Ange - Par Les Fils De Mandrin (1976)

Posted By : v3122 | Date : 10 Mar 2011 11:03:32 | Comments : 3 |

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In an attempt to not overuse the word Classic, I must site "Par Les Fils De Mandrin" as a 70's French prog classic and one of their most enduring albums of all time for me. 5th release from ANGE successfully revisiting their classic ANGE style throughout with dramatic intensity. "Par Les Fils De Mandrin explores a nice wide range of musical aspects from folk-inspired as found in the epic tracks "Hymne à la Vie" to the classic-Ange-sounding track "Au Café du Colibri" which could have been lifted off their debut album years earlier. A truely wonderful concept album full of beauty with the real accent of classic ANGE....

~ loserboy, Progarchives review

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Ange:

Formed in late 1969 by brothers Christian Descamps (vocals) and Francis Descamps (keyboards) and later joined by guitarist Jean-Michel Brézovar, bassist Daniel Haas and Gérard Jelsh on drums, this French symphonic progressive rock band, similar to contemporaries such as Genesis and King Crimson, is undoubtedly France's most important prog band. Marrying prog rock influences with French folk and theatrical vocals à la Jacques Brel (Ange covered Ces Gens-là from Brel, and it turned out to be their first hit in 1970), Ange's music, but mostly their lyrics, are second to none. Thirty years later, after multiple lineup changes, charismatic and theatrical frontman Christian Descamps leads the new Ange generation alongside his son Tristan on keyboards, Hassan Hajdi on guitars, Thierry Sidhoun on bass, Caroline Crozat on vocals and Benoît Cazzulini on drums.

The classic line up (except for the drummer which changed often) recorded many cult classics, such as « Caricatures », « Le Cimetière des Arlequins », and a series of masterpieces like « Au-delà du Délire », « Émile Jacotey », « Par les Fils de Mandrin » and « Guet-Apens ». 10 years after « Guet-Apens », the same lineup would reunite and release two albums, « Sève qui Peut » in 1989 and « Les larmes du Dalaï-Lama » in 1992. While being modern, these albums nevertheless captured the main ingredients unique to Ange. Their latest albums, « Culinaire Lingus » and « ? » see the band as inspired and pertinent as ever, as if Descamps had found the secret of eternal youth.

This band is more than highly recommended, it is mandatory listening for fans of theatrical symphonic progressive rock, especially the period between « Caricatures » and « Guet-Apens ».

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Tracklist:

1. Par les Fils de Mandrin (4:48)
2. Au Café du Colibri (4:02)
3. Ainsi s'en ira la pluie (6:08)
4. Autour du Feu (3:06)
5. Saltimbanques (4:15)
6. Des yeux Couleur d'Enfants (4:20)
7. Atlantis "les géants de la 3e Lune" (5:05)
8. Hymne à la Vie (9:44)
a) Cantique (4:15)
b) Procession (3:52)
c) Hymne (1:37)

Personnel:

- Jean Michel Brezovar / solo guitar, acoustic guitar
- Gerald Jelsch / drums, percussion
- Daniel Haas / bass guitar
- Christian Decamps / Hammond organ, piano
- Francis Decamps / organ special effects