VAGABONDAGES

This is Ange's second compilation. After a decade of poor to atrocious music, the band probably needed to recover a bit of its past fame. They have sold three million albums which is quite decent for a prog band. Being French only adds more credit to this number. They needed some kind of recognition again to prepare a true come-back with a more decent album (to come).

This album is a brief overview of their splendid period : from the very beginning with "Tout Feu, Tout Flamme" their second single which will quickly sold 25,000 copies to "By The Sons Of Mandrin" an English version of a song finally released ! (the whole English album will be marketed in ...2003).

What can I say of this compilation ? That "Caricatures" is limited to a mere 3'29" (only the final part of this great song sits here), that "Le Soleil Est Trop Vert" is another of their single released in 1972 and does not deserve to be on a compilation effort ? Nor "Ces Gens-Là" I guess since it is a cover song from Jacques Brel.

Some very nice but little known songs like "Godevin le vilain", "Jour Après Jour" and "Si J'Étais Le Messie" are welcome but does not necessarily belong to the best songs that Ange has produced (although that the lyrics from the latter are absolutely devastating. If you would like to have more details about them, you can have a look at my review for the album "Au-Delà Du Délire").

Only one number from their extremely poor eighties period is represented here : "La Gare De Troyes". It is one too much, really. I will never understand why such a song is featured while none of their last great album ("Guet-Apens") has this privilege. Very strange ...

And why do we need two versions of the same song ? I can understand why they wanted to include the English version of "Par Les Fils De Mandrin" (some sales argument, probably) but why then the original ???

There are of course three great songs as well. Amongst the best of their whole production : "Le Cimetière Des Arlequins", "Ode à Emile" and of course "Au Delà Du Délire".

They could have done a better choice in the track selection, but since only two songs are weak let's not be too harsh this time with Ange. But they have produced six albums (of which three masterpieces, IMO) from which you could almost pick at random to discover this great French prog band.

Three stars.