In his home country France Benjamin Biolay often is praised as the "nouveau Gainsbourg", he's a singer, songwriter, arranger, producer, orchestrator and plays various instruments. His debut album "Rose Kennedy" shows the impact "Histoire de Melody Nelson" had on him, as this is also conceived as a concept album. The track "Rose Kennedy" sounds very 60's in its instrumentation and feel, with lush, rich strings, warm Fender Rhodes keyboard, gentle and dreamlike vocals with a sparse dose of electronica and some samples thrown in.
10 Jun 05 ·nighteye: Can you call him the french version of Scott Walker? This song reminds me of some of Walkers songs from the '60s, and what a great song 'Rose Kennedy' is. I love the strings and Biolay's deep voice.
Am i the only one disappointed Goldfrapp by now almost completely abandoned their "Felt Mountain"-style and are now solely winding down on the glam-electro route? Anyway, "Time Out From The World" could easily have been on the first album, it sounds like a follow up to "Pilots": Gently flowing, nocturnal in texture, floating through a vast open space with delicate electronica and synths building up to a lush finale with an orchestral armada of strings. Despite the electronics it still has this late-60s-John-Barry feeling all over it.
28 Sep 05 ·robert[o]: I doubt you're "only one" who wishes Goldfrapp lingered a tad longer on the slopes of Felt Mountain, but I really feel they made the right choice. "Felt Mountain II - The Sequel" would have been really anticlimactic. The Thin White Duchess, @ his height in the 1970's, had the right impulse - once you've got a trope right; move onwards! A great song tip though, and I would give a shout towards "Let It Take You" likewise. It sounds like John Barry arranging a weird Prince song circa "Purple Rain". 28 Sep 05 ·Mike: You're definitely not the only one, Efti ,and there is one more just here. To me, each successive album has contained fewer magically beautiful tracks than the last, the jump "onwards" into material I find uninteresting being accelerated hugely with the new disc. Robert, the evidence suggests that the choice appears to have been the right one when assessed on the basis of commercial success, but artistically I personally think it a shame they chose to concentrate so much on the "T-Rex with synths material". However I'll return to the new record again in a while and see if it grates less on me... 29 Sep 05 ·eftimihn: Thanks for the song recommendation, Robert. Well, i wouldn't have asked for just another Felt Mountain, but maybe for a slower transition towards their new sound, for keeping that magical feel of such stellar song such as "Pilots" or "Utopia". And "Supernature" feels rather "Black Cherry II" to me, so to me they really haven't moved on from there now either. But i know it's always a topic of debate, the "sticking to their style" vs. "changing/progressing from album to album" thing basically. I mean, did anyone complain The Smiths didn't move on to, say, synth pop? Did anyone complain Kraftwerk using electronics for 30 years? I don't know, i like electronic music a lot, but with Goldfrapp i just feel it's a loss such a gifted arranger like Will Gregory with all the right influences, carrying a Morricone/Barry style into a new contemporary sound, is now so firmly into synths and electronics... 29 Sep 05 ·robert[o]: You have some very valid points - I just don't agree that they apply here. A band/artist need not radically change styles release to release, but I stand by my previous statement when you get it right, move on. "Felt Mountain" got it really, really right. In retrospect, I see the shift for that group as correct move artistically. Likewise, I see "Supernature" not so much as "Black Cherry II", but as the logical fulfillment of the shift that that record, now clearly a transitional LP, suggested. I would also say that "Supernature" is a stronger record than "Black Cherry" on pretty much every front (save perhaps the lack of anything as utterly exquisite "Black Cherry's" title track - which I believe is the group's best song to date.) Now I happen to like the obvious points of reference for "Supernature" - glam rock and electro - as much as I do Italian soundtracks. (All three genres do much the same for me - create their own sonic environments, that play with the contents of my skull.) And if Goldfrapp's next LP is "Supernature II", I will complain loudly - (but I hope/suspect Allison and Will are smarter than that.) And @ the risk of fueling further controversy, many a great band/artist has run a great sound/trope/idea/etc. into the floorboards. (See: The Pixies, The Ramones, The Cocteau Twins, (my beloved) T. Rex and, sadly, The Smiths (post "The Queen is Dead") and Kraftwerk (post "Computer World").) Many of the artists I love best - Bowie, Gainsbourg, Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, Siouxsie, Wire, The Fall, Broadcast - all remake/remodel themselves every so often. Sometimes said exercise fails - but seem, to me, to create a sense of artistic vitality within the work of said bands/artists. (And "Supernature" feels, to me, thick with that very vitality.) Also let's not fall prey to the reverse snobbery that the commercial success of this LP means it is therefore an inferior piece of work artistically. Remember so much of what this forum champions - Bacharach, Nancy and Lee, Serge, Dusty, etc. - was squarely middle of the road pop music. It makes me very, very happy that people are actually hearing/buying sexy, smart, pop music w/more that a little sense of darkness to it, rather than bland, processed, obvious crap that dominates the charts.
I grew up listening to Joe Jackson and i still find his venturing into all sorts of musical styles and the eclecticism surrounding his musical work very interesting. Starting as a post-punk, new wave singer/songwriter he released three great albums from 79-81 with his "Joe Jackson Band" before going solo with a string of fine albums in the 80s (musically ranging from jazz, R&B, rock to latin-tinged sophisticated pop) and later writing and arranging soundtracks and even doing classical music. He recently regrouped with his band, produced another album and toured with the original line-up consisting of Gary Sanford, Graham Maby and Dave Houghton and surprisingly it worked as good as in the beginning of his career. "Steppin' Out" was released on probably his best solo offering "Night & Day" in 1982, a highly evocative, melancholic, catchy pop song skillfully mixing a synth sequencer beat and keyboards with piano jazz harmonies and xylophones.
09 Mar 06 ·komodo: I'll second your comments regarding Joe Jackson. I'm surprised that with classic albums such as "I'm the Man", "Look Sharp", "Body & Soul" and the aformentioned "Steppin' Out", Joe Jackson doesn't, in my opinion, recieve the credit he deserves.
"Steppin' Out" is a great track, but my favourite version is actually from "Live 1980/86" where he takes a dramatic - perhaps even melodramatic - approach to the song. It shimmers then swells into this wonderful sound, evocative of a kind of fantasy 40's New York, but anchored by JJ's usual lyrical poignancy.
Somewhat overblown? Perhaps, but wonderful stuff nonetheless, and definately one to check out if you've not heard it before.
Beautiful vocal song from a little known italian soundtrack. The italians just couldn't do no wrong in the late 60s/early 70s, this just floats gently along with a flutes, harpsicord, sweeping strings and chorus. Nice, light vocals on top of it, can't identify the female vocalist though.
from Si Pu� Fare Molto Con Sette Donne, available on CD (Wave)
02 Jul 06 ·dominb: The English version of this I find unlistenable because of the truly horrific lyrics! 03 Jul 06 ·eftimihn: Yeah that's right, only listened to the english version once and found it doesn't come close to the italian one.
A perfect piece of contemporary pop music: uplifting and sunshiny, yet with the right dose of melancholia. The production is excellent, as well as the instrumentation with a very driving rhythm section, warm electric piano, guitars and horns. What makes this really stand out is the terrific string arrangement by Richard Hewson (A protegee of George Martin and quite busy arranging during the 70s) which is very floating, sweeping and lush.
from Wallpaper For The Soul, available on CD (Minty Fresh)
