This concert by one of France's foremost progressive acts was recorded in Paris in 1987. While the band was well past their prime by that time and hadn't recorded any musically significant albums in years, this date definitely recaptures their past glory.
Ange wisely concentrated on their mid-'70s output, as albums like
Le Cimetiere des Arlequins (1974),
Au Dela Du Delire (1975),
Emile Jacotey (1975), and
Par les Fils Du Mandrin (1976) are all well-represented here. The '80s weren't particularly kind to re-formed '70s prog and classic rock artists, and were even more unappreciative of "hangers-on" like
Ange, who released albums somewhat regularly but had less and less to say to a shrinking audience.
Ange found a home firmly entrenched as a second-tier progressive band (à la
Eloy,
PFM,
Acqua Fragile, and
Caravan) with virtually no base outside of Europe, save for an enthusiastic core in Quebec. It could be argued that they were deserving of greater recognition but were obviously hampered by their French-only lyrics, which frankly never caught on in the United States. This concert accurately portrays
Ange's energy and bravado, however, on the performance continuum, their style lies exactly where the theatrical becomes melodramatic. If ever a music journalist were justified in brandishing derisive terms like "bombastic" and "self-indulgent" when describing progressive rock, it would be for bands like
Ange. They thrived on all the stereotypes associated with prog rock and made no apologies for it. This date is somewhat reflective of their heyday, although curious newcomers might do well to explore
Ange's early studio albums to get a clearer idea of their art and passion rather than the too obvious "dramatic reenactment," as evidenced on
Tome 87 many years later when mimicking art is no longer sufficiently artistic.