Ange vs Magma

Dellinger wrote: ^ It sounds to me like you might want to check out Ange... I sure do want to do so (but haven't gotten around to it yet). It's one of the best rated bands from france, and I understand they have that theatrical vibe going on... often being compared to Genesis.

 

I just listened to their Au-delà du délire album, it's actually really good! But then I asked myself, "is it better than MDK?" and the answer of course was no(not that any album is). So vote goes to Magma here. Surprised how good these guys are though. 

About ten years ago I went to see Return to Forever at an outdoor venue(the opening act for those wondering was Bela Fleck). Anyway, I hear this guy speaking French to someone who is ostensibly his girlfriend on his way in the men's room. I then asked him if was familiar with Magma. His response was something like "of course, I've seen them live too." I said I have also. Then I asked him about Ange. Apparently I may have pronounced their name wrong since he at first didn't seem sure who I was referring to. He then said something like "oh yes, I don't like them too much though."  I guess maybe he wasn't much into symphonic prog although I did get the feeling he was a big prog fan in general. So that's that. 

I'm actually not familiar enough with both bands to vote but unofficially I'll say Magma. The few tracks I've heard by Ange sounded good though but I really don't know them very well(yet).

 

I don't mean this as a criticism YESESIS, but more something that I realized about myself and prog from your words.

  

I'm guessing you've listened to MDK dozens, maybe hundreds of times while listening to Au Dela Du Delire once before being pleasantly surprised, but deciding it could never compete with Magma.  I'm sure if I listened to MDK once for comparison, I'd be pleasantly surprised but convinced there's no way I could ever like it more than any Ange album.  I could be right, but I could be wrong and that's what makes prog so great!  For me, the number of 5 star prog albums that I didn't like until the 3rd or 7th or 13th listening is pretty large and still surprises me.  Some wound up being among my favorite albums (Lizard, Relayer, Still Life, Acquiring the Taste, The Lamb, Benefit, etc) where some never got beyond the level of a connection that never clicked (Scheherazade, Udu Wudu, Hot Rats, Images and Words, etc) and that's what makes prog so unique.  There's more to be found on repeated listening compared to most other forms of rock.  You hear Johnny B Goode or Jumpin' Jack Flash once and you pretty much got it, where really good prog presents layers and layers to discover/uncover with each listening.

So don't give up on Ange so fast my friend.  You may never like them more than Magma, but that pleasant surprise you felt on first listening may have planted a seed that will bloom in a few months or maybe a few years to a fully developed case of Ange mania.  Au Dela Du Delire indeed 

Cool.  Sometimes it's those albums that are the toughest to get into that deliver the goods as time goes on.  Cimitiere was my 2nd Ange album and I really love it.  I hope you dig into Ange and find lots of great French prog there.  I highly recommend starting with those 1st 6 studio albums from Caricatures to Guet Apens.  I really like a couple 90's Ange albums too (Les Larmes Du Dalai Lama and Nu), but for me it's those 1st 6 that really bring the magic 

I've got over 40 Zappa albums and have given Hot Rats lots of chances over the years, but other than Peaches En Regalia it just hasn't clicked...then again, it's been years since I've given it a spin so I'll give Frank another shot.  As far as Udu Wudu, I absolutely love De Futura so haven't given up on Magma just yet   

Have you seen this live version before...it's amazing!