Entre la jeunesse et la sagesse
album by Kate and Anna McGarrigle
Entre la jeunesse et la sagesse is the fourth album by Kate & Anna McGarrigle, released in 1980. Consisting entirely of songs in French, the album was initially available only in Canada. The subsequent international release was simply called French Record.
The title of the first track is a pun: Lajeunesse is a street name in Montreal, Quebec but, since la jeunesse means youth and la sagesse means wisdom, the title of the album means "between youth and wisdom".
Critical reception
In his review in Melody Maker, Colin Irwin wrote: "I love French Record. I'm intoxicated by its shambling nonchalance; I'm seduced by its gentle, subtle nuances; and I'm in gleeful awe of its absolute, uncalculating disregard for the dictates of current style and influence. [...] It exudes such an enchanting atmosphere that it doesn't matter that you can't understand a damn thing they're on about (though translations are supplied on the sleeve). [...] It's a collection that swamps you in its sheer romance; yet stealthily avoids the danger of being dragged into slush by the discreet arrangements and surprisingly broad array of styles within the sentiment. [...] The music contains such a depth of feeling and emotion, it's obviously a work Kate and Anna have had in their hearts for a long time. [...] Ultimately, it's those harmonies that grab you tightest...
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Entre la jeunesse et la sagesse” is album by Kate and Anna McGarrigle. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Entre, jeunesse and sagesse, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “album by Kate and Anna McGarrigle” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Nov 27, 2024. The linked authority identifier is Q17002897. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1980.
Later fame can flatten the distinction between original context, subsequent adaptation and institutional collecting history. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Entre la jeunesse et la sagesse” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.