French Music
Jeanne Moreau: 12 Chansons (Released in 1964, Rating 3)
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A 1. J'Ai La Memoire Qui Flanche 2. La Vie S'Envole 3. La Peau, Leon 4. Rien N'Arrive Plus 5. Moi Je Prefere 6. Le Blues Indolent B 1. La Vie De Cocagne 2. L'Homme D'amour 3. L'Horloger 4. Ni Trop Tot, Ni Trop Tard 5. Les Mensonges 6. L'Amour Flou |
There seem to be a tradition of singing actress in France. Obviously, it came from the strategy of Serge Gainsbourg to make amateur-singer-actresses sing. Jane Birkin, Anna Karina, Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve, and Isabelle Adjani sang songs awkwardly. These amateur singers have a great appeal because they can't sing well, and it does not matter if they sing well or not, the fact they sing itself matters; That beautiful woman sings! However, the tradition of singing actress was not the invention of Serge Gainsbourg. There was Jeanne Moreau before Gainsbourg's girls. (And there should be much more precedents...)
Jeanne Moreau is a haunting figure of the 50s and 60s. Her existence in the movies of Louis Malle and Francois Truffault has a strong appeal. She was a pop icon of French existentialism. As the influence of existentialism has faded, I began to feel her role in the movies, a kind of mysterious femme fatal, may be stereo-type. Still, her beauty in the movies has never faded away.
This album is the one from Discques Jacques Canetti. Moreau sings 12 songs of Cyrus Bassiak. As we can hear her song in Jules et Jim (1962) , she is a good singer. Compared with Gainsbourg girls, she can be said a professional singer. However, this professional singing is also a weakness of Moreau. This record is a good "chanson" record, but doesn't have a strong appeal. The major appeal of this record is a cover art. It is so beautiful, and fits to the image of Moreau in the novelle vague movies. So, this is worth buying just to decorate the room with this beautiful cover art...
(Feb/2004)
Jeanne Moreau: 12 Chansons Nouvelles (Released in 1967, Rating 4)
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A 1. Jamais Je Ne T'Ai Dit Que Je T'aimerai Toujours 2. Tout Morose 3. J'Avais Un Ami 4. Les Mots De rien 5. Anonyme 6. Adieu Ma vie B 1. Tu M'Agaces 2. Tantot rouge, Tantot bleu 3. Ou Vas-Tu Mathilde 4. Les Wagons Longs De Lit 5. Angora Rose 6. Les Mains Sur Les Tempes |
The second record from Discques Jacques Canetti. Moreau sings another 12 song of Cyrus Bassiak. Musically speaking, this one is much better than the first one. Moreau sings with simple guitar by Elek Bacsik. This setting reminds me of the singing scene of Jules et Jim (1962). And this style fits so well to Moreau's voice. Also, the cover art is so beautiful, too. This one is worth buying whether you are a fan of Moreau or not. I think this is available on CD now. But try to search LP because the bigger album cover is more beautiful as a room decoration.
(Feb/2004)
Jane Birkin Serge Gainsbourg: Jane Birkin Serge Gainsbourg (Released in 1969, Rating 3+)
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1.La Chanson de Slogan 2.L'Anamour 3.Orang Outan 4.Sous le Soleil Exactement 5.18-39 6.69 Année Érotique 7.Jane B. 8.Elisa 9.Le Canari Est Sur le Balcon 10.Les Sucettes 11.Manon |
Serge Gainsbourg is the best song-writer in French pop history ever! He is a real genius, I think. His own albums are good, but not catchy; He sings like speaking. And Jane Birkin is the ideal singing machine to perform his songs. (They had been married since 1968 until 1980.) So, Birkin, a British born actress-model, represents the best part of French pop scene.
This album is the first collaboration of Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg. Before this album, there was a famous single Je T'aime... Moi, NonPlus. The first edition of this album contains that song. But the song was too sexy, erotic and too scandalous, condemned by the Pope, and deleted from Fontana catalog. Instead, La chanson de Slogan was added.
In this album, Birkin and Gainsbourg share the album. So, you have to hear Gainsbourg song. It's not bad, but I feel it is better without it.... (BTW, Sans Le Soleil Exactment is really good song. Here Gainsbourg sing this song, but I love the version Anna Karina sings! You can hear it on the soundtrack Anna (1968).)
Because this album does not contain Je T'aime... Moi, NonPlus, you need to buy her best album. I can't find a good compilation of Birkin in the CD format though there are many. It should contain two other great songs which don't appear on the original album. They are Yesterday, Yes A Day and Ballade de Jonny Jane. Buy something which contains these three songs.
(July/2002)
Jane Birkin: Di Doo Dah (Released in 1973, Rating 4+)
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1.Di Doo Dah 2.Help Camionneur! 3.Encore Lui 4.Puisque Je Te le Dis 5.Les Capotes Anglaises 6.Leur Plaisir Sans Moi 7.Mon Amour Baiser 8.Banana Boat 9.Kawasaki 10.La Cible Qui Bouge 11.La Baigneuse de Brighton 12.C'Est la Vie Qui Veut Ça Realisee par Alain Hortu |
This is her solo debut album. She is a perfect singing Lolita that Gainsbourg just needed for his songs.
In this album, the style of Birkin is completed. Sexy whispering voice with unstable tone. The melody is beautiful and complex, and lyrics with rhyme and humor.
The idea of the actress singer might be an invention of Gainsbourg. When the actress who can't sing well sings, there is a different, unusual appeal. This methodology was widely applied in Japanese pop in 70's. If you have a good look, you can be a singer! You don't have to sing well, sometime you'd better not sing well. Thus, many pop stars were produced in Japan.
Many actresses, for example Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Adjani, sang Gainsbourg songs. They cannot sing well either. But thier songs are not good as Birkin's. I believe that Birkin's singing was well controlled unstableness, and that she was forced not to sing well by Gainsbourg.
(July/2002)
Jane Birkin: Lolita Go Home (Released in 1975, Rating 3)
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1.Lolita Go Home 2.What Is This Thing Called Love? 3.Bebe Song 4.Where or When 5.Si «a Peut Te Consoler 6.Love for Sale 7.Just Me and You 8.La Fille aux Claquettes 9.Rien Pour Rien 10.French Graffiti 11.There's a Small Hotel Realisee par Philippe Lerichomme |
The title song, Lolita go home and Cole Porter songs are good. But overall impression is somewhat weak. Kind of 70's disco sound.
(July/2002)
Jane Birkin: Ex Fan Des Sixties (Released in 1978, Rating 4+)
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1.Ex-Fan des Sixties 2.Apocalypstick 3.Exercise en Forme de Z 4.Mélodie Interdite 5.L'Aquoiboniste 6.Vie Mort et Résurrection d'Un Amour... 7.Nicotine 8.Rocking Chair 9.Dépressive 10.Le Velours des Vierges 11.Classée X 12.Mélo Mélo Realisee par Phillipe Lerichomme |
Album cover image has changed a lot. From Lolita to woman. Like the cover image, the sound and lyric image has changed. more matured songs, less mention about love and sex.
The title track Ex Fan Des Sixties was a hit in France. It is a homage to the rock star in the 60's. She mentions about the Beatles as well as the dead rock stars like jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Otis Redding, T Rex, and Elvis Presley. But I guess T Rex was Tyranosaurs Rex in the 60's. And Marc Bolan was not the star in 60's. He became famous in the early 70's and died in 1977. Ummmm.
There are many great songs with acrobatic melody line and poetry. But quality of the songs are not even. So, the rating is 4+.
(July/2002)
Jane Birkin: Baby Alone In Babylone (Released in 1983, Rating 5)
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1.Baby Lou 2.Fuir le Bonheur de Peur Qu'il Ne Se Sauve 3.Partie Perdue 4.Norma Jean Baker 5.Haine Pour Aime 6.Overseas Telegram 7.Con C'Est con Ces Conséquences 8.En Rire de Peur d'être Obligée d'En... 9.Rupture au Miroir 10.Les Dessous Chics 11.Baby Alone in Babylone Relisee par Philippe Lerichomme |
I am not sure how many times I heard this record. This is the best of Birkin, I think.
Birkin and Gainsbourg were divorced in 1980. But their musical relationship continued until Gainsbourg's death in 1991. They needed each other as a musical partner, but they cannot get along well as a partner in real life. That may because of Gainsbourg's obsessive character.
In her 70's albums, Gainsebourg wrote songs for himself to expand the possibility of his song-writing. Birkin was the best singer that can interpret his songs. However, after their divorce, the song writing of Gainsbourg might have changed. Gainsbourg seems to have written songs for Birkin, The songs best fit for Birkin, not only for her voice but also for her personality.
Yes, personality. In 70's Birkin was the best Lolita puppet for Gainsbourg. In this album, Gainsbourg is showing respects for the personality of Birkin. So, the songs here are very good.
The musical arrangement is also good. This is the important point because there are al lot of awful arrangement in French pop records!!! So, very good song quality, and good vocal, good arrangement. This is almost perfect Birkin record. (If it is not perfect, it is because it is too perfect.)
(July/2002)
Jane Birkin: Lost Song (Released in 1986, Rating 2)
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1.Etre Ou Ne Pas Naitre 2.C'est La Vie Qui Veut Ca 3.Le Couteau Dans Le Play 4.L'amour De Moi 5.Une Chose Entre Autres 6.Lost Song 7.Physique Et Sans Issue 8.Leur Plaisir Sans Moi 9.Le Moi Et Le Je 10.Quoi Realisee par Philippe Lerichomme |
Despite the beautiful album cover, this album is not good. This is mainly because of the cheap musical arrangement. There are some new recordings of the old songs, but there is no new interpretation for it. The involvement of Gainbourg seems to be weak in this album.
(July/2002)
Jane Birkin: Amours Des Feintes (Released in 1990, Rating 4+)
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1.Et Quand Bien Meme 2.Des Ils et des Elles 3.Litanie en Lituanie 4.L'Impression du Deja Vu 5.Asphalte 6.Tombee des Nues 7.Un Amor Peut en Cacher un Autre 8.32 Fahrenheit 9.Love Fifteen 10.Amours de Feintes Realisee par Philippe Lerichomme |
The last collaboration of Birkin and Gainsbourg. Gainsbourg died in 1991. This is the last love letter to Birkin from Gainsbourg. The cover portrait is illustrated by Gainbourg.
Here again, Gainbourg's song writing is really good as Baby Alone in Babylone. And the musical arrangement is also good. Very close to perfect album.
(July/2002)
Jane Birkin: Versions Jane (Released in 1996, Rating 3)
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1.Ces Petits Riens 2.La Gadoue 3.Dépression au-Dessus du Jardin 4.Ce Mortel Ennui 5.Sorry Angel 6.Elisa 7.Exercice en Forme de Z 8.L' Anamour 9.Elaeudanla Téïtéïa 10.Aux Enfants de la Chance 11.Le Mal Intérieur 12.Ford Mustang 13.Couleur Café 14.Comment Te Dire Adieu? 15.Physique et Sans Issue Realisee Par Dominique Blanc-Francard |
This is the first studio album since the death of Gainsbourg. This album mainly contains the Gainsbourg songs which Gainsbourg himself sang or other singer sang. This is not bad album. She sang very well. Francoise Hardy was shocked to know Birkin could sing very well, going to her concert. Hardy thought Birkin was a friend who couldn't sing well...
She can sing well. This is the main feature of Birkin's recent works. And gorgeous arrangement with orchestra. This is not bad, but not so exciting. Sounds like ordinary French pop.
(July/2002)
Jane Birkin : Arabesque (Released in 2002, Rating 4)
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1. Elisa 2. Et Quand Bien Meme 3. L'amour De Moi 4. Couleur Cafe 5. Anno "Close To The River" 6. Depression Au Dessus Du Jardin 7. Valse De Melody 8. Haine Pour Aime 9. Amours Des Feintes 10. She Left Home (Instrumental) 11. Les Dessous Chics 12. Les Cles Du Paradis 13. Fuir Le Bonheur 14. Comment Te Dire Adieu 15. Baby Alone In Babylone 16. Javanaise Realise par Dominique Blanc-Fracard |
Another live album of Jane Birkin. There are four live albums before this, Au Bataclan (1987), Je Suis Venue Te Dire Que Je M'En Vais (1992), Concert Integral A l'Olympia (1997), Jane en Concert Au Japan (2001).
After the death of Serge Gainsbourg, Jane Birkin does not seem to be able to do anything but re-singing old songs of Gainsbourg. (There is one exception, A la Legere (1998). It was not bad, but an ordinary French pop record.) She may have decided to carry the torch of Gaisbourg's music. It may be similar with the relationship between Lotte Lenya and Kurt Weill. The melodies might come to inner ears of Gainsbourg with voice of Jane Birkin. It is strange that the speed of releasing records is faster than the days when Gainsbourg was alive. Birkin might be released from the absurd existence of Gainsbourg as well as she lost her musical partnership.
In spite of many record releases, most of records were not very exciting, though not bad. However, this is a good record. This brings a new air to the familiar songs. As a title suggests, this introduces the Arabic and North African taste. There are Algerian musicians playing violin and percussions etc. I am not sure how this is successful. There is few varieties in arrangement of the songs, a little bid monotonous. And the melody of Gainsbourg is very French when hearing it with Arabic musical arrangement. But this record certainly brings musical excitement. For example, Haine Pour Aime fits very smoothly with the Algerian percussion rhythm. And Latin taste Couleur Cafe may be the best interpretation of the song. The vocal of Birkin is very good, and she does not reach the point of "too good". (As a feature of the recent Birkin's albums, she sings too good. I love her singing with whispering voice sometimes out of tune.) Simply, the best of Jane Birkin in 10 years.
There is also a DVD version of the concert. It might be better to see this on DVD.
(Mar/2003)
Carole Laure: Alibis (Released in 1978, Rating 5)
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Side A 1. Baci Baci 2. Joue Moi Un Tango 3. Croque La Lune 4. Tango De Lorca 5. J'Ai Une Chanson 6. Scene De Train Side B 1. La Chanson Des Voleurs 2. La Valse De L'Oubli 3. Tout Le Monde Dit 4. Les Iguanes 5. Vole Pigeon Vole Produced by Lewis Furey |
Before discussing about Carole Laure, I have to write about Lewis Furey. Their relation is equivalent to the one of Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin. Carole Laure is the perfect singing machine of Furey's music. All of Laure's albums are produced by Lewis Furey. Furey released three solo albums, but after he started working with Laure, his works became only for Laure.
Lewis Furey was born in Quebec, Canada. He studied music at The Juilliard School. And he started his carrier as a pornography star!!! (the movie: Rubber Gun) His musical world is full of nostalgic fake tango and waltz, and his lyric is very erotic and bizarre. In short, Decadence! For example, his debut album starts with Hustler's Tango; "You say you want to rape / Rape Me bababy / And well you know you've got / You got to pay pay / The match is fixed, setup / Set up already / You're going to wrestle with / With a angel." Ummm, "I" is a man or a woman? Who is telling this story?
The problem of Furey's solo albums is that his voice and singing is not so good, it is weak. This weakness can be a kind of his charm; the impression of fakeness is reinforced by his voice. But, in normal sense, his voice was the limitation to his musical expression.
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So, here comes Carole Laure. She was also born in Quebec. At first, her carrier was a teacher! But she became the star in French Canadian movie. I don't know what happened between them. But I guess they moved to France, released their albums in 1978. Furey's The Sky Is Falling and Laure's Alibis were released by Saravah records in France. (In the inner sleeve of The Sky Is Falling, there are photo images of the eyes of Carole Laure.)
Albis is the perfect sample of Lewis Furey's music. Here, the fake tango almost became real tango. It is still a well-made fake. But so-called "continental tango" itself can be fake tango because there are fake or "camp" feeling in some European tango songs. This complicated sense of fakeness is the charm of this record. Every song seems to be flawless. J'Ai Une Chanson, La Chanson Des Voleurs, Tout Le Monde Dit, and Les Iguanes are the French versions of the songs in Furey's solo albums. The Furey's songs should be sung this way, in French, not in English, by sexy female vocal.
As British actress Jane Birkin is the real successor of French pop, Canadin actress Carole Laure also became one of the greatest performer in French pop. Why French pop scene needs such foreigners and actresses to activate itself? (By the way, I heard Charlotte Rampling's chanson CD the other day... She was born in England. And she made the CD with the staffs of Edith Piaf.)
(Oct/2002)
Carole Laure/Lewis Furey: Fantastica (Released in 1980, Rating 5)
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Side A 1.Fantastica (title theme) 2. Funny Funny 3. Be My Baby Tonight 4. This Could Have Been The Song 5. Fantastica 6. Goodbye Love Side B 1. What's Wrong With Me 2. Happy's In Town 3. Lorca In Three Movement 4. This Could Have Been The Song (Reprise) Produced by Lewis furey and John Lissauer |
This might not be the best of Laure/Furey, but I love this record most. As the cover design suggests, the sound of this record is lighter and happier. I love the color of the cover; this reminds me of the album color of Slapp Happy's Sort Of and Acnalbasac Noom.
This is the original soundtrack of the film by Gilles Carole, Fantastica. I have little information about this film. Guessing from the soundtrack, this is the musical of some love story. Carole Laure plays the role of Lorca, who seems to have femme fatal personality. There seems to be a moment of jealousy, and also a moment of pure love. This Could Have Been The Song and Fantastica are very pure love song. This is far from decadence feeling of the past Laure/Furey songs. This makes it more accessible, and makes me hear this record more than the other records of Laure/Furey.
I am not sure of the availability of this record. I am sorry that most of Laure/Furey records are out of print. (The 1st and 2nd of Lewis Furey are available in Japan now.) And Fantastica and Night Magic might be the rarest items among them, I don't know how rare they are. (When they were released originally, they were already hard to find. They were re-issued as CDs for a very short time; I missed to buy them. But several years ago I found these records in the second-hand shop with inexpensive prices.)
(Oct/2002)
Carole Laure/Lewis Furey: Enregistrement Public Au Theatre De La Porte Saint-Martin (Released in 1982, Rating 4+)
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Side A 1.Croque La Lune (intro) 2. Desire Machine 3. Joue-Moi Un Tango 4. Scenes Du Train 5. I've Counted What I have 6. Funny Funny Side B 1. Love Stepped Out 2. Stupid Me 3. Hustler's Tango 4. Louise 5. Fantastica 6. Croque La Lune Produced by Lewis furey and Ian Terry |
The live album, which includes three new songs, I've Counted What I have, Love Stepped Out, and Stupid Me. (I've Counted What I have is the songs from Night Magic (1985).) The formation of the band is very unusual. Two piano players including Lewis Furey (Occasionally Carole Laure plays piano), one synthesizer player, one percussion player, and seven singers excluding Furey and Laure! The chorus of singers are very impressive in three new songs. This is the highlight of this record.
The rest of the record is a kind of "best of" Laure/Furey. There are monologues between songs. This gives "theatrical" feeling to this record. (I usually don't like this theatrical feeling. But I can't hear French, it doesn't lower my rating.) Along with the song order starting from Croque La Lune and ending with the same song, this monologues gives this record the sense of continuity.
So, this is not a simple live album.
(Oct/2002)
Carole Laure/Lewis Furey: Night Magic (Released in 1985, Rating 4)
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Side A 1.Ouverture 2. I've Counted What I Have 3. Wishing Window 4. Throne Of Desire Part 1 Side B 1. Throne Of Desire Variations 2. Angel Eyes 3. The Law 4. The Promise/marriage March Side C 1. Third Invention 2. Clap, Clap! 3. Hunter's Lullaby 4. We Told You So 5. Fire Side D 1. Song Of Destruction 2. Walls 3. Coming Back/Song To My Assassin 4. The Bells Produced by Lewis Furey |
Again, the original sound track of the musical film by Lewis Furey.
The music is composed by Lewis Furey, and the words by Leonard Cohen! This proved that there is a strong relations between Leonard Cohen and Lewis Furey. There are many similarities. They were born in Quebec, Canada. Leonard Cohen's New Skin for the Old Ceremony (1974) and Lewis Furey(1975) were produced by John Lissauer; most of studio musicians are the same. (Furey played viola in New Skin... John Lisaauer also produced Cohen's Various positions (1985) and Furey's The Sky is Falling (1978). Hunter's Lullaby in this record also appears on Cohen's Various positions (1985) in a different melody composed by Cohen.) They are "the lost Canadians", which is the song of Leonard Cohen.
So, this is the musical. I haven't seen the film. As I imagine from the songs, it is about the love story between human being and angel. They fall in love, but it is prohibited by heaven's law etc. There appear Valkyries, too! It is kinda ridiculous? Yet, music itself is beautiful. Particularly, I love Angel Eyes.
Well, I don't want to see the movie. I can guess it should be awful. (If someone has seen the movie, please give me your opinion.)
There seem to be some more musical or soundtrack woks by Lewis Furey. But I don't have or hear them.
(Oct/2002)
Carole Laure: Western Shadows (Released in 1989, Rating 4+)
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1. Stand By Your Man 2. Anybody With The Blues 3. Danse Avant De tomber 4. Seven Years Ache 5. Quand Le Soleil Dit Bonjour Aux Montagnes 6. To Know him Is To Love Him 7. Baby You're Something 8. Someone Like You 9. Baby Lay Down 10. One Of These Days 11. Sorry 12. Y7a qu'celle 13. Save The Last Dance For Me 14. Coming Back To You Produced by Lewis Furey |
Lewis Furey wrote only one song for this album. Most of the songs here are the covers of American pop music. There is a country music taste in some tracks like Stand By Your Man, Baby You're Something, Baby Lay Down, and One Of these Days. Because of these American taste, some regard this is not the essential, but collateral album of Carole Laure. In my opinion, however, this is one of the essential albums of Laure. I think the sense of fake and kitsch is alive in these country taste music. And singing of Laure is suggestive, far from conventional country and pop music.
Sorry, the only song written by Furey, is the highlight of this album. This is very sentimental song, it is like a letter to the ex-lover. It goes like this, "I'm sorry that i haven't called / These last few years / But I really didn't think / That you'd understand/ I wanted to/ I wanted you/ I still do." This lyrics is almost like the lyrics of Japanese Enka, very sentimental and regretful. But this is a great song.
Track 12 is the French version of track 2, and track 13 is the English version of track 3. So, these might be bonus tracks. The last song Coming Back To You cannot be a bonus track. This is very moving cover of Leonard Cohen's Song in Various Positions (1985). You had better program the CD player to cut 12 & 13 when you play this CD. This track order is much smoother, and there is a continuous stream of the lyrics.
Moreover, the cover art is beautiful.
(Oct/2002)
Carole Laure: She Says Move On (Released in 1991, Rating 3+)
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1. Butterfly (perds ton temps) 2. Springtime in Paris 3. She Says Move On 4. Purple Haze 5. Mama's Going To War 6. Hold On 7. Fade Out to Black 8. Little Red Dress 9. You Can Be (Reckless) 10. Power On Line 11. He Says Love Me 12. Mirage Geisho Produced by Lewis Furey |
Lewis Furey wrote most of the songs in this record. (There is a cover of Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze.) At first hearing, this album sounds more like a conventional rock album. Most of the lyrics are English. This reinforces the impression of a conventional rock. The song-writing of Lewis Furey, however, is good. So, when heard several times, the impression gets much better. If there were one or two catchy songs, this might have been a very good album.
(Oct/2002)
Carole Laure: Sentiments Naturels (Released in 1997, Rating 4)
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1. Passe De Toi 2. Sentiments Naturels 3. La Fantome 4. Lleu Orscur 5. Garcon dore 6. Dormir 7. Amandine 8. Dans La Nuit 9. Pressentiments 10. A Ce Soir 11. Ma diference 12. Chanter Pour toi 13. Sentiments Naturels Produced by Lewis Furey |
This is really a good album. This may be because Laure sings in French. My confidence about Carole Laure as a French singer gets stronger.
The sound became modern more or less. There is a taste of techno and trip-hop. And it strangely fits to the music of Furey and the voice of Laure. The song writing of Furey is as good as always. Dormir is the French version of Ray Davis's I Go To Sleep. (I've been thinking that it is the song of Chrissie Hynde until now. I just knew it when I checked the credit to write this.)
In short, new style of French decadence.
(Oct/2002)
Brigitte Fontaine, Areski Avec Art Ensemble Of Chicago:
Comme à la Radio (Released in 1970, Rating 5)
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1.COMME A LA RADIO 2.TANKA II 3.LE BROUILLARD 4.J'AI 26 ANS 5.L'ETE L'ETE 6.ENCORE 7.LEO 8.LES PETITES CHEVAUX 9.TANKA I 10.LETTRE A MONSIEUR LE CHEF DE GARE DE LA TOUR CAROL 11.LE GOUDRON 12.LE NOIR C'EST MIEUX CHOISI Produced by Pierre Barouh |
This is the first world music record, which changed the world. Musical world? The world, I mean.
This changed the world secretly and eternally, with the very individual lonely whisper. This record stands so alone. Even so far from her other records. There is nothing like this.
This is unbelievable cultural mixtures;
Fontaine: whispering voice with surrealistic poetry, both political and apolitical. She whisper, "The fire, The world is too cold." Is that a call for revolution? For what? (Ah... Tracy Chapman sang, "Don't you know talking about the revolution sounds like whisper?")
Art Ensemble of Chicago; they were in Paris then. There was no place for them in the U.S.. at that time. They were in the very front of avant-garde jazz scene. Their music itself is cultural hybrid, the first world-black-jazz. And who is the second one of that genre?
Areski; He is an Algerian. He introduced some ethnic, Arabic, taste, with shaman-like voice and percussion .
I wonder how those people had met in Paris? I think I read the episode somewhere, but I don't remember. This encounter is very accidental and inevitable miracle. If you walk into the cafe in Paris, you can eat Couscous there. It might be like this
The other records of Fontaine/Areski in 70s are good, they are more intimate. They are eccentric enough, but this record is so special.
(May/2002)
Brigitte Fontaine: Brigitte Fontaine (Released in 1971, Rating 4)
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1.Brigitte 2.Pour Le Patron 3.Moi Aussi 4.Famille 5.L'auberge 6.Premier Juillet B 1.Eros 2. Une Minute cinquante-cinq 3. Ou Vas-Tu Petit Garcon 4. Marcelle 5. Merry-Go-Round Produced by Pierre Barouh |
This is the Fontaine's 3rd album as a solo artist on Saravah. (Recently, Fontaine's 60s works with Jacques Higelin are on CDs.) There is no Art Ensemble of Chicago here. The collaboration with Areski.
I used to wonder why this album is sometimes not on her discography. The other day, I found out this was a Japanese edition. What does it mean? In early 70s, Fontaine was rather popular in Japan not in France? This is possible. But in my opinion, this is the second best album of Brigitte Fontaine, more to be appreciated and to be reissued on CD.
This record starts with gentle Bossa-Nova-like Brigitte, followed by screaming and eccentric sound. But overall sentiment is more intimate than Comme a La Radio. There are some more collaboration works of Fontaine/Areski. I like Je ne connais pas cet homme (1973) and le bonheur (1975).
(June/2002)
P.S. Brigitte Fontaine (1971) was re-released on CD in Jany/2003. But the last song was cut. The reason is not understandable. (Mar/2003)
Go to Pierre Barouh, Click here.