Ekseption
Beggar Julia's Time Trip

The Ekseption: the band to which the symphonic label fits like a glove, unlike many others! Their music is essentially centered on the classical-keyboard styles of the magnificent Rick van der Linden, which mainly interact with the work of the two wind instrumentalists Rijn van der Broek (trumpet, saxophone) and Rik Remelink (flute, sax), taking inspiration from the Nice, a symbol of a perfect fusion between classical and contemporary music. But Ekseption goes almost further: their works are defined as true pastiches of classical music, rearrangements and combinations that are actually transpositions, very suitable for the general public and background music (something that ELP also did more moderately with "Pictures At An Exhibition," achieving considerable success). Therefore, the guitar is almost completely absent in Ekseption's music, as are the vocal parts, often left to the session man passing by, while bass (Cor Dekker) and drums (Dennis Whitbread) merely serve as a rhythmic base, to ensure a more rock-oriented sound.

The result is thus very particular music (you either love it or hate it), often criticized on two fronts: on one hand, the horror of the classicists, who see the great classics "distorted" by the new contamination, and on the other, the boredom aroused in modern criticism of the time, defining them as lacking in personality and originality. Hence, the harsh criticisms towards their self-titled debut album in 1969, which nevertheless had a great impact among the youth of all the Netherlands: the song The 5th, a rearrangement of Beethoven's 5th, in fact went to number 1. This success energized Ekseption, prompting them to return to the studio immediately.

We finally arrive at 1970, the year in which Ekseption delivered "Beggar Julia's Time Trip," defined as their masterpiece. The album contains vaguely concept threads, perhaps more blatantly due to the fashion of the time and for the pleasure of doing so, rather than a true desire to have a guiding thread. It opens with the Overture, with medieval-like tones, and here comes the first actual song, Julia, the only one sung by the anonymous singer Michel van Dijk, essentially a pop piece for piano and organ. Then Adagio, a charming rearrangement of Albinoni, the hit Italian Concerto, based on Bach's first movement, and Concerto, which is nothing but Tchaikovsky in a modern key. Pop Giant is an excellent rock/jazz song written by Rick van der Linden, practically a very good genial virtuosity. Feelings is also a stunning baroque ballad, where the winds give you goosebumps, leading to jazz arrangements. Finally, the Finale- Music for Mind - Julia Theme, a psychedelic, classical grand finale with a church organ.

"Beggar Julia's Time Trip" is a pretentious album, a bit pompous, but nevertheless of excellent quality, only marred by too many interludes of about half a minute between one song and another (Flying Power, Space 1, Space 2, Space 3) and by the parts narrated by Linda van Dijk in Prologue and Epilogue, which make the listening slightly discontinuous and denote a concept thread that, as already mentioned, is very weak. Essentially, it is the story of a medieval beggar who finds her own path and the will to live outside of her world of violence and poverty through a time trip I would dare to define as more psychedelic and hippy than classical/medieval.

In any case, with this album, Ekseption gained a small niche of popularity abroad, particularly in France but especially in Italy, where they embarked on a tour, playing, among other things, not only their own pieces but also some covers, such as Dharma For One by Jethro Tull. "Beggar Julia's Time Trip" would also win an Edison, the Dutch equivalent of the Grammy Award, as the best music of the year 1970, which says it all!