If you are a fan of West Ham United Football Club, please don’t sing/play/stream the club anthem while you are reading this post. Its music hall style wouldn’t mix well with the progressive symphonic rock on Clearlight‘s second album, Forever Blowing Bubbles.

Clearlight was founded by Cyrille Verdeaux in 1973.

VERDEAUX, native of France, was born July 31, 1949 in Paris. In 1963 at the age of 14, he entered the prestigious French National Conservatory of Music in Paris studying composition, harmony, and piano. From 1966 to 1968 he won first place in student composition three successive times.
…
In 1975 Virgin Records released the first album of Cyrille Verdeaux compositions titled CLEARLIGHT SYMPHONY. Clearlight became the first French progressive rock band signed to a major British record label. Gathering accolades for its unique compositions and keyboard stylings, the music spanned from classical romanticism to lush experimentation. Cyrille Verdeaux and CLEARLIGHT toured England and Europe with the legendary band “GONG”.

Cue Records

Although the Clearlight band has never been formally disbanded, its output has been sparse, and most of Verdeaux’s work has been released under his own name. Of all his albums, Forever Blowing Bubbles is regarded as the closest to mainstream progressive rock. Guests include David Cross (King Crimson, Stick Men) and The Northettes (the backing singers for Hatfield and the North).

Each of the seven tracks on the ‘bubbles’ album starts with some bubbly electronic effects. On the final 2 minute 42 second track, the sound of the gently boiling witches’ cauldron lingers right through to the end. Elsewhere, there are two songs and another four instrumentals, all sitting comfortably on the “canonical prog rock” shelf in the library of modern music. There are grand keyboard sweeps, gritty guitar runs, melodic vocal lines and, of course, odd time signatures. All in all, it’s a familiar and pleasant outing for any prog fan.

I just have one small piece of advice … If you are going to the next Hammers match, I should stick with the 1919 version of I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles by Selvin’s Novelty Orchestra, and leave Clearlight‘s bubbles at home.