CULINAIRE LINGUS

Almost four star if you are a non fan and four 4.5 star if you are - that makes an average of 4. Ange has the merit to be one of the most enduring prog band (along with Camel) that managed to stay true to themselves having highs and lows but reaching the Everest Peaks or Mariana Trenches that such masters as Genesis , ELP and Yes.

On with the album now. While you cannot talk of freshness at this stage of the discography of Ange , this album renews with the spirit and inspiration of the ancient days. One can feel the enthusiasm of the writing and the musicians playing this sort-of-spoof concept linking two kind of lingual arts(three if you count the french text regaining a certain lost brilliance. Of course the very subject of linking/licking food and pussy can only have brought up by perverted frenchmen (my girlfriend had a genuine interest in listening to this album and liked it too), and I am also inspired by it . actually , forgive me to leave you so quickly but I have an urge to find this Cd and my girlfriend (not necessarily in that order, though) , so Bye bye by b y e

This one I have to say is the best ANGE-album since their glorious time in the 70's. In fact the only one left from the old line-up is Christian Decamps who gathered a bunch of talented young musicians around him, amongst others his son Tristan. And listening to this album one can really feel this new and progressive input. It sounds much more modern and diverse like most of their rather weak albums from the 90's or 80's.

The first song is already an amazing good modern and progressive rock song. You can find everything on this record, whether it's symphonic rock, hardrock, chanson, folkrock or humorous pop-rock. But despite all modernity it's still quite reminiscent of the "old" ANGE. There is only one song which is a bit weaker than the rest, that is Gargantua. Christian Decamps managed as well to find a lot of great and well-known guest musicians for this album, i.e. Jan Akkerman or Australian Tommy Emmanuel (who played together with Eric Clapton, Chet Atkins, John Farnham, Joe Walsh and Leo Kottke). BTW just as an extra interesting fact: Steven Wilson, mastermind of the band PORCUPINE TREE was producing two songs on this album.

I can highly recommend this album to anyone who likes music with many different styles involved and doesn't mind to listen to french lyrics. A clear case for a 4 stars rating!!!

"Jusqu'Où Iront-Ils" is a very weird song. A very strange atmosphere, fully Crimsonesque I must say. There has been ages since Ange has not been as close from KC. Actually, on their debut album "Caricatures". Very powerful, scary and effective. It must probably be one of the very best and faithful KC influenced song ever. Really impressive during these eight minutes. Next song renew with the great symphonic tradition. Very scarcely did Ange provide a greatest guitar solo in all of their repertoire. It is really grandiose and bombastic. These first two songs really bring us back in the early seventies. What a nice journey it is !

The mood unfortunately changes with "Adrenaline". Lyrics are rather adventurous (sexually I mean). This song is folk-rock oriented. Some violin brings a gigue sound which I do not really appreciate. The quality of the next track is very poor. Like its title might suggest, "Farces et attrapes " is a very burlesque song which should be better featured in a circus rather than on an Ange album.

The title track is again very much remininscent of KC. But this is the only similarity witht the extraordinary opening number. This one cannot compete with. Far much simple in its structure musically, the lyrics are far from being insignificant. With such a play- on-words in the title, it was almost normal that Ange would deliver a rather controversial song. But they have used us to this since the very begining of their career. I would even say that the lyrics from "Caricatures" are more explosive than the ones we can find on "Culinaire Lingus". Remember that almost thirty years have passed between both albums. "Les Odeurs De Cousine" might sound appealing by its title but I would have hoped that Ange would have written more trivial lyrics with such a title...A very pleasant and spacey instrumental part will close this song on a higher note. The next song "Intérieur Nuit" is a soft ballad, featuring some piano and mellotron to back up Christian on the lead. A bit mellowish to my taste.

With "Univers Et Nirvana", we'll get back to the noisy and complex Crimson world. Dynamic and very powerful : this song should please any KC fan. "Gargantua" is of course a theme that fits perfectly in the Ange repertoire. Irreverent, funny and theatrical are the ingredient of this good song. A solid rhythm, a good guitar break and some nice background keys are bringing this song to the level of the best ones so far.

It is of course almost normal that "On Sexe" contains some interesting words about ... sex of course. But nothing to vulgar (I would have expected more, actually). Music is again extremely mighty. But this is a global tendancy for this album.

The epic song of this album "Cadavres Exquis" has a bit of difficulties to start, but after four minutes we'll really get an beautiful and symphonic song. Great guitar break again (I think it is the most guitar-oriented of all the Ange albums). Very good song indeed. The bonus and instrumental track "Autour D'Un Cadavre Exquis" also confirms the important role of the guitar on this work.

Along with very good music and some sulfurous lyrics, Ange will also create several interesting characters who will appear throughout this album. The Ange fantasy is definitively back and even though I do not know for how long it will remain, let's enjoy this present good album. For the very first time as well, a female vocalist will take part in the rocrding, maybe to add more dimension to the lyrics...Caroline Crozat is doind a good job in this exercise.

Three stars.

Completely in sync with the general appraisal, I can confirm that for me as well this is indeed Ange's strongest offering since Guet-Apens, released no less then 23 years earlier. The album runs for no less then 74 minutes and offers a lot for everybody's appetite, maybe a bit too much even for one sitting. Ange tries their hand at almost anything and even though most songs don't resemble anything from the 70s, it's still undoubtedly Ange, sounding very much at ease in 2001.

The opening track is an ominous track with a big industrial feel, almost like The Young Gods in an ambient rocking mood, rather then anything else Ange has done. Also Cueillir les Fruits applies a similar modern sound to that strong songwriting that was absent for such a long time on Ange albums. Almost every track adds something new, such as folk-chanson on Adrénaline, vaudeville on Farces et Attrapes, heavy Prog on Culinaire Lingus, bombastic pop on Les Odeurs de Cousine, fine balladry on Interieur Nuit, neo-prog on Univers er Nirvana and 2 closing epics that won't disappoint.

Depending on your taste, some songs will appeal more to you then others, but with 12 strong titles to chose from every one can select his own 50 minute selection out of it. Strong 3.5 for Ange.

This album is a dynamic return to top form after their classic 70's period was followed by a more commercial 80's and 90's period.this album is top progressive rock with a multitude of moods,well produced,and somewhat heavy in places. Track 1 builds up menacingly before female vocals come in at 4'31 leading to a heavy King Crimson vibe Track 2 continues the KC feel with a gentle bass intro then at 2'43 morps into a great guitar break by Hassan Hajdi and concludes instrumentally Track 3 has a wonderful carnival violin intro into an upbeat straight rocker Track 4 has a great vaudeville feel with Christian Decamps sounding like his vocals are through a loud speaker- it has a wonderful fairground feel! Track 5- the tile track- has a heavy guitar with vocal overlay intro,and a chanted vocal which leads to another great guitar/ keys chorus.Female vocals join in and the track slow builds to a great climax ( no pun intended!),but you feel this would work great live. Track 6 starts quietly with electric piano,but again builds into a cinematic mood,typical of a Bond film.There is a Gong spacey synth type outro which rounds off beautifully. Track 7 is a soft but beautifull ballad which morphs into Track 8 which has Dream Theater type guitar chords and a very King Crimson sound. Track 8 Gargantua is a brilliant rocker started with some brilliant power chords which leads again into a catchy chorus backed by more amazing keys by Tristan Decamps On Sexe is a dual vocal track which is quite effective- probably the track where that word is used most,ever,which again becomes Dream Theater like heavy,but again the greatness of Ange is their change of pace,irony and musicality. Two long tracks finish the album,the second being almost an instrumental of the first.The track begins quietly but again builds dramatically with operatic style vocals from Christian and incredible backing from the band.Majestic!

A pivotal return to greatness and an album which brings Ange full circle back into prog greats!!

1. Jusqu'Où Allont-Ils with the prog intro, that's good, more ambient electro, just to wait for the father's voice; the long, viscous, mantranic piece with a metallic riff, but yes how far will these musicians go? The crescendo becomes redundant and could have exploited a progressive madness, it reminds me of Peter GABRIEL's titles at the end repetitive 2. Cueillir Les Fruits Du Sérail with a crystalline air that seems to come out of the street lamp; a typical phrasing on the bass and the mysterious keyboard, then the choirs then the music that flows slowly and surely in ambient mode on Hassan's solo; 2 long titles and I'm missing something to really take off, yes the duration does not mean progression on all floors 3. Adrenaline on the folk violin of the Breton lands, with a text always hot potatoes; an evening bourrée to escape together since the music remains at the port; I sign for Gilles' violin 4. Farces Et Attrapes takes you to the funfair to the tune of Richard GOTAINER in fact, an interlude with an old-fashioned sauce to laugh at everything and scratch your back 5. Culinaire Lingus heavy riff, yes/no vocoder reminiscent of the one used by MMEB, yes I like to think about the links; the text is beautiful, but a bit scattered, and can't get me hooked; and if it was my first ANGEL what would it have been? Caroline intervenes trying to stir up the sauce, will the mayonnaise take? On the soaked fans, the answer is cruel, real? 6. Les Odeurs De Cousine with an illuminated synth intro, ambient drifting on a velvety atmosphere with expressive text, well it doesn't change on that side; for the rest it's again a bit simple after with a long unfolding cruelly lacking progressive sound, here it's repetitive and metronomic; and my question why not shorter? 7. Intérieur Nuit basic piano, the vocoder 'again' and Tristan who speaks; the most his voice but why didn't he take the bar before? The piece that flows naturally, mysterious, dark, intimate; no downside, just excellent as what

8. Univers And Nirvana bursts in, tenacious riff, orientalized voice, it's good it's Hassan who plays it like JONASZ; a punchy title, punching-ball which is worth it for this fat sound, this raw rock variation with its sensitive touch; another sound however 9. Gargantua and the return of Christian narrated like in the good old days of 'Sève qui Peut'; title in the angelic vein that would have deserved a cover on stage in my opinion, just to say that there was also some good in modern albums; the keyboard à la Francis, is not a nephew... who wants, intoxicated guitar solo and intoxicating finale with a hell of a choir 10. On Sexe in electro and the now assumed deviance of the storyteller, on sexe, uh we know it! The piece that pulls out a riff and pulls out the 'wife', but why did Christian have it incorporated? It's not ANGE anymore. In short for the ultra fans, we will have at least some energy or a bare apple in concert; for the others we still have this long unfolding that could have ended faster, what yes I say it; and Gilles having a blast with his Jew's harp 11. Cadavres Exquis on cello and duo vocals, a guitar that accompanies, the crescendo that is already taking place, Tristan in the background, too much still; piece for Hassan's solo that holds the atmosphere and never ends; the intoxicating choirs are only an epiphenomenon in front and the fade is still a bit pushed that we would forget the song of the bird 12. Autour D'Un Cadavre Exquis* as a bonus with heavy stuff, Thommy, Claude, Dan Ar Braz, Norbert, Serge, Paul, Jean-Pascal and Jan providing the progressive guitar ramblings; a nice snub for me who no longer saw any prog in it, in short.