Ange - 1999 - La voiture à Eau

Ange

1999

 La voiture à Eau

01. Le Rêve est à rêver (2ème service)
02. Psychosomagique
03. Eureka
04. Bilbocquet
05. Elle fait mes rides
06. Eureka in Extenso
07. L'Eau qui Dort
08. Archimède
09. Coma des Mortels
10. Quelquefois
11. Ethnies
12. Patisonges et Mentisseries
13. Mémoires de Jacob Delafon
14. Les voleurs de clés
15. La serrure ou la clé
16. Jardin secret
17. La voiture à Eau

- Christian Decamps / vocals, keyboards
- Tristan Decamps / vocals, keyboards
- Hassan Hadji / guitar
- Hervé Rouyer / drums, percussion
- Thierry Sidroum / bass

I have had big hopes with the great Ange come-back in 1989 and their very interesting album : "Sêve Qui Peut". Unfortunately, Ange did not continue in the direction of a traditional symphonic rock in-line with their past (and lost ?) grandeur. Their album "Daï Lama" was just another French-rock album (better than their mediocre eighties production though).

Even if the family circle remains intact in terms of the amount of persons involved in the project, an earthquake has taken place in the sense that instead of Francis Décamp (a founding member), and brother of Francis, we'll get Tristan on the keys. He is the son of Francis.
We were heading the turn of the century while Ange released "La Voiture À Eau" and this time, the most obvious influence is neo- prog and jazz-rock. Ange playing this almost hard type of music is not really what I was expecting.
The opener is probably one of the heaviest Ange song so far and not at all my cup of tea. Things are seriously improving with "Psychosomagique Génie" a truely symphonic number : complex rhythm with off-beat tempo. Lush mellotron and again, wonderful and theatrical vocals. A great tribute to Leonardo Da Vinci. The next song is made of two distinctive parts (although very short) : a noisy and hard intro and a wonderful and very subtle second half (again very symphonic). As if Ange wants to break with its symphonic image but not quite want to change completely from direction.
With "Bilboquet", the mood is 100% heavy / jazzy oriented. It sounds as if Ange wants to play Michel Jonnaz (a famous French singer, rather jazzy). Not really convincing, I'm afraid. After this orgy of noises, it is good to relax with "Elle Me Fait Des Rides". Very subtle piano and crystal clear vocals. Interesting lyrics as well. Press "Next" to skip the instrumental "Eurek[a". It should be an hymn to the great discoveries of the human being, but is only interesting (again) with its second half. As if Ange could almost only write half songs.
"L'Eau Qui Dort" is a mellow and insipid jazz ballad. "Archimède" is another tribute to a great Greek mathematician and physician. This spacey song still lacks of the grandeur of its inspirer. Nice to get asleep. At least, it's one of the few prog song of the whole. Back to the mix of jazz and symph rock with "Coma Des Mortels". Still, I am absolutely not convinced in this musical direction.
When Ange reverts to its roots, it is almost to propose mellowish songs like "Quelquefois". Boring, my friends...Like the hard- rockish "Ethnies" again improving slightly with a nice keys break in the middle. The naïve and folkish "Patisonges Et Mentisseries" is only valid for the play-on-word of its title. Press next.
Same play-on-words concept for "Et Gandhi L'Indou Dit Tout Doux". Not possible to translate this one. Strongly influenced by Oriental music (India, would you believe !), it is not worse than many of the other songs available here. "La Serrure Ou La Clé" holds very sexual-oriented lyrics and is only interesting therefore. Am I vicious ?

Ange - 1992 - Les Larmes Du Dalaï Lama

Ange 

1992

Les Larmes Du Dalaï Lama

01. Les Larmes Du Dalaï Lama (6:04)
02. Le Ballon De Billy (5:19)
03. Tout Oublier (5:16)
04. La Bête (6:23)
05. Bonnet Rouge (5:07)
06. Nonne Assistante À Personne À Tanger (8:35)
07. Couleurs En Colère (5:38)
08. Les Herbes Folles (7:26)
09. Les Enfants Du Hasard (5:43)

- Jean-Michel Bresovar / guitar, chorus
- Christian Descamps / vocals, keyboards
- Francis Descamps / keyboards
- Robert Defer / guitar, Gimmick, chorus
- Jean-Pierre Guichard / drums
- Daniel Haas / bass
- Eric Toury / programmation, percussion

After having returned to their roots with their previous album "Sève Qui Peut", ordered by the French government for the ceremonies of the 250th anniversary of the Frenh revolution, Ange had to confirm. Like most of the bands I have reviewed so far, I have have been suffering quite a lot during Ange's eighties work. So, it was quite a surprise to discover "Sève". Only could I hope to get another good Ange record with this one.
Of course, we won't get a masterpiece like in their early days ("Caricatures", "Au Delà", Guet-Apens") but we are well above their extremely poor production from "Vu D'Un Chien" through "Tout Feu Tout Flamme". Since I am the only one on this site to have had the courage (and believe me I needed a lot) to have reviewed all of these albums, I can only be thankful to Ange to have continue their work and produced "Les Larmes Du Daï Lama".
Compositions are definitely more on the prog site. Nothing as such as "Moteur!", "La Gare De Troyes" etc. What we get here is of course a more rocking than progging Ange, but still : several songs are really cool. The title track of course, "La Bête", "Couleurs en Colère" for instance.
Lyrics are of course not on par any longer with the past ones. But who could align greater and crazier lyrics as Ange has done ? Nobody, I guess. The typical example being "Nonne Assistante À Personne En Danger". An incredible play on words, absolutely not understandable for a non-French native speaker (sorry guys...). We revert to the anti-clerical atmosphere of the early Ange. They also make a bit fun of the French colonial policy. The mood is rather anti-establishment. Hurray !!!
I wouldn't recommend this album to any newcomer to Ange to start with their work. Nonetheless, it is by far superior to their extremely poor eighties production. My favorite song, along with the title track is probably "Couleurs en Colère". A slow-beat rock song with complex and ambiguous lyrics.
There will be some disco beat songs, unfortunately like " Les Herbes Folles". But, hopefully this song will transport the listener into the prog mood as well as the hard-rock one. All in all, it is not a bad song. The closing number is very much rock-oriented.

Ange - 1989 - Sève qui peut

 Ange 

1989

Sève qui peut

01. Aimer / haïr (7:55)
02. Vivre avec le coeur (4:58)
03. Les plaisirs faciles (4:16)
04. L'or, l'argent et la lumière (7:12)
05. Briser la glace (5:32)
06. Les amours-lumières (4:28)
07. Non !! (3:56)
08. Grands sentiments (4:20)
09. Sève qui peut (8:06) 

- Christian Decamps / vocals
- Francis Decamps / keyboards
- Robert Defer / guitar
- Jean-Michel Brezovar / guitar
- Jean-Pierre Guichard / drums, percussion
- Daniel Haas / bass 

We are heading now the end of the eighties. Ange produced extremely poor albums during this decade. The year of this release is a very special one for France. It is the one commemoration of the bi-century of the French revolution. Founding members as Brézovar and Haas are back in business and I guess it is a very good sign.

The band has always been rather anti-establishment (catholicism, politics) so it was quite a surprise that they were asked by the French government (Mr. Chevènement) to produce an opus about the French revolution.
I guess that the exreme popularity of this band in France only made this possible (and potentially their need to substantial financing).
When you look at the back cover and all the subtitles of each song; displaying incredible play-on-words (only understandable to French speaking persons, unfortunately) one might think : maybe we'll get another great Ange album (after all those horrible ones).
The opening track is rather promising. Crazy lyrics as they ought to be during their early years, heavy keys (somewhat reminiscent to ELP) are ways better than their poppish/disco sound of their recent productions.
I do not know what was the final purpose of this order from the French government, but I really do not care. At least it will be the opportunity for Ange to come back to its roots and as a die-hard fan of the band, I can only be pleased by that.
Don't get me wrong : this album is not on par with their great seventies production but at least Ange is back on track. Only this fact should please any prog fan, because this band although extremely underrated (mostly because of their incredibly complex French lyrics).
This album will hopefully bring some hope about future releases.
Ange will produce some really good songs here : "Aimer Hair", "Les Plaisirs Faciles" (especially for its lyrics). "L'Or, L'Argent Et La Lumière" is IMHHO (in my humble and honest opinion) the best song of the whole album. Fully symphonic, emotional. A song like Ange produced in their earlier albums. What a great feeling for me !
This is the reason why I will stick to my policy review. I want to review almost the entire catalogue of the bands and not only their best ones (it sounds too easy for me). This have lead to a lot of disappointment of course because it always hurt to just tell the truth about some of your preferred bands (Genesis; Yes, ELO, Heep, Kansas, Tull etc.). But when it is bad, I have no option : I just tell it is bad.
When a band produces a good album out of the blue, I am just like a child discovering the world : happy, happy, happy. And I am overwhelmed by this feeling with this album. At least some decent work !
This remind me a recent comment on a thread posted by Eric on the forum about the craziest experience to go and see a band far away from home. Well, maybe I'll go to Paris in November to see their "Olympia" show. This band has produced so many great albums that I am sure that I will just feel like the child dicovering the world I have just mentioned.
The poetry of "Les Amours-Lumière" is just enormous. Another great Ange moment. At this time of the album, I really wonder why the hell this band has released so many poor albums for such a long period and all of a sudden release a much better one. Mystery.
The only weak song by its beat (because the lyrics are completely irreverent) is "Non!". Extremely erotic (and I mean it) these lyrics are on par with their greatest moments (the early seventies). I know of no bands going that far in their "sexual" approach. But this is the typical French (and Belgian as well) way of life. So funny and devastating at the same time.
The good news, my friends is that the great Ange is back. Hopefully they will keep on with this quality.
You have understood that I will be quite generous in my rating with this album. I would rate it seven out of ten but since this is not (yet) poosible on PA, I will upgrade it to four stars (adding one star for the lyrics as I have done already for some other Ange albums). What a nice come back after eleven difficult years.

Ange - 1984 - Fou!

 Ange 
1984
Fou!

01. Le yeux d'un Fou (3:55)
02. (Je n'suis) La pour personne (4:10)
03. Piège à Coeur (3:59)
04. Harmonie (3:44)
05. (He!) Cobaye (3:33)
06. Les fous demandent un Roi (5:27)
07. Guignols (3:28)
08. Guignols (La Chasse)(2:07)
09. Fou (4:12)
10. Crever d'Amour (Prélude) (2:40)
11. Crever d'Amour (4:20)

- Christian Descamps / vocals, piano
- Francis Descamps / Synthesizers
- Serge Cuenot / guitar
- Laurent Sigrist / bass
- Jean-Claude Potin / drum, percussions, drum machine
- Fred Bétin / sequences

The traditional fan of the great Ange of the seventies that I am is suffering quite a lot when he listens to their eighties production. From "Vu D'Un Chien" through "La Gare De Troyes", Ange produced rather weak (to say the least) albums.

I'm afraid that they won't release a great one with "Fou !"
Several songs have an horrible disco-beat sound "Les Yeux D'Un Fou", "(Hé !) Cobaye", while most of the others have the rock atmosphere of their previous albums. Very little prog here. Both "Guignol" are useless (especially "La Chasse")
Some numbers will have a pop/rock mood as "(Je n'suis) Là Pour Personne". Some FM music with "Piège à Coeur".
The first song being in the Ange tradition (strange ambiance and more complex structure) is "Les Fous Demandent Un Roi". It appears as a highlight on this rather weak album. But do not except a masterpiece à la "Capitaine Coeur De Miel" of course. But it is a pleasant song.
The title track is hard to categorized. Crazy I guess (as its title suggests...).
Ange will usually release some good songs (three or so) even on poor albums (except "Moteur!"). In this case there is very little to retain here. If you are keen to listen to some "special" sounds during a song, I would rather suggest you to listen to "Love On The Beat" from Serge Gainsbourg than "Crever D'Amour".

Ange - 1983 - La Gare De Troyes

Ange 

1983

La Gare De Troyes

01. La Gare de Troyes
02. A saute-mouton
03. Questions d'générations
04. Va-t'en
05. Les moments bizarres
06. Shéhérazade
07. Les jardins
08. Neuf heures
09. Tout bleu !

-Christian Decamps / vocals, keyboards
- Francis Decamps / keyboards, vocals
- Serge Cuenot / guitar
- Jean-Claude Potin / drums, percussion
- Laurent Sigrist / bass

The last two Ange albums were not really prog gems. This one is on par. Unfortunately. Line-up is the same as for their previous cover (and dispensible for most of it) album.
The beat will be almost the same : a mix between jazz, pop and disco. It is really hard to listened to it in a row (I hope I will once get a medal for this). "A Saute-Mouton" being probably the worst of all (but there are so many that it might as well be " "Questions D'générations" is only saved by the lyrics, but if you not into French, the awful rhythm of the song will kill you before reaching the end of it.
The first song to be a bit different (better ?), is "Va-T'en". Jazz-rock song wich breaks the ambient and dull disco mood. But it will be back again as soon as the next starts "Les Moments Bizarres" (of which the chorus is not too bad).
"Shéhérazade" is the first good song. Great interpretation from Christian, a nice soft- rock song with great and aerial keyboards. Almost like Ange used to produce. A rather pleasant track, honestly. "Les Jardins" are also more into the Ange tradition. At least the boring disco beat is abandoned. Again, keys play an important role in this song.
Since the fantastic "Guet-Apens", Ange did not produce a lot of songs of this caliber so, even if it does not compete with the great Ange songs, it is very much welcome here. "Neuf Heures" is a bit chaotic but also holds some romantic passages which are not too bad.
When I saw that the closing number clocked at over nine minutes, I thought that there was maybe hope to get back to the great Ange epics. But an epic is not only a matter of lenght. And this song, even if at times it sounds not too bad, is far from being a masterpiece.
As in their cover album "A Propos De", the listener will have to wait for more than half an album to start listening better stuff. But I can tell you that to bear the first three tracks of this album is truely painful. Most of the rest is average to good, so it is absolutely not an album to start with (even if you can get it for cheap).
"Caricatures", "Au Delà Du Délire" and "Guet Apens" remain the reference for me and I can only advise you to listen to these ones. "La Gare De Troyes" remains an anecdotal episode in their long career.

Ange - 1982 - A Propos De...

Ange

1982

A Propos De...

01. Le Moribond (3:57)
02. Les Copains D'Abord (4:15)
03. Tu Te Laisses Aller (4:46)
04. Il Est Cinq Heures, Paris S'Éveille (3:49)
05. A Jeun (3:41)
06. Le Rouge Et Le Noir (4:48)
07. Le Bal Des Laze (10:54)

-Christian Decamps / vocals, keyboards
- Francis Decamps / keyboards, vocals
- Serge Cuenot / guitar
- Jean-Claude Potin / drums, percussion
- Laurent Sigrist / bass


The previous Ange album was a real disaster and when I listen to the first song of this one, the worse can only expected. "A Propos De" is an album of cover songs from well-known French (and Belgian) singers / poets.
They already had covered "Le Grand Jacques" (one of our national hero in Belgium) with "Ces Gens Là" in their second album "Le Cimetière Des Arlequins". This version of "Le Moribond" is AWFUL. Disco / pop. What a treatment for this great song (covered as well by Leo Sayer in English, but I do not remember its English title).
Next one is on par : absolutely disgusting. It is of course difficult for people outside the French speaking territories to know Georges Brassens : a great French poet / songwriter. A great friend of Jacques BTW. This version is HORRIBLE.
Don't worry, "Tu Te Laisses Aller", from Charles Aznavour has the same disco beat : it is hard to believe. The grand Ange of not so long ago, would have brought a vibrant homage to these giants of another genre of course, but still a good source of inspiration. But you need to be inspired then.
Which was definitely not the case of Ange for this awful album which goes on with one great song from the anti-conformist Jacques Dutronc. "Il Est Cinq Heures Paris S' Eveille" is DREADFUL.
How is this possible ! Even if it were a joke it would be hard to believe. Ange doing this S H I T! Sorry there is absolutely no other words to describe this, and you know that I quite have praised this French band.
"A Jeun" is another Brel song. Less known but with great lyrics (as most of the time). The jazz-rock mood for this one and the theatrical vocals are not too bad. The lyrics talking about a drunken guy are well performed by Christian. It was about time !
"Le Rouge Et Le Noir" from Claude Nougaro (a French jazz singer from the old generation, dead by now) is not too bad either but I can not compare with the original since Nougaro has never been a fave of mine.
To close the album, we'll get the long "Le Bal Des Laze" from Michel Ponareff. He was extremely popular during the mid-late sixties - early seventies and was quite a controvertial character. He migrates in L.A. for a very long period of (almost) silence. He is now performing a very successful come-back in Paris as well as in Brussels these days (April-June 2007).
At least the long intro (four minutes) with the nice keys are reminiscent of the good old Ange. Good guitar work as well. This is finally a very good interpretation. Hopefully because with the first four songs, Ange produced really a pityful masquerade. This number really saves this record.

Ange - 1981 - Moteur

Ange

1981

Moteur

01. Tant Pis l'Indien (3:46)
02. Saga (5:07)
03. Rien n'est trop beau pour toi (2:04)
04. Mourir, souffrir (3:40)
05. Touchez pas à mon ciné (5:04)
06. Détective privé (3:01)
07. Un autre jazz (3:13)
08. Moi, pas idiot ! (4:08)
09. Assis ! (5:24)
10. Chatte, chatte (4:07)

- Christian Decamps / vocals
- Francis Decamps / keyboards, synthesizers
- Robert Defer / guitar
- Jean-Pierre Guichard / drums, percussion
- Didier Viseux / bass

It is very strange that in less than three years, a band can sound so different. Their main song writer and inspirator is still on the command with his brother. The other three musicians being frequently replaced. This had no effect for the brilliant "Guet-Apens" but on "Vu D'Un Chien" the tendancy for a harder sound was already introduced.

This will even more true with "Moteur!". The opening number is almost hard-rock. Galaxies away from the great "Capitaine Coeur De Miel" for instance. Pityful. "Saga" is another rock song with a very dominent bass playing, somewhat sci-fi lyrics as well for this rather average song.
One of the very few nice song from this album is "Rien N'Est Trop Beau Pour Toi". At least it features some nice keys, which reminds that Ange was a great symph prog band. Unfortunately, it is the shortest track of the whole only clocking just over two minutes.
A full rock FM one with "Mourir, Souffrir". It is really hard to believe. Of course, another great prog band produced also a crappy album in 1981 (you remember "Abacab" I'm sure). This one is on par. Extremely poor.
The mood for "Touchez Pas À Mon Ciné" is blues-jazz. Very strange for an Ange composition as well, but at least we escape the awful atmosphere of most of the other songs. There will even be a good guitar solo. The lyrics, which describe the movie industry (from the soundtrack to the director) are also above average.
"Détective Privé" is a pure hard-rock song. At times, I wonder if this album was not a joke. But a very bad one. The jazz-rock mood for "Un Autre Jazz" is similar to "Touchez Pas À Mon Ciné". A bit harder but OK as well (although it has not doing to do with the Ange will all have loved).
After another useless "Moi, Pas Idiot!", the second good song of the album "Assis!" is another quiet one which breaks with the hard-rock oriented style of this release. It even reminds some of the great Ange songs. Unbelievable ! The only symphonic track here.
The whole album surrounds the universe of the film industry (the concept), lyrics being hard at times against the whole stardom system.