A ... DIEU

This is another great live "Ange" record. We'll get the full story of one of their masterpiece "Au Delà Du Délire". These Ange stories were at least as complex as several Genesis songs could be. Therefore, to get the full story during the introduction is really rewarding (only if you are fluent in French, I'm afraid).

I have rated the original album with five stars. This live version is not at all worth less... and it is not the very good "Le Vieux De La Montagne" one of their oldest songs which will bring down the quality of this album. Only the fact that it is only a live representation and that it is rather faithfull to the original will prevent me to use the same rating.

In about ten seconds, Christian Descamps will deliver one of the most devastating intro for a song I have ever heard : "Godevain saw Joan Of Arc on the stake, Napoleon fascist of the French people, the Indochina War, Algeria, Line Renaud's menopause (she is a well-known French artist), and the sugarless coffee. This only to introduce "La Bataille Du Sucre" one of their darkest song ever : just wonderful. I know of no other band going that far ...

The interpretation of "Le Vieux De La Montagne" is fantastic. I liked quite a lot the original song already available on the compilation album "Reimpression 72-76" but it get expanded here (almost double in lenght) and it is frankly one of the highlight of this live album. Truely symphonic, it combines some very light and subtle jazz moments. The long flute passage is just extremely beautiful : Trespass is very close my prog friends. A great Ange song : no doubt.

A very good version for "Hymne À La Vie" closes this great live album. Don't worry, its little brother "Rideau!" is its perfect companion (both were taped from the same tour).

Four stars.

I'm sure the excellent live is Ange's real ability!

Differently from almost all of Ange fans, A ... Dieu is my first Ange's album (not kidding). I realize that we should listen to the live album for feeling the genuine ability of the band (to tell the truth, I didn't have such a thought when I bought it...LOL). My first hearing the lively live could knock me out. The brilliant play, the force of the band, the atmosphere in the hall, the cheer of the audience...I wanna say all are perfect. Later (!) I listened to the album Au Delà Du Délire and the studio work let me re- understand the wonderfulness of the live version.

Ange's sound is a mixture of calmness and heavyness, whispering and shouting. Please enjoy full of what- is-called French taste and mood. Very impressive, I wanna give it 4.5 stars.