CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

.

L'Histoire de Melody Nelson

by: Serge Gainsbourg

Release Date February 05, 2001
Serge Gainsbourg's L' Histoire de Melody Nelson is a 28-minute concept album that fuses elements of rock, funk, cabaret and lounge-jazz, with more subdued moments of poetry, atmosphere and orchestration. As a record, it pretty much sticks closely to Gainsbourg's key-themes, such as drunken debauchery, feckless seduction, and soul-destroying lust, with the singer managing to convey some truly heartfelt and heart-breaking moments of deep emotion within that intoxicating haze of excess, caricature and over-indulgence. The fact that it can be categorised as a concept album shouldn't put anyone off making the purchase (especially if you're already interested in Gainsbourg's work), with Melody really standing as one ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

.

Infiniment: 40 Chansons (remastered - high definition)

by: Jacques Brel

Release Date October 20, 2003
Jacques Brel remains an integral and hugely influential singer/songwriter in the scheme of twentieth-century music; with his gloomy and orchestral tales of whores, sailors, tramps and harlots influencing everyone from Scott Walker, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Shane MacGowan and Nick Cave, to bands like Jack, the Divine Comedy and Pulp. Like those acts, Brel's music is literate and theatrical, unfolding in a bleak world populated by lost love, loneliness, angst, melancholy and despair, but with the darkness softened by witty arrangements, satirical motifs and moments of dark comedy. The atmosphere of the songs is rich and evocative throughout... so, like the work of his contemporary Serge Gainsbourg; the songs practically reek of cheap booze and cigarette ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

.

Les Chansons D'amour

by: Francoise Hardy

Release Date September 28, 1996
I'm surprised this has got such superb reviews and bought it on the strength of these.

I've previously bought Messages Personnels and Comment Te Dire Adieu which have some of the tracks from this album and whilst they're still good on this album, I find them much harsher recordings of the songs. If I'd heard this album first, perhaps I'd have given it 4 or 5 stars too, but having listened to the other recordings of these tracks, I haven't ended up listening to this album beyond the first few attempts. I wouldnn't give it less than 3 stars as it's still a good album, just a disappointing recording of the songs. If you're considering buying this, it may be worth comparing tracks from the other albums in somewhere like HMV where you can hear them ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

.

The Best Of Bardot

by: Brigitte Bardot

Release Date August 06, 2007
Brigitte was better known as an actress and it would be fair to say that she was not a great singer - but she was good enough to make lightweight pop that is worth an occasional listen.

On this album, there are three duets with Serge Gainsbourg. Je t'aime moi non plus was intended for release as a single but it remained in the vaults - I think Brigitte decided she didn't want it released. In any case, Serge then recorded it with Jane Birkin. That version was released as a singe but was quickly banned in France. The singles were shipped across to the UK, where it was banned by the BBC but allowed to go on sale. It sold well, eventually reaching number one on the UK charts - a rare achievement for a record sung in a foreign language. The other duets between ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

.

La Belle Epoque: Emi's French Girls 1965-68

by: Various Artists

Release Date May 14, 2007
Brigitte was better known as an actress and it would be fair to say that she was not a great singer - but she was good enough to make lightweight pop that is worth an occasional listen.

On this album, there are three duets with Serge Gainsbourg. Je t'aime moi non plus was intended for release as a single but it remained in the vaults - I think Brigitte decided she didn't want it released. In any case, Serge then recorded it with Jane Birkin. That version was released as a singe but was quickly banned in France. The singles were shipped across to the UK, where it was banned by the BBC but allowed to go on sale. It sold well, eventually reaching number one on the UK charts - a rare achievement for a record sung in a foreign language. The other duets between ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

.

The Vogue Years

by: Francoise Hardy

Release Date January 27, 2001
I'm surprised this has got such superb reviews and bought it on the strength of these.

I've previously bought Messages Personnels and Comment Te Dire Adieu which have some of the tracks from this album and whilst they're still good on this album, I find them much harsher recordings of the songs. If I'd heard this album first, perhaps I'd have given it 4 or 5 stars too, but having listened to the other recordings of these tracks, I haven't ended up listening to this album beyond the first few attempts. I wouldnn't give it less than 3 stars as it's still a good album, just a disappointing recording of the songs. If you're considering buying this, it may be worth comparing tracks from the other albums in somewhere like HMV where you can hear them both before buying.

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

.

Fleet Foxes

by: Fleet Foxes

Release Date June 16, 2008
Wonderful and haunting. It sounds both contemporary, seventies and has more than a hint of old 19th century American folk music about it.

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

.

Oracular Spectacular

by: MGMT

Release Date March 10, 2008
Sorry for this short and lazy review - which is no reflection of my feelings for this album. Oracular Spectacular is superb, MGMT is superb. And going for a bargain price at the time of writing too!

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

.

Sings Jacques Brel

by: Scott Walker

Release Date May 16, 1995
At under £4.00 this has to be the bargain of the year if not the century.
Scott Walker does a great job of interpreting Jacques Brel's songs - my only complaint is that there are not enough of them.
I love all of the tracks some of which have been covered by other artists such as David Bowie, Alex Harvey, Dusty Springfield & Judy Collins all of whom have done a great job.
However this is the only English language compilation that I know of.
Scott may not have the soul of Jacques but this is a good effort and well worth the money.

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

.

For Emma Forever Ago

by: Bon Iver

Release Date March 24, 2008
I'm puzzled about all the 5 star reviews here. This record does not deserve 5 stars. It's slightly above average and that's it.I couldn't decide between 2 and 3 stars.

The last 2 songs are the best, particularly "Stacks". Otherwise the singer's voice can be annoying and the songs, in general, have a deeply somniferous effect...like watching a very slow arthouse French movie.