VU D'UN CHIEN

O.K. - I'm gonna submit a review on this album....only because I've just spent some time listening to 80's Ange lately. Ange were an island unto themselves - the warbling Viscount Organ, Mellotron, Christian's theatrical vocal delivery - they are all Ange. Unique. This quality is present, even in the 80's releases to an extent - the strong keyboard prescence (not vintage keys unfortunately), the intense vocal delivery, but, as time has it, an even stronger guitar prescence is felt with the 80's-onward albums. We all give nasty 'stick' to Ange during this period (well the song-writing and arrangements were much too straight-forward) - I honestly enjoyed their 1985 release 'Fou' (particularly side 2) upon recent listening. Vu D'un Chien is a product of its times, recommended in the same way as 'Duke' is within the Genesis canon) - by this time, we are greeted with an all-out guitar heavy rock music - upon hearing is not a good sign, however, the opening track Les Tempes Modernes is a little bombastic in a Styx kind of way - a fair tune at best....by the 2nd track 'Les Lorgnons', we have an attempt at being theatrical AND accessible together, which should appeal to prog-heads. Foutez-Moi La Paix shows a more exciting vocal approach with some musical integrity and then leads into an extended piece which is enjoyable but not that exciting - it is not the great prog piece that we expect. Francis' 1979 solo LP 'Histoire de Fou' is much more exciting..... 'La Suisse' is OK as is 'Personne Au Bout du Fil - the backing vox and Sax kill the feel a bit, giving it a very commercial edge which is not what we really like to hear, 'Pour un Rien' is as exciting as 'Heathaze' is to Genesis, and the title track is decent without being anything too special. Good but inessential - go for ANY of the 70's albums.....

Another two years break after their superb "Guet-Apens". From the new trio of musicians that joined the band to produce it, only one will stay for "Vu D'Un Chien" (from a dog's point of view - that's what the title means). Guitar and bass will again change hands. We have seen that this turover did not affect their work previously, so I was not too much worried about these ones.

The mood is definitely harder than before (but this is the eighties, right ?). The theatrical Christian's vocals is always present but the symphonic moments are scarce. Guitar has a more important role than usual as well.

Very little long pieces here. The longest one is "Je Travaille Sans Filet", clocking at just over seven minutes. It is a good rocking number but little emotion will filter out of this one. A bit dull. As the opener "Les Temps Modernes" another one of the longest number available (over five minutes).

The best number, IMO is "Les Lorgnons" which keeps on with Ange's tradition : symphonic mood, great keys. It will be the only one of that caliber, unfortunately.

"Pour Un Rien" is also very pleasant. A short and symphonic song which reminds the glory days. It could have been a nice intro of an epic but after 2'45" it is over. "La Suisse" started as "39" from "Queen", and the end of the song is 100% jazz-rock oriented, which is not at all my cup of tea.

"Personne Au Bout Du Fil" is again almost hard-rock oriented. I have of course nothing against this type of music, but it is rather unusual to hear this from Ange. They are not particularly successful in this genre.

The title track is a funny song. As I have said in the intro, it means from a dog's point of view (or perspective). The lyrics will be a long description of what a dog feels when confronted to the human race. Good rhythmics for the third good piece of the album.

"Vu D'un Chien" is not a bad album, but most of the magic from Ange has disappeared. The great symphonic keys moments, the incredible lyrics are gone. What remains is a good French rock band. But Ange has been used his fans to much, very much better work.

I'm afraid that this album opens a serie of rather poor releases form this great band. This one being not too bad : two stars.

2.5 stars really!!!

Apparently the group went on a break after promoting their excellent Guet Apens album. For the major fans, this album is where Ange stops being good and it's easy to see why: Brezovar and Haas are well gone and if drummer Guichard remains behind the stool, he's still too fresh to make a difference. So with Vu D'Un Chien, we only have the two brothers remaining and no one to back them up properly. Indeed, replacing Demet, new axemen Defer is very (all too) audible, but obviously the man chomps riffs as if it was a real axe and he had lumber to chop down, but also doesn't play flute like his two predecessors. Gone is the theatrics and prog touches that had made Ange the most successful French group of the 70's all rock styles considered. OK, this album was recorded in the 80's, but it still sounds 70's enough, but much more mainstream rock than prog, but can not be compared to AOR that was now ruling on the other side of the pond. In some ways, this album could fit well in the mould of Eurock (Machiavel, Kayak etc?)

After the very upbeat UFO-ish hard rockin' Les Temps Modernes where Defer brutally overpowers the delicate Descamps harmonies, Lorgnons is a slower where the two bros are still bringing whatever finesse left in the music. The rest of the tracks on the A-side are not fillers, but are not exactly cornerstones either, especially the album-longest Sans Filet that overstays its welcome by a few minutes. Opening the flipside, La Suisse might even be a bit reminiscent of Saga, while the Montrose-like Au Bout Du Fil is ruined by a FM-friendly guitar, complete with a hysteric solo ala Eddie Van Schenker and the following Pour Un Rien is almost exactly that. The title track has again a Saga feel to it and was recorded live (part of it anyway) but it doesn't save the album either.

OK, VduC is a weaker album, but this is mostly due to the music, coz on the lyric side (for those ho master the French language), the texts are still fairly good, even if they might not reach the apex of a few years ago. Like most Ange fans, this is the type of album that usually gets a solid denigration (normally I do), but if you're into UFO meeting Saga, you might still find enough positive to like it.

Ange enters the 80's and sounds a bit ill at ease. Compared to the excellent Guet-Apens album that preceded Vu D'un Chien is a bit thin on substance and glossy in form.

The dramatic symphonic style of the 70's is not entirely abandoned yet, the sound is still thick with symphonic keyboards and Dechamps compelling vocals and melodies. In the songwriting there is a notable shift from ambitious progressive writing to standard verse-chorus rock clichés. Ange tried to answer to a changed environment but didn't have the vision to look forward like Rush did around that time. Instead they looked the other way and tried to apply the streamlined arena rock approach that had proved a commercial success for bands like Kayak and Saga. The result is somewhat neo-proggish with prominently rocking drums and straightforward compositions.

This album is a step down below anything Ange released in the 70's, but it is still a decent enough melodic rock album with good songs and Ange's known melancholy and passionate singing. From what I've heard, also those strongholds were to disappear completely on subsequent albums.

If you're a big fan of Ange's 70's albums you might consider adding this one as your final addition. 2.5 stars

To follow a band's discography and see what happens with the music during the years is very interesting. Now I have examined some great 70s proggers late records. I found they(for example Caravan) were great dispite changing members, styles and instrumentation. Ange's "Vu d'un Chien" is another example of that.

Ange's seventh record was made in 1980 and got a mostly blue cover with a picture in a heyhole. At that time Ange consisted of Francis and Christian Decamps, Jean-Pierre Guichard, Robert Defer and Didier Visieux. The two brothers were the only original members left. What's most significant Ange here is the very dramatic vocals we hear right from the start in "Les temps modernes" which is a fast hard rock song with great guitar that screams in the solos. "Les Lorgnons" is a classical Ange song and the best on this record. It also features a great guitar solo and the keyboards reminds me of the German symphonic band Novalis. Just unfortunately I can not speak or understand french. "Foutez-Moi La Paix" is short but special with its uninhibited vocals. "Je Travaille Sans Filet" is also very rocky and in the end we hear a church organ and strong guitars. "La Suisse" is different. It is both mainstream and polished to an intelligent unit with a great perfektion of the sound. And what would the 80s be without languishing saxophone. "Personne Au Bout du Fil" is not very interesting, a fast rock song but "Pour un rien" contains much more interesting stuff. The ending and title track "Vu D'un Chien" ends up with a symphonic background with a praising audience.

In terms of progressivity this isn't the most complicated Ange record but that doesn't make it less good. I think Ange managed to seek out new life forms for their music with keeping its spirits. This is better than "Par les fils de Mandrin" which had som inferior tracks but not as good as "Cimetière..." or "Carricatures".

3 years to wonder if it was going to continue, 3 years to know if the band was going to give us something, 3 years! 1Les Temps Modernes for this nod to the labors of Hercules, to the mad world in which Charlot was immersed in his time, a bold, incisive, modern sound at the start of a new decade; a guitarist with Robert who leaves on solos and a hard riff, the Ange before is gone, long live Ange; Didier on bass reinforces the fat sound and these modern times made me capsize, me who only sees prog with a little heavy so as not to fall asleep during concerts with vintage 2 Les Lorgnons all this for a story of badly fitted glasses; a text you remember, you have the right to dream, to retie your shoes, the slap I still remember; Francis is softer, it's good like that Robert puts himself more in evidence; good in the courtyard of the school, by the way, did you find them? A solo from behind the fagots stamped Ange with the spleen hanging on, Jean-Pierre always taps delicately and by the way, here is a weird slip... 3 Leave Me Alone! for those who are not happy... Ange tries to extricate itself from words and evils like many bands and finally releases an album, then; a little boogie with this soft keyboard line; here I offer you a whiskey that too I loved when I started to taste, the outro that you don't know if it's the end or the beginning of the next title, that too is prog and... Give me a break 4 I Work Without Net for the slap; the slap not the baffle we agree, in addition I would have to dust them off, in short prog metal with a riff à la Scorpions immense, brilliant, bombastic... shut up I drank too much... all is said , I had told him to taste he wouldn't be there slipping on the rope, without bad alcohol; the title that I put back tirelessly to incorporate myself somehow, always a word that recalls a time of Angel... and the other idiot there who shines his spotlight while I'm alone on the rope to type words just for fun; well I haven't lost I'm listening to this album again in stereo and I'm thinking about Scorpions again, I like it...The chorus that doesn't stop, a bit winded there... and then the cathedral organ and then the guitar enjoyable, and then this beat, and then this bass, another riff, this rise... the prog blood flows of course inside and there you forget everything, you close your eyes and you dream... until the final synth which keeps you awake 5 Switzerland ... side B missed, yet I like it I even have a Swiss friend; too monolithic not intoxicating enough I listen to it in search of this bizarre solo, Francis in a dance hall who just tries his hand at it and the chorus sailing endlessly; the sax that comforts me in this mouth-hole title, oh a shame to write it, no I live it like that, I say it 6 Person Au Bout Du Fil between the boogie, the last Asia and the fat sound of the album; a new genre that you had to dare not to fall like the other dinos; the progueux will still criticize, the metalheads who pass there will recognize in Robert a good frontman; yes I've always liked the guitar solos that gave me the temperature of the album, in short you don't say anything you don't listen anymore... but our lives are at stake, go answer, answer, answer no one? 7 Pour Un Rien for the Genesis nursery rhyme, just to tackle those who say that Ange didn't do it... but there's no harm, this piece is divine, short that I wish it lasted , short that I have the words that come out, especially when it comes to going through his body... and before the tarantulas; the synth solo on a 'Ripples' for those who dare to compare for a few moments, beauty in bars, in K7, intimate, it only takes a little to be happy 8 Vu D'un Chien déboule, good 6 mn we hope; the synth pads and the guitar à la Crichton from Saga, yes I like to think of another band while listening to these notes; well, we're talking about a wagging tail, wow, it's hot... not dirtying the seats, wow, not licking the paint on his mistress, wow, it's really hot... a prog title like you imagine with latent phase, rise, plateau phase and musical orgasm; it changes you have to adapt and not stay in the 70s so there I am satisfied, there is to the marrow bone to be happy and to wag this damn tail... that's it the explosion is there , nervous, heavy with applause, everything is there and biting the postman I like it, burglars eat them it would be better... stunning at first listen.