LA VIEILLE QUE L'ON BRÛLA

Classic French Progressive rock with fantastic melodies and some grand musicianship along the way. RIPAILLE were certainly less known than ANGE but lived in the same era and in fact toured with them at one time. RIPAILLE's music is rich and full bodied with some wonderful songwriting and heavy use of analog synths. Like ANGE, RIPAILLE's music was centered around concepts and full of theatrical moods perfect for their lavish stage shows. Vocals are sung in French and are quite well done with great expressionism. Instrumentation used throughout is exceptional and nicely varied and contrasted. We are also treated to a few tracks from RIPAILLE's second album which I had never even heard of before. In many ways their sound is reminiscent of Canadian 70's prog band HARMONIUM with their slight electronic folk influences and quirky little moods. Songs are greatly landscaped with analog keyboard sounds while the guitar bass and drum carry the melody. French prog lovers sanctuary for sure.

One of the top masterpiece from France , this UFO is a real gem. Obviously inspired by Gentle Giant and in a lesser way Gryphon, this is a good adaptation of medieval music to a good concept prog album. If one must categorize this then be it in folk-prog then as this is very much acoustic and the french lyrics are a joy to read. The story is not really linear but all the numbers are linked by the lyrics that aim at the dark ages without all of that heroic-fantasy stuff. The bonus track were from an album to be that never came and although slightly unfinished they hint at another real masterpiece in the making.I think this would have been a tremendous poke at mass consumption. UNLIKE MOST PEOPLE, I RARELY GIVE FIVE STAR TO AN ALBUM SO BELIEVE ME THIS IS REALLY A NUGGET, ESPECIALLY THAT THIS WENT ALMOST UNNOTICED AT THE TIME OF RELEASE (PUNK ERA)

RIPAILLE's sole album is for sure a very pleasant and good one but in some way after reading the praising reviews here I've to say I expected a bit more from it. Closest comparisons might be Canadian band HARMONIUM and in some way ANGE. Overall it's a very nice blend of symphonic rock with some (not too much) medieval folk adaptations which are most obvious in the songs "La Veuve de Nicole" which is the one where the crumhorn comes into action if I'm not wrong, in the short one " Les Loups" and in "Epilogue".

Positive points are the highly versatile instrumentation and the excellent musicianship. Only the rather bad drums in the faster tracks like "Satane Jardin" and "Le Sabbat des Sorts" sounding slightly "disco"-alike are blearing a bit the overall good impression. In general I've got to say I enjoyed much more the slower acoustic tunes and felt slightly irritated by the "strange" and almost hilarious keyboards used in "Le Sabbat des Sorts".

The two bonus tracks from their never released second album are a very nice add-up and really make the CD worth spending the money.

I was thinking really hard how I should rate this one, finally I did a song by song rating with the result of 3.5 / 5 stars. Since half stars are not available and it's rather overrated here anyway I decided to give only 3 stars but not without emphasising that this is just my own personal view (like all others here as well). It's a very good album but there were better French (and Quebequois) ones even from that period like from CARPE DIEM or MANEIGE for example.

This interesting French record from the late 1970's combines many kinds of musical elements, creating a pleasant, beautiful and imaginative album. The most characteristic sound which drilled into my head from this album was a monophonic high-pitched keyboard tone used in it, shining like a full moon on a cloudless sky; I think it fits well to the album theme as I believe the first song is about "A Child of The Moon" or something (as I'm not very skilled with the language of Montaigne, the deeper meaning of the lyrics mostly didn't reach me). The album opens with quiet waves soon accompanied with tender electric piano chords, creating very beautiful moods, which are the key element for me when enjoying this record. The calm movement evolves to more jazzy territories, and the second song "Le Jardin des Plaisirs" begins in very traditional acoustic folk music style. Later the song moves to different themes giving me associations from symphonic rock arrangements. Third song "Il n'y a plus Rien" is one of the top tracks here for me, having calm beautiful feeling featuring that curious mono-pitched keyboard and a flanger-treated guitar chords, little similar used by Pekka Rechardt in late 1970's Wigwam recordings, which is one strong association from this pretty jazzy ballad for me as a Finnish listener.

There are also some not-so-great moments here like the fourth song "Satane Jardin", which sounded quite banal to my ears mostly due its vocals. But the majority of the music here is quite good. "La Veuve de Nicole" builds up slowly with a nice melody gathering more and more instrument layers upon it, leading to multivocal verses. The sequence fades to mantra-like guitar progression accompanied by surging electric synth sounds and deep vocal chants. "Le Sabbat des Sorts" is has a little Jethro Tull resembling feeling, combining upright traditional sounding vocal lines with more modern rock themes and instrumental runs. In the end there's also a maybe-humorous Emerson, Lake and Palmer resembling sequence, not perhaps the most essential movement of the record for me. "Les Loups" continues directly from the previous song, having peculiar timings, passionate French vocals, mysterious soundscapes from the synths and solo activity from the electric guitar. The title track "La Vielle que l'on Brula" starts little irritating way in my opinion, but draws the themes from the beginning of the album in it in a wonderful way. "Epilogue" gives a last good bye with nice set of musical elements grown familiar from the main tracks of the album. The Musea CD re-issue has also some bonus tracks, following faithfully the musical line of the album, but not being very essential at least to me.

One thing which caught my attention here is the really big bunch of people playing on this band, thirteen persons, plus other drummer in two bonus tracks. Also the album cover design is really one of the greatest I have ever seen. In spite of the few moments which I didn't appreciate here, I would still recommend this record to anybody interested of emotional progressive rock music with traditional music edge. A one slight reference for something similar on basis of the sounds might be "Moonmadness" album of Camel, which was recorded during the same years as this album. Like that one, this record also stands interestingly between the older and more contemporary progressive rock music, and also from personally perspective sing their tales to me from the times I was born.

I must say it has been a joy getting to know Ripaille.

In a way it was the flip side to the experience of the Arachnoid album for me, another from 70s France. Both give much care and attention to the arrangement, great playing, and a wide variety of interesting sounds. However whereas the Arachnoid album was quite dark and downbeat in mood, Ripaille is more upbeat, joyful, and wears a good sense of humor. I'm speaking of the music, not the lyrics which are in French for which I don't speak.

This is an album with many layers and requires multiple spins to reward, but reward it shall. It is more keyboard oriented than guitar and quite folkish. The comparisons of others to Gryphon and GG are understandable and I would add that I hear traces of some of the classic Italian bands as well. Some of the keyboard runs on this album sound so bizarre the first few times you hear them but later on end up making the song. This album is the definition of a "grower" in my opinion. Give it time.

The Musea reissue is great with bonus tracks and nice art. The booklet has the full band history with photos. One of the photos features the band practicing in an attic space and captures perfectly the camaraderie of band life. Anyone who's played in a band will appreciate the moment.

Serious, classy, yet quirky and strange. Ripaille is a feast!

This record is among the most progressive ones of the year 1977. The airs change very often, and the delightful music has nothing to envy from the classic prog bands of the 70's. The music is shared between vintage keyboards and polyphonic synthesizers, which contribute to create rich layers and sequences of often complex music. Au menu, Fender Rhodes, piano, Italian progressive moog keyboards, harpsichord and clavinet among others. The similitudes are multiple: Gentle Giant, Gryphon, Happy The Man, Mike Oldfield and some funny parts reminding the prog fairytale "Peter And The Wolf". There is a complex European folkier tendancy reminding Gryphon themselves in a bit simpler manner. There are many instruments involved. The VERY theatrical lead vocals sound between Gilbert Becaud, Michel Fugain and Patrick Bruel. The bass is very bottom and present. The majority of the album deserves between 4.5 and 5 stars. There are a couples of only "good" tracks.

Rating: 4.5 stars

This fully anonymous band from France plays some symphonic folk music which is rather pleasant to listen to. There are a myriad of musicians featured on this album. Most play rare instruments like spinet, crumhorns, rototoms (sometimes used by Brufford and Mason for instance), accoridon, triangle...

The voice of the lead vocalist sounds a bit flat. As the "concept" of this album. Once in a while (but not really much, to be honest) you will miss something if you do not master the French language; like when you listen to "La Veuve De Nicolas Kremer" for instance. The recitation and the music might sound dull in the beginning but the lyrics are rather "spicy". It's about a widow who is having sex at night, even with ... animals. The crazy Descamps lyrics from "Ange" are not far away. A very intrigant song.

"Le Sabbat Des Sorcières" features some great instrumental parts, but frankly, these vocals are rather absurd. Fortunately, this album is mostly instrumental, because I have exactly the same feeling when I listen to "Les Loups". These vocals are just boring. The title track will be spared, fortunately. This time, we'll finally get expressive vocals. I only had wished to get more of these. Just to reach the high level of the instrumental parts during this album.

The main influence for "Ripaille" is definitely Gentle Giant as far as the vocals are concerned. So, if this band belongs to your favourite ones, this album is something you need to discover. I will rate this album with three stars thanks to the music (although that I'm not frankly impressed with the accordion of the closing number...).

I will have the same feeling during the three bonus tracks. Each features some great musical parts but they are also combined by ultra-theatrical vocals ("Gratis, Et En Plein Air" is the best exemple). The problem is that the lyrics are far from being either interesting, irreverrent or even funny (although "Les Chameaux" holds these three aspects). Intellectual, maybe. Or is it verbal masturbation ?

Three stars.

An admirably adventurous spirit and command of the theatrical notwithstanding, this sole surviving output by French band RIPAILLE is far too uneven and derivative to even qualify as a flawed masterpiece. The influences spread wide as the horizon but as deep as the outer edge of soil that melts every summer on the tundra. Beyond the obvious over-enunciated vocal machinations of GENTLE GIANT and the medieval veneer of GRYPHON, I hear plenty of ANGE dramatics, but also occasional phrasings of MALICORNE and arrangements drowned in anachronistic synthesizer whirs more endemic to the symphonic prog of SYNOPSIS. But with that group's "Minuit Ville", the electronics enhanced the classical aspects, whereas here they effectively quell any folk charm in its tracks. Inspired passages end too soon, while restless doodling drones on ad nauseum. You really just need to listen to "Epilog" to get the full sense of the debauchery and decide if you want any part of it. From the more conservative prog folk perspective, however, the consistently eerie and restrained "Le Jardin des Plaisirs" and, less so, "La Veuve de Nicolas Kremer" represent the only pieces that should have escaped with a tad more than 50% of their content, had much needed record company quality control not gone as bankrupt as the label.

While I am going to go with two stars here and not a half more, many esteemed critics think of it highly, so if you enjoy the sort of musical flagellation I've described, by all means indulge. Myself, I'm off to attend a ritual virtual burning ceremony.

It never ceases to amaze me how many progressive bands carried on after the first wave of prog's peak popularity that started waning big time with the advent of punk and disco. Many of these feisty groups were determined to get their product out and often released one or two albums and then disappeared into the annals of historic obscurity. France's RIPAILLE was one of countless such bands who released one album and called it a day. This band emerged from Nantes, France and released a diverse palette of proggy delights on their only album LA VIEILLE QUE L'ON BRÛLA (translates into "The old woman who got burned." The album came out in 1977 just when the Sex Pistols and Saturday Night Fever were changing the music scene, so this album never had a chance in the shuffle but clearly shows more of an allegiance to the early 70s than forward looking into the latter half.

While only consisting of nine tracks, LA VIEILLE QUE L'ON BRÛLA cranks out very different sounding compositions ranging from the Medieval prog folk sounds of Gryphon such as on "La Veuve de Nicolas Kremer", "Epilogue" and "Le Jardin des Plaisirs" to the theatrical Ange flavored ones that occur on Satané Jardin" and "Le Sabbat des Sorcières." The Ange effect is on full display when the vocals are the star with that same sort of shouting madman rant dominating the scene however on instrumental workouts such as on the title track there are a lot of nods to the more eclectic side of Gentle Giant as well. The music is quite dynamic as there are eleven musicians on board cranking out all kinds of instrumental flavors with not only a the expected guitar, bass and drums but heavy symphonic prog keyboards, accordion, alt sax and a huge number of percussive instrumentation.

RIPAILLE certainly cranked out the worthy obscurity to check out however the band hadn't quite simmered down all their influences into a cohesively interesting and totally original excogitation quite yet but they were clearly onto something as certain tracks like "La Verve de Nicole" manage to implement the Medieval Gryphon type vibe with a more pastoral symphonic prog folk that feels more like English prog than French, however the lyrics all sung in French bringing the Ange connection into play display a very unique Anglo-friendly version of Gallic fusion. That tracks is one of the best as it meanders on into a psychedelic symphonically dominated frenzy that fits in well with the album cover imagery. If only the entire album would have been this mature and focused it would have been substantially better.

While not a perfect album, this one has a lot of musical treats on it to recommend. While all the influences are worn proudly on their sleeves, RIPAILLE did churn out a very interesting mix of them all. LA VIEILLE QUE L'ON BRÛLA is roughly a 50 / 50 mix of progressive folk and heavier rock in the vein of Gentle Giant. All lyrics are in French and this was probably never heard outside of their homeland until the advent of the internet although the album saw a second coming when it was released on the Musea label in 1997. Perhaps one more complaint is that the electric piano can present a rather harsh bombastic tone at times as well as moments of oom-pa-pa polka flavored music peeking in from time time. While a sophomore releases surely would've corrected a lot of the rough draft ideas that are presented on LA VIEILLE QUE L'ON BRÛLA, sadly it was never to be leaving this sole album as the only evidence that the band RIPAILLE ever existed.

3.5 but misses enough marks for me to round up