Ferré.
Buy Cocktail.