AVANT QU'IL NE SOIT TROP TARD

A long time ago I was warned the vocals of Mona Lisa were irritating. Admittedly Dominique Le Guennec isn't to everyone's taste. For me, although they released only six studio albums (including one in 1998 with Dominique Le Guennec using the Mona Lisa name with a totally different band), their reputation lies in two albums, Le Petite Violon de Mre. Grégoire, and this 1978 follow-up Avant Qu'il Ne Soit Trop Tard. To me this is truly the band at the top of their game with some of the finest prog from 1978, not exactly a great year for prog, but in Continental Europe that wasn't always the case. Comparisons to Ange are common, as there is that similar theatrical approach, although Jean-Paul Pierson tends to use more standard keyboards, mainly the Mini Moog and Poly Moog (sounds like it should be one), and a tiny bit of Mellotron, rather than Francis DeChamps using the treated Viscount organ in Ange. The music is truly wonderful symphonic prog, but be warned, as mentioned before, Dominque Le Guennec's vocals are an acquired taste, but it's clear by this point he has better control with his voice than he did on L'Escapade and Grimaces. Not knowing the French language, it seems to be a concept album, but not knowing the language, I'm not sure. The album seems to be arranged to be listened to in one sitting, which works in my favor because of the wonderful music within. This is one where I have a difficult time finding a highlight because the music is that good throughout! There is one polyphonic synth passage on "It's Souvenirs De Naufrageuer" that, for some odd reason, reminds me of Sylvester Levay's theme song to the 1980s TV series Airwolf, although without the 1980s trappings. I'm certain that was just coincidence, although Levay did have a prog past being in the obscure multi-national band Vita Nova that released a super rare self-entitled album in 1971. For me, Avant Qu'il Ne Soit Trop Tard is one of the highlights of French prog and very much deserving to be in your collection.