Founded in France in the early 1970s, Coincidence were a (mostly instrumental) prog-fusion band founded by twin lead guitarists/brothers Jean-Pierre and Jean-Claude Llabador, and new reissues seek to bring some love to this overlooked band. While the newly available CD versions of Archives 1973-1974, Mets Tes Lunettes et Écoute Comme Ça Sent Bon! Vol. 1 (1976) and Mets Tes Lunettes et Écoute Comme Ça Sent Bon! Vol. 2 (1979) come in cardboard sleeves that lack detailed historical notes, they do succeed in introducing new listeners to Coincidence’s melodic, jazzy sound.
Archives 1973-1974 contains only four tracks and clocks in at about 50 minutes. These pieces “are the oldest you can find,” according to the back cover. “The original tapes of the live concert (side one), which were found and exhumed by sheer luck, were of poor quality. They had to be restored as far as possible. Please bear in mind that this music was captured FIFTY years ago.”
Indeed, the audio quality on Archives 1973-1974 is not as crisp as on the band’s two studio albums (and there are no vocals on those records), but this still serves as a solid introduction to the band's complicated sound. The 30-minute opening track, “Glimpse,” was captured in Montpelier, France, and shows the band relaying on plenty of guitar work and Doors-y keys punctuated with flute and sax. The other three songs are the 13-minute “Astronaut/Juggeraut,” along with “Suite Pt. 1” and “Suite Pt. 2 (which clock in collectively at under seven minutes). They dip into everything from folk-rock to heavier acid-tinged rock.
It’s also worth noting that Archives 1973-1974 features a different lineup than the ones that recorded Mets Tes Lunettes et Écoute Comme Ça Sent Bon! Vol. 1 and Mets Tes Lunettes et Écoute Comme Ça Sent Bon! Vol. 2.
Track Listing
1. Glimpse
2. Astronaut/Juggernaut
3. Suite Pt. 1
4. Suite Pt. 2
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