Reviews (page 4 of 8)
It’s a fantastic groove, and the French spoken word adds a certain… je ne sais quoi of high brow sophistication. Just, don’t look up the lyrics.
Ok so the storyline is creepy, duh. But so is the narrator's voice eughhh! That said, there are creepy spoken-word esque songs that I do like, I'm thinking about Velvet Underground and Black Box Recorder and such. Maybe if I spoke French I would have a higher opinion of this album. Actually, the plot is pretty easy to follow since the album is so short, but I think the issue is just that. It doesn't seem that novel or interesting. Maybe there are clues to metacommentary or storytelling nuances I am missing that would make this more of a literary experience. I do really enjoy the sort of plodding, sultry music, the bass is similar to Portishead, who I love for similar qualities. But every time she whisper-speaks "Melody," I cringe!
Good album?
Very French
Its french jazz? Cafe idk french
Soft French
I didn’t love the ASMR of his voice deep in my ear canal, but overall pretty good album!
Yes, interesting music and beautifully produced. Can't help think about the sort of person that would write about falling in love with a 14 year old though.
French pop from the 1970s. The dolby atmos mix for this in Apple Music is top notch. This pick feels fresh compared to the dozens of British punk rock ones. Favorite track: melody other picks: ballade de melody nelson, cargo culte
I enjoyed this pretty well. I enjoyed the music. I could tell there was a story line -I love an album with a story- but I don't speak French. So when I read the album story summary on Wikipedia, I had a bit of a, "what the fuck" moment. But then I thought about how art can depict bad things and it doesn't mean said art is in support of the bad thing. In this case, Lolita is a perfect example in the case of literature. And maybe the language barrier prevents me from fully grasping if this is more on the Lolita side of things. But then I saw that this guy recorded a song called "Lemon Incest" that he recorded with his daughter. When she was 13. So I am starting to think this guy might have been a bit of a creep? I still mostly enjoyed the album though. But it would probably feel a bit icky to listen to again in hindsight.
Wish I spoke French cause some of these songs are prettybinteresting.
I really liked this, just “cool”
big 3
Interesting
Gotta start somewhere
This humored me and was fun without knowing the lyrics.
I spent the entire album thinking "Who even likes this shit?" all while having to grapple with the fact that I really enjoyed the music on this album and I think that, yes, it's me. I like this shit.
So French it should come with a baguette
Interesting and worth the listen
I had this on CD and lent it to Marie Andree Hudon in the year 2000 or so. Does she still Have it?
Luckily I don't speak Fr*nch, so I was only mildly unsettled by the noises of the grown woman pretending to be a 14 year old girl. The music behind the lyrics though was pretty great. 3 Stars.
Probably a lot better if you understand French
My first listen to "Histoire De Melody Nelson" reveals a subtle, laid-back album. While the excellent orchestrations provide a lush backdrop, it's the standout guitar work of Vic Flick (famous for the James Bond theme) that truly cuts through. The use of spoken word vocals, though never tiresome, does begin to lose its novelty after the initial tracks. Even without understanding French, I thoroughly enjoyed the album, and that iconic cover perfectly sets the mood. The closing track "Cargo culte" is the highlight. I'm sure that "Histoire De Melody Nelson" is the type of album that you appreciate more with repeated listens. But, after an initial first couple of listens I rate this at three stars. No. Title 1 "Melody" (4/5) 2 "Ballade de Melody Nelson" (Gainsbourg, Jean-Claude Vannier) (3/5) 3 "Valse de Melody" (3/5) 4 "Ah ! Melody" (Gainsbourg, Vannier) (3/5) 5 "L'Hôtel particulier" (3/5) 6 "En Melody" (Gainsbourg, Vannier) (3/5) 7 "Cargo culte" (5/5) Total - 24 Average - 3.43 143/1001 73/143 albums reviewed were new to me.
This was a strange interesting album. It wasn't bad but it was enigmatic.
The music is very cool, but the vibe is very bad. If I knew French enough to engage with the story and intent maybe I would be shifted, but alas my francais never developed beyond bonjour.
Instrumentals are very interesting but the french bloke wispering in my ear does get tiring. 3/5
track number 5 was my favorite
Typical French album
interesting album, need to set the mood for this one
Struggled understanding the lyrics and the panting but very pleasant!
5*
I hate how good this album is. I feel conflicted as to whether I should give it a 4 or maybe even a 5 solely based on music or a 1 based on lyrics. I have decided to split the difference and give a 3. Hope any readers will understand.
Some nice tracks
Álbum com swing e belos vocais na língua Francesa. Achei bom. QoA Adonis New.
Fun, in a way, and definitely weird. Interesting.
More of a good background album or dinner party music but still interesting to listen to given his status.
Great band interesting to hear belongs on the list. I put a couple songs on my playlist, but saying good not great so three stars.
Dear Robert Dimery, I get that you're British and all, but I can assure you that there are better ways to represent the music of France rather than HON HON HON I LOVA DE FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD. I felt like I was on a watchlist the whole time I was listening to this. The music itself is good though I cannot deny.
not a fan of the french music
I almost forgot the name of the girl mentioned in this album! Good thing I have a seductive French man whispering in my ear to remind me 57 times 😊
I don't understand French, but I still like this 7/10.
One star off for the slight ick factor
funkable
Nobody is cooler than Lou Rawls, but this guy is a close third.
Pleasant, but not exceptional
Strong melodies and I like the instrumentals. Unfortunately I don’t understand French, so I’m missing out on the singing. It all sounds very good
Really good album if you like French movie soundtracks. The artist was very prolific as there were about 20 albums listed under his name. Not my genre but it looks like it was very popular in the sixties.
This was in French but I still bopped along? Impressive!
As a non-French speaker, I’ve heard a few French albums that I liked a lot. This one is okay, it has some interesting musical moments, but the spoken word segments were more distracting to me than pleasing (maybe that’s the point, but I’ll have to learn French to understand what he’s saying). It’s a shorter album, which I often like, but it blew by me both times I listened to it and faded to the background very easily. I enjoyed it overall, but it’s not one I plan to come back to.
My first album on this site. Going in blind as I haven't heard of this album before. Personal rating 7/10 Belongs on the list? Yes Not a fan of the backstory but as an album it sounds great and the bass is fun
★★★½
An interesting album. Not really into the subject matter, but it being in French definitely helped to minimize the ick factor. Still kinda gross though, would be higher if it wasn't about a middle aged dude having sex with a 14 yo.
It was alright
I don’t know, man. Sounds cool, feel like without knowing French I really can’t experience this. This dude is soooo French.
Really cool vibe, pretty dark plot based on the wiki summary.
I don't understand french, but it's a decent album musically.
-well this was certainly an interesting one… kinda like if Lolita was made into an album methinks -though i loved the concept and a lot of the instrumentation, it was a bit hard for me to get into the spoken word stuff. i would probably enjoy it much more if i understood French. but alas i do not. -Favorites are Melody and En Melody
Not bad
Not too bad
Good, not great
In a nutshell: the Lolita album. How come can one describe Serge Gainsbourg and his work to a new listener? Let’s see… Subversive. Hypnotic. An enigma. Creepy. Horny. Constantly evolving. Creative. Witty. Lost in translation. Confusing. “Oh no, he went there”. “Wait, did he just…?” Insouciant. Questionable. An absolute dick. The History of Melody Nelson is a concept album about an older man falling in love with a 14 (or is it 15?) year old female after his Rolls-Royce hit her bicycle. My first thought: Lolita. This is a Lolita situation. Then I thought: "wait. French New Wave films are known to push the envelope (hell, even Jules et Jim was about a throuple). Maybe music from that era is the same. Perhaps relationship norms are different in France? Could I be missing some context here?” I'm not French. I don't know what the cultural norms of sex and relationships in France, nor the laws associated with it. So I looked it up. The age of consent in France is 15 for heterosexual people and has been since 1945. Today I learned. Melody is about to turn 15 in this story ("14 autumns, 15 summers"). There are no lyrics indicating forced coercion. I didn't pick up any signs of grooming in the lyrics either. The songs imply that Melody's feelings are mutual. The lyrics, on paper, indicate that statutory rape occurred in "L'Hôtel Particulier" (as pointed by reviewers here and some music critics). To me, the sex sounded enthusiastically consensual. So despite the ick factor, it's legal in France for an adult to have a relationship with someone who is 15 years old or is about to turn 15. This also raises the argument of if Serge is playing a character or not. I think he is playing a character and is running with it. Does that make me a pedophile apologist? No. I felt the need to educate myself first before making a conclusion. What is considered illegal in my country is fair dues in another culture. And music is art. Despite the creepy lyrical content, I had to see if I could separate the art from the artist. I could with Eminem... and I managed to with Gainsbourg. Also, if Melody Nelson wasn't recorded by a French artist, this might be an interpreted differently. I mean, how would listeners react if Melody Nelson was covered by Jarvis Cocker singing in French (he does speak French by the way) or written and performed in English by artists like Nick Cave? As for the music, I dig it. Funk guitar, choir, strings. Great combo. This combination will pop up repeatedly throughout the generator project. Overall: 5/10
Haunting melody nelson in a bunch of songs, imagine it appeals to some people not my jam
i've heard great things about this one for years but never listened to it. i have to say, it's really not my thing. i took french in high school but have lost most of it so the narrative is a little lost on me (admittedly). musically, it's interesting and there are some really cool segments ('en melody' is particularly funky and cool) but a lot of it just didn't really grab me. all of the 'melody' vocals are kind of jarring every time they pop up. the plot, as i understand it (once again, not getting this firsthand) seems kind of creepy and in a modern context i'm not sure how to take it. at the end of the day, i think it probably just isn't for me.
What is this? Maybe it needs to be nostalgic to be good?
French concept album 1971. Pedophilic tripe.
Oh no. An album length anthem to paedophilia. Serge Gainsbourg’s appearance and vocal style are the dictionary definition of louche, and the vocalisations in track 6 are nauseating, but the music is really good :-( Without the album concept and perv vocals it could be a 4, but no. At least Jane Birkin was 22 when she met him.
Music for vacation after parties, drinking Calvados and couch-locked, zooted out of your mind.
omg jane birkin.... this makes sense..cool
Would be a low key, chill out instrumental album if this French dude wasn’t whispering at me. Read some translated lyrics & it was fine, they added nothing to the tracks. That said, every time the lady dropped a “Melody Nelson” it made me laugh. Like some 1970 producer tag lol Wes Anderson probably busts a nut when he listens to this. More like put this guy in a full (Melody) Nelson amirite?
Were this an instrumental album, it would've been a 5/5 for me. However... The whispery, "I wanna fuck you" voice ruins it for me. Also, when he actually sings, it's bad. I don't speak french, but I get this is a sexual story (later I read the premise and it's fucked up). All in all a 3/5
So much whispering and breathing in my ears in seductive French. The instruments were pretty great though that it helped in making the uncomfortableness of the whispering at least bearable.
I'm too lazy to look up the age of consent in France (I can't believe I had to type that for a review), but I am going to assume that album isn't him admitting to a crime. So I am just going to ignore that aspect of the album. Anyways, this album is fine, a little boring, but it has a couple good moments. Not good enough to admit you are a pedophile though. Low 3.
The music is funky, and the voice will make even the oldest of women swoon. But can’t understand a word of French. 1001 album worthy: nah - 99/181
Honestly, all the French kinda ruined it. Super cool otherwise...until I read the synopsis, hella creepy.
Pretty sexy - especially for the early 70s.
Not bad - interesting sounds, a bit sublimated.
Yes he's an absolute piece of shit and if you peak even a little under the surface it's a vile record, but if you just scrunch your ears and try not to understand the lyrics it sounds immaculate.
Background music with a creepy whispering voice
the vocals were exclusively in french, and according to wikipedia it is a concept album about a man in a relationship with an underage girl… so there’s that. but if you can over look that, it has an interesting sound.
This was nice.
Grundsätzlich isch s Thema vom Album sehr schlecht galteret. Bsunders „En Melody“ find ich drum ganz übel. Ich finds eif mega schad, will musikalisch fühl ichs recht.
The music was delightful, and you can see it's influence on so much. Interesting to have your 26 year old gf pretend to be a 15 year old girl who you love, though. That's some complicated family dynamics. I wish I could have understood the lyrics, because maybe it was like Lolita, where you are supposed to see how terrible Humbert is. I doubt it though, given the time period. I really can't give it more than :star::star::star: either.
I don't want to like this album, but I do. I hate the concept, but maybe not understanding the lyrics is an advantage here because of the weird-ass concept. I kept thinking about how captivating the instrumentals were. So subtle, so intricate, so delicate. There's enough strings to keep it interesting, the bass lines throughout are so incredible, the drums, like I described above delicate. They're played so soft and with such precision and swing that it just remains so freaking cool and interesting to listen to. My heart can't give it a 4, so 3/5
dont know how i feel about the pedophilic undertones! also why does it sound like he's right behind me. pretty funky instruments though! this album feels so ahead of its time (minus the pedophilia)
Музыка вроде и ничего, и стиль необычный (особенно в начале интересно слушается)... если бы не смысл песен и альбома вообще. Ну и под конец уже надоедает и некоторые моменты раздражают. 6 из 10.
First and last tracks are the highlights. Interesting listen and I always like a story, though this wasn't my favourite.
Dirty old man
interesting
Hmmm, should we ignore the concept of the album, that it is about taking the virginity of a 14 year old? I am going to say that it is artistic license, but it is a little creepy especially the track with the heavy panting. I really like the music, it is great in places, possibly best left in the 70s though.
The subject is contentious, to say the least. I'm not super into the talking-singing style. The second track (Ballade de Melody Nelson) is pretty catchy.
It's too bad the lyrics on this aren't just some "Prisencolinensinainciusol"-style gibberish, because I really like the instrumentation. The guitar, the strings, the drums... all of that is super cool, and I can see the influence it would have had on (according to Wikipedia) people like Beck and Portishead. Unfortunately, the lyrics aren't gibberish, and the concept of this concept album is pretty gross. So, it's getting my standardized 1 star deduction for that, and I don't disagree with people.who deduct more.
oui oui baguette. Voulez vous coucher avec moi ? Non, je préfère coucher avec Melody Nelson XDDDDDDDDDDDDD. En vrai un peu spé mais sympa
3.0 Slightly strange inclusion. First and last track are alright to have on in background. Not sure about the middle ones. Feel like this album has a backstory, otherwise why is it here?
3.5/5
Kinda groovy, and considering what I read about it, kinda glad I couldn’t understand the lyrics.
Overall, a mysterious and alluring mix of rock and jazz.
The guitar player was great! Lyrics in French though.
Some of the instrumental parts were really great. When I heard first spoken words, I thought I won't make it through the whole album but after a little I didn't mind them. Overall it was good, but the whole concept and realization felt... uncomfortable. And Melody's laugh was annoying.
Musically it was interesting, but I had a hard time not focusing on the rapey storyline. I wish I had listened to it without knowing, probably would have enjoyed it a lot more.
I loved the instrumentation but had to knock a point for it being so aggressively french
Interesting
My French isn't good enuf for me to appreciate the lyrical quality of this record, but the fact that Serge talks and whispers the 'historie' of Melody Nelson, a vulnerable 14 year-old muse, w/o getting on my last nerve is a testament to the effective dynamism and theatricality of the music. The strings do not detract from the funky quality of the opening track or a song like 'L'hôtel particulier,' and the album is short enuf to avoid the pitfalls of self-indulgence. W/ that said, I cannot tell if the concept is deep or the mere gazing of a male: whom does the story ultimately benefit? Moreover, while it doesn't repel me, Serge's whispering is hardly my preference, and I for sure would've dug vocals that matched the explosiveness of the music.
This album was badass!!! What a trip! Wish I spoke French. Super cool and sexy.
I thought it was interesting and worth the listen. It clearly had a big influence on musicians that came later. Unfortunately, I found Jane Birkin's vocals too distracting to regularly revisit it. MELODY.... NELSON.
Zet een specifieke, speciale sfeer. Uniek
If an earlier collaboration with Jane Birken, “Je t'aime moi non plus” was on this album I’d rate it higher. Still as French spoken albums go…c’est bon.
Gear: ZMF Bokeh Artwork: 😳🚩🟦 Production (40th Anniversary): 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🚗💥👧🏻🏨💔✈️💀 Rating: 🚨🚨🚨/5
That was so cool I looked up the english translations. It's unfortunate that the entire concept album is about a middle-aged man seducing and f****** a 14-year-old girl. This celebrated novel that is the foundation of French Rock and trip hop is basically a celebration of pedophilia
I quite like this, especially the music, but I can't work it out. Not for the usual reasons given in the reviews I've read, about the impropriety of the relationship described, but more about how implausible the whole story is, at least, as described on Wikipedia (my French is not good enough). Melody is 14, from Sunderland but talks with Jane Birkin's cut-glass London accent. She flies on a cargo plane which crashes and he hopes she'll return to the cargo cults of Melanesia (which just happens to chime with Melody)? Is the singer dreaming/fantasizing the whole thing? Is it a piss-take on Gainsbourg's part?
The music is great. The statutory rape is not.
3.5
Ugh, not sure how to score this. The lyrical content/story is odious, obviously. I particularly hated the squealing/giggling in one track, which gave me the creeps. But on the other hand, I really liked how the guitar sounds on this album, and the musical content overall was pretty great. Going to go down the middle.
This sounds like the French translation of a Leonard Cohen album. My language skills are a little rusty, but near as I can tell Melody is not delivering his DoorDash order. Joking aside, the music was pretty cool, but the vocals a touch creepy.
Good bass line, and it made me laugh, but who not named Melody would buy this album? I guess it’s the French answer to Barry White.
Mostly, this made me realize how much French I've forgotten. Or never really learned. Aside from that, I like it musically. Sassy little album cover, too. Would probably rate it differently if I understood more than a dozen words or so.
I listened to the original release (7 tracks), not the later expanded release. Thanks to Wikipedia for explaining the plot of the album, which is in French. I like the concept of a story being told throughout the album, but for me there was too much talking.
Comfy accompaniment, but I can't pick up any of the lyrics.
There was some nice music on here, but by God did it get annoying with all the mentions of Melody and her crap.
I love the instrumentation and combo of styles that definitely launched a movement in the 70's AND later in French Disco, but I can't get over the plot. Clearly an important and influential album, but remains personally off-putting. 2.5/5
Sexy music. fantastic orchestra and chorus overlay on rock.
Very cool album. Good to relax too. Never heard of this artist
Interesting! Not sure I'd listen to this record normally, but on a relaxing day I certainly would!
A French hippy
Decent.
I know better Gainsbourg records. This one was only ok.
Enjoyed more than I expected, sonically very interesting.
Very cool. Theatric. In the same ballpark as some Tom waits things.
Kinda interesting. Not sure what he's saying, but it sounds sinister, sexy and dangerous.
Good background music, nice and chill. Wish I knew french so I could understand it. The album was fairly short, and its more of an ambience soundtrack in my humble opinion.
I don’t speak French but this was pretty cool
I don't understand French, but I like the sound of this. Read the back story after listening. More than a little creepy.
Very questionable aesthetic. Dodgy, dirty old man slurs his sleazy story over a laid-back rock/funk/jazz/big-band/choral backing and it somehow sounds cool as hell. I feel extremely conflicted.
Ignoring completely the whole theme and story that goes into this concept album, I found it more enoyable than I'd have thought. The music and orchestral arrangements are exceptional, and were it an instrumental I might have this more frequently in my rotation. The singing (speaking, really) less so - adding that in was interesting to a point, but in the end I found a breathy French man's heavy talking to wear a bit thin, even given how short this album is. I'm glad I listened to it as part of this project, however I probably wouldn't pick this up again.
*Takes a long draw of a Gauloises cigarette* It is, how you say, a tale as old as time... An older man seducing and deflowering a young teenage girl after running her down in his car. But this one has at least some badass basslines and funky riffs.
Interesting blend of guitar, choral singing, and some more orchestral elements
please look up French Kids Paying Tribute to Serge Gainsbourg (1988) on youtube
Interesting, moving at times, good to have on the 1001, not necessarily something I'd listen to with any frequency, though.
The music was nice, but the theme of this album is bonkers.
wth?!
Musically, Histoire de Melody Nelson is lush, atmospheric, and mostly enjoyable, with its mix of orchestral arrangements and groovy bass lines. However, not understanding the French lyrics might be a blessing, knowing it’s about a man’s relationship with a 15-year-old girl makes it hard to fully appreciate. Beautiful sound, deeply uncomfortable subject matter.
At least the instrumentation is nice and funky, otherwise you're not getting anything of note. 2.5 bumped up to 3.
I’m at a 4 if it’s not as autobiographical as it seems, and if the main protagonist here is intentionally meant to sound & feel really, really creepy. I’m at a 1 if it’s as autobiographical as it seems, and if the main protagonist here is intentionally meant to sound romantic & feel really, really seductive. I’m going to give the full benefit of the doubt, split the difference, and go with a 2.5 that I’ll bump up to a 3. From a purely musical standpoint, this album nails the tone it’s going for, which is a cinematic runthrough of a relationship caused by chance (i.e., him hitting this 15-year-old with his Rolls Royce & immediately being smitten), and ending in a tragedy of sorts (a plane crash). The orchestration, the choir, the percussion, his vocal stylings, her spoken dialogue – the cinematic feel of it all is really well done, it feels around 30 years ahead of its time (some of this felt like late 90s / early 2000s movie trailer music to me) and it’s a decently engaging 28 minutes with really strong production, and I did like the core of the album. The big difference maker comes in Serge Gainsbourg himself, and I really can’t get a read on the guy. He was out here having relationships with significant age differences, but never as young & as disgusting as a relationship with a 15-year-old would be – I want to say he was more of a DiCaprio type – girls in their twenties, and all that. Everything about this, at least musically, suggests to me that he knows this behavior, at least with THIS big of an age gap, is deeply inappropriate, and I don’t think our protagonist here is meant to be endearing to me as a listener. However, to engage in behavior that’s so close to it in real life, without the underaged stigma, makes this album a bit of a strange enigma, and I just don’t want to go down the rabbit hole even deeper into his own personal life. So, I’m at a 3, because I just can’t tell (and don’t really want to tell) either way. I don’t think this is an album that romanticizes pedophilia, but I can’t say it explicitly condemns it either. I’m giving a rather heavy benefit of the doubt here, and it would not surprise me to see this go down to a 1 with further research. However, if he’s relatively cleared of my suspicions, it could go up to a 4. It’s not within the range of a 5 at all for me, just based on the subject matter in general. For now, based on the effectiveness of the music at hand, I’m going to stay at a 3. Certainly a strange pull for the first album of 2025.
I was very excited about this album because one of my favorite artists frequently references Serge Gainsbourg. I came away a little disappointed. It’s basically French Leonard Cohen, talking over some repetitive but admittedly pretty kickass backing instrumentals
Heerlijke muziek voor de achtergrond. Lekker rustig. ***
Leaving aside the sleaze, it’s a nice chill out listen…But you absolutely cannot leave aside the sleaze and that’s not something to chill to.
Musically pretty good. Horrific lyrics but I don't speak very good French so I don't know. In conclusion, France is a land of contrasts
I listened to this album while reading the english translated lyrics. The album is a story about a forbidden relationship between the narrator and a juvenile girl after the narrator had hit her with his Rolls Royce. While the topic of the story is not good, it is a story, and the music is made rather well.
• 3/5 • Love the arrangement and photo-trip hop sound • Not a big fan of the spoken word vs. singing component • If I could understand the French, the subject matter would make me like it a lot less . . .
Fav song: Melody - Prise Complète VERY difficult vocals to listen to if you’re like me and have misophonia. Also quite the disturbing subject matter lyrically - but a concept album is just that, a concept (and I’d just finished listened to NIN, so talk about weird disturbing lyrics lmfao). BEAUTIFUL strings, guitar and drum work all over this album. And I love the deep cut Beck connections too.
I'll admit this was a difficult album to digest. For context, Serge Gainsbourg was a renowned French singer-songwriter known for provocative releases across numerous styles. He became the artist's favorite, and countless musicians consider him an influence—Beck, Pulp, R.E.M., Arctic Monkeys, Massive Attack, Portishead, and the list goes on. For this list of albums to listen to before you die, it does make sense to include at least one from this guy, especially if it is an album that has become one of the most critically acclaimed in French pop music. Also, to this album's credit, the style and production are top-notch. The avant-funk compositions where the rollicking guitar and complementing rhythm sections, complete with Serge and Jane Birkin's sultry hushed vocal deliveries made for such a delectable listen that transcends its time. Sonically, this album slaps, and it almost made me wish the runtime was longer than 28 minutes to continue further in this soundscape. I say almost because now we get to dive into the "fun" part of Histoire de Melody Nelson - the lyrical content... I had to check the English translation of these lyrics after reading the synopsis of this album's concept because it was shocking. This is the story of a man who nearly kills a teenage girl - the titular Melody Nelson - by hitting her with his car, is enamored with her to the point where he decides to take her virginity, and then said girl dies in a plane crash the next morning. The man can't accept what happened and proceeds to search for whatever remains of her body. The only saving grace for this kind of twisted tragic love story is that it is well-established that the male protagonist is a narcissist - he had no care for his reckless driving, he possessed an uncontrolled desire for this girl, and then later after she dies he compares his loss to that of the cargo cults of Melanesia as a self-centered justification to go off and find her remains. In that respect, Serge understood how to make a provocative piece that doesn't misconstrue what is considered morally acceptable. Though that does put this album at odds with the replayability - how willing is one to go through this story again knowing the circumstances and what's to come? I will say this - Histoire de Melody Nelson is an album that belongs on this list for its significance in the pantheon of French music and its large influence across the board. It does deserve to be listened through at least once to appreciate technically and understand the complex nature of its story. Whether you choose to keep coming back to this album is your decision. I don't see myself coming back anytime soon, but I can walk away and acknowledge its importance. Make of that what you will.
Musically this is quite decent, nothing mind blowing but for 1971 it was probably quite fresh. The drummer performs some nice fills and that weird, off kilter thing he does on En Melody is interesting. I like the bass too, some fun, prominent bass parts and the tone is good too. The strings add a bit of variety and dynamism so I'll give it that as well My main issue is the spoken word vocals whispering right inside my ear. I don't mind them when he actually sings but when he's just talking it sounds like a French car advert. It's also pretty annoying hearing 'Melody Nelson' every minute or so. Like I mentioned, I liked the instrumental of En Melody quite a bit (the drumming and bass are great) but the laughing and squealing halfway nearly ruin it I see why people really like this but I can't rate it very highly because of the incredibly distracting vocals Highlights: En Melody
It’s interesting enough to listen to, wish I could understand it, but the style carries most of its meaning.
weird but good
Omelette du fromage
I just had the weirdest dream that a Frenchman whispered nonsense in my ear over the soundtrack to the less exciting parts of a James Bond film for 30 minutes
Very French. This is a fact and not a loaded statement. Sometimes, the man could have spoken less and the song would have been better.
General impression: cool 70s frenchness Detailed review: I’m into it. The composition, minimalism, spoken-word vocals which I’m a sucker for in almost any situation, the tonality of the instruments, the whole concept, the influence it’s had on various musical genres and approaches. But I have to ding it for a few things. One, I’m not a prude about the subject matter but it’s the kind of story (older man falling for teenage girl because she makes him feel things again) that’s been played out in better, more interesting ways. Two, the mixing is god-awful. The vocals are way louder than the instruments. They need to be incorporated better. I kept wanting to turn up the volume to hear the music better but then his vocals were too loud. So yeah, that part sucks. If it was mixed better I’d give it a 4. Alas. Deeper thoughts (context): seriously, the impact this album had on so much of the 90s music I love is crazy. Score: 3 Number of albums left to review: 942 Number of albums from the list I’d consider “must-listens”: 36 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 23
Très Français. Chilled.
Smooth, sexy and sensual! Rather enjoyed this! Could have done without the lassie doing her best dolphin impression on one of the tracks but other than that this was an excellent way to spend half an hour!
Good music but the lyrics make me feel very uncomfortable
I think I need a cigarette and a choir of smoking children impersonating me to understand this.
I loved the soft cozy vibe and the fact it is still really really French. Funny was the difference between each songs. One was quite rocky, the next really French, the next very very Disney…
I have no idea what I'm listening to but I kind of dig it. Like to took way too many shrooms and I am in a 70s pr0n movie.
I can see how it influenced many musical artists. Not musically This story could be told in a touching way, I wouldn't know. Rating based on the instrumentals
Some great ideas in there...
Not my thing, but kinda cool in its own way.
This album is as French as it gets. It's a nice listen that won't overstay it's welcome, but also something I don't absolutely have to play again. 3/5
Quite an odd album. Classical jazzy rock with French spoken word vocals. Musically it was enjoyable but the vocals weren’t.
I enjoyed it. Reminded me of the Gift by the Velvet Underground where there's some awesome instrumentals going on behind a story being told. I do agree with other comments where how close his mic is can be unsettling. I would guess that's the point considering the subject matter but it does make it tougher to listen to. Rating: 3.2
I really liked this. It is immediately obvious to trip hop listeners how influential this album was. I'm not put off like others by the whispery French spoken lyrics. I like the spare arrangements and string flourishes on the through-line of bass. But God Dammit Serge, if you're going to make up a girl for a story, throw a few extra years on and make it decent. Three stars.
Olipas pervo albumi. Onneksi en ymmärrä ranskaa.
3/5
From what others have said about this album, it seems as though this is mainly about pedophilia or at least the tendencies of that in some or another way. As I do not speak or understand French to a degree that I can judge the actual meaning of these texts and I cannot know if this is actually the artists view or some sort of Lolita type story, I decided that I will not be pro- or anti- towards what is said and its meaning. I believe in seperating art and artist as long as the artist doesn't put these beliefs into the art. If this happens to be the actual beliefs and tendencies of Serge Gainsbourg, I am totally against it and will not acknowledge it as good art. If it happened to be the second option, a Lolita similar story that does not share the authors views, I think it is good art as so many people are still unsure what it is. Alright, now to the album itself: It's some pretty interesting French Pop with a lot of Spoken Word aspects as well as Funk, Blues and Psychedelic Rock influences all throughout. It seems to tell a story but as I said, I do not understand it. It's generally very diverse in its styles and experimentation and it sounds really different from a lot of other works of that time and I am sure that back then this was absolutely groundbreaking. The first track 'Melody' gets things started with a Progressive and Blues Rock sounding song on which the Spoken Word French Pop is added. It's absolutely one of a kind sound and the drums and the guitar mainly drive the songs first half until some symphonic strings are added after around 3 minutes. From there, the song spirals deeper and deeper into the symphonic and epic sound while keeping the obvious dark tones and rhytmic background works to keep the song moving. It's a pretty good song but as I don't really speal French and this is very much designed for the text to be understood, I am in a little disadvantage. The song has some really nice moments but it doesn't get musically interesting enough for me to really enjoy the song. 'Ballade de Melody Nelson' brings in some actually sung vocals although they are still very soft and quiet and sometimes nearly spoken. The song itself is a quite interesting Baroque Pop piece and I wish that it would go on for a little longer especially because the female vocals are really amazing and add much more the the song than on the first track. But except from it being a little short, it's still a really good song. The short Waltz of 'Valse de Melody' goes again pretty symphonic with its style but this time it's way to short to actually build up or have any moments that would make this interesting. It starts and ends right away without much in between. It's forgettable and basic. 'Ah ! Melody' is again, way to short to really stick as a song but at least the songwriting and the "chorus" stick out much more and it does leave at least a little impression for the time being. The albums second half already arrived with 'L'hôtel particulier' starting it. It's pretty similar to the first song in the way how the instruments are used and although I like it and the sometimes actually sung vocals are quite nice as an addition, the song just cannot grip my attention enough. It sounds way to much like the things that the album had so far just combined together. It doesn't feel exciting or new at all. The few Jazz and Funk elements of 'En Melody' are really interesting. They feel off but in a good way, it's just that I am not really a fan of the guitar here. It doesn't really fit where the album has gone now sonically and the vocals and Spoken Word parts are really weird and with the albums context really disturbing. No thank you, I'll pass. The album closes with 'Cargo culte', another pretty Rock sounding song and again with the hefty length of over 7 minutes. It again, focuses a lot on the Spoken Word story that I again, do not understand. But the song does pick up towards the end with a pretty nice choral combined with the Rock instrumental which is a really unusual but well working mix. The song overall just builds tension and does that much more than the first track. I do think that the first song does its job a little better but this is still pretty good. favourites: Ballade de Melody Nelson, Melody, Cargo culte least favourites: En Melody, L'hôtel particulier, Valse de Melody Rating: decent 6 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes
Wasn't expecting much but it was actually pretty good
Musically it's damn close to a 5.. Subject matter and vocals bring this down a bit. Trying to be objective as possible and if this was in english perhaps I would rate it lower.
Sounds like a french guy trying to hit on you while bassy rock music plays in the background. Stand-out: L'hôtel particulier
Simple mais élégant et ce n'est pas parce que c'est en français... Ok peut-être que ça l'est mais ce n'est pas grave !
Really cool basslines all over this and Gainsbourg’s vocal style is always great to listen to. Sometimes it gets a bit overbearingly noisy though, and naturally it loses a star for the general noncery of the album concept
Kinda cool
This guy writes an entire album about seducing one particular jeune fille. Props!
I only knew Je t'aime, everyone knew Je t'aime! The music on this album is great, really cool. Vocals very French! Not sure what the lyrics would be like translated, sounds a bit dodgy reading about it. An interesting diversion and an album I would never have listened to without the generator :)
Not my thing but I didn’t hate it.
This is a tough one to rate to be honest. Instrumentals? 5/5. Vocals 2/5 (I just really hate how they are mixed). Subject matter? 1/5. Ability to convey a story I can clearly follow despite the language barrier? 5/5. I suppose that rounds out to a 3.25 which will get a 3 from me.
nice mood music
I’m torn on this one. I really enjoyed the music and its influence on later artists such as Beck is palpable, but the subject matter is extremely objectionable. I know pre-2000s people were a lot more accepting of relationships with underage girls and probably every popular musician should be me-tooed, but this Lolitaesque glorification of fucking a 14 year old girl gives me the ick. 3 stars, I guess.
Different, obviously because it’s in French. I did like it very much & certainly wouldn’t have listened to it had it not been on the list.
I don’t know how to feel about this one. The music wasn’t that memorable, but it worked, and the guy never leaving the mic alone was weird, but I didn’t hate it. It’s also a concept album, which is ALSO weird but it’s not like the main concept is supported by the artist. I liked how it was under 30 minutes, though. I’ve been getting a lot of short albums lately. Time to suddenly get hit by 69 Love Songs or The Gershwin Songbook.
Surprisingly, didn't hit the mark for me. Seemed so full of potential.
I thought it was honey at first, but I enjoyed some of the later songs
This was French and the subject matter is questionable but I liked the music.
Five of the Seven tracks feature the word 'Melody' in their title ('Melody', 'Ballade de Melody Nelson', 'Valse de Melody', and my two favourite titles, 'Ah Melody' and 'Eh Melody'). I guessed Serge was going for a melodic album. To be fair he nails it. The above mentioned tracks are all jam packed with melody. The other two tracks are spoken word, but still a big old vibe with cool instrumentation and chanted backing vocals. Also, it's in French. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Cargo culte Date listened: 23/06/24
Don’t know what to make of this. Ended up listening to it several times. Suspect it might be better if I could understand the story. Or maybe not because it sounds a bit off colour lol. Didn’t hate it didn’t love it probably won’t listen again. Am quite taken with the ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ song that played on the channel afterwards though
This reminded me of a French Leonard cohen. However, not knowing French I’m left with just the sound of his voice and the music which were both fine but nothing special for me. 2.5
This is a lyric centric album and I don't know French, but the backing band is really good. B
Always interesting but he's never really moved the needle for me.
Ok, Serge meets Melody Nelson. Serge professes his love for Melody despite just meeting her. Melody’s not seriously interested but enjoys a good flirt regardless. Serge gets kind of obsessive towards Melody. This pushes Melody away. Melody falls for her dentist. Serge falls into a deep depression and decides to stalk Melody and her new dentist husband. Serge starts living in a tree next to Melody and the dentist’s house. One night while watching Melody eat dinner with her family Serge slips and falls out of the tree he’s living in. Melody hears the crash and runs out to see what happened. She doesn’t remember this guy Serge. He wakes up with her over him but the blow to the head erased all memory of her. He’s once again enamored with her, asks her name, she says “Melody Nelson”. This time around she falls for him and leaves her dentist husband/father to her 6 children to run off with some weirdo named Serge. I gotta brush up on my French but I think that’s the gist of it.
Interestingly, I was following this artist on Spotify already. He must've been on Jacques Brel's radio (big fan of Brel), and I followed. Right off the bat, I hear Beck's Sea Change in the first song. The man and woman back and forth reminds me of Lovage. And that makes total sense, because holy shit, look at his album cover for the 1959 album Nº2.... Dame as Lovage. It's neat to hear all the influence in later music that I enjoy. Now, I just need to learn French.. I like L'hôtel particulier as a favorite.
Sigh. We're really doing this? Fine. Sonically, I could enjoy this. I quite like the music, and I don't even mind the spoken word and whispering. Trés French, mellow, cool. But, and I hate to be that person to get hung up on this, am I really going to just listen to some old pervy Frenchman rhapsodize about fucking a teenager? Some of these lyrics? I just can't. "Aimable petite conne" "si delicieuse enfant" 🤢 Way to live up to national stereotypes, Serge! When I was younger, a teenager, I read Nabakov’s “Lolita,” and the subject matter didn't phase me too much. Maybe it's just where I am in life right now, or where we are in society, that I see more ways that the world is fucked up, and my tolerance for this sort of thing is lower. Maybe it's because I'm female and was also a 14-year-old girl having to deal with lecherous old men that I find it hard to care about the story's narrator and instead wonder what things were like from Melody's point of view. I was never into slasher films either, and I guess this is similar to that. Maybe those films are good in a technical aspect and feature great acting, but at the end of the day I just don't want to see a bunch of gore and watch the worst of humanity depicted for my entertainment. Sometimes I can appreciate art that explorers darker social and psychological themes, but I guess this album veered too close to glorifying predatory behavior for my comfort. Anyway, if I challenge myself to set all of THAT aside (and this subject matter does challenge me, clearly), I guess I enjoyed the other aspects of this album as they were done well. I can appreciate the clever wordplay on, for example, “Ah, Melody,” and the lyrics in general are poetic and evocative. I like the idea of a shorter focused album which tells a story through the songs. This would have probably been a four from me, but I think I have to deduct a star for the creepy subject matter.
- un album francaise?? - c’est super qu’il y a des albums en autres langues. tant pis que je n’ai pas assez de comprehension pour pouvoir toute absorber ce qui se passe dans ces chansons - reminding me of leonard cohen (specifically you want it darker album) but that may just be because his voice is low and speaking slowly. far more orchestral than that. - i don’t like whatever is happening in ‘En Melody’ - instrumentation is superb though, cinematic orchestral feeling - 3/5
That was very nice. I kept thinking about Beck’s Sea Change album, thinking he must have gotten some inspiration from this record!
Well the instrumentals are pretty enjoyable. If it wasn’t for that heavy breathing and intense vocals.
Lovely French weirdness I didn't know existed.
Hm.
French pop, avant-funk. Ni fu ni fa.
Ok I liked the music but idk if I can really like it cause it’s super problematic and the grooming/pedophilia lowkey makes me uncomfy
Cool DeLa Soul sample found !
It's okay, it sounds like mellow James bond background score
Im sure that this would be very interesting if I spoke French but since I don’t I only really have the sound and the wiki description to work with. Going off of that, I’ll take the wikis word for it on the subject matter and legacy fronts but all I heard was mildly interesting French music that was enjoyable for 40 minutes at least. Already forgetting a lot of this and it’s been like 2 hours since I listened.
Is this French man trying to seduce me? I think it’s working! Like they’re in my head talking sounds so personal. 3.3
It feels a little too navel-gazey for me.
I’m not sure if knowing French would increase the value of this album, or make it more disturbing. Hilarious what type of content they could get away with in 1971. The music and style however is very good. Not something I’d rush to listen to again, but wasn’t unpleasant overall.
Not super into this but I don't regret listening. I can remove the art from the artist here as the concept is kind of disturbing.
There's some cool funky sounds on this album. Don't particularly care for spoken word but there are some interesting sounds and it's interesting how it's essentially a story (with some creepy ass subject matter). Interesting but would never listen again.
Interesting, and ok
Interesting. Erotic. I like…. 3/5
me, not understanding any french, listening to this: :) me, looking up what the lyrics mean: :(
Kind of dug the composition and production. This guy sure liked this Melody lady! 3/5
Really sick instrumentation on here, especially on the first and last songs. Super interesting album sonically and one that you can tell has had an influence on a lot of artists. I do wish the lyrics were about something other than fucking a 14-year-old.
The whole album is kinda like a middle-song breakdown where the band slows down and gets quiet and lets the lead singer whisper. Like the second half of Nervous Young Inhumans by Car Seat Headrest. Except the whole album is this and the singer is speaking another language and it’s not ironic. I still fw it though, was an interesting album
Literally Bens review was EXACTLY the perfect way to describe the album. I enjoyed it even tho I didn't understand one word. The album just flowed nicely
Difficult to rate without understanding the lyrics, but pretty good riffs and drumming.
French pop, avant-funk. Ni fu ni fa.
3.5/5. The album for all the pretentious wankers of the world. The musical arrangements are sound but the concept is some weird retelling of Lolita.
I don’t speak French. So i probably lost a lot here considering how this album is a story. That plus the fact a lot of it was told kinda spoken like a poem didn’t help. The instrumentals were fine, but I didn’t have the context or ability to enjoy this. I had to do research which helped me understand why it’s on the list
"Parles-tu français?" "Melodyyy Nelson!"
Doesn’t do it for me.
Really interesting album. The whole second CD was unfortunately unavailable on Spotify, but I did enjoy the first.
3.5/5
Wow - what striking music I heard from this album. I was immediately taken by the instrumentation, the jive, something about Gainsbourg’s production really impressed me despite not being able to catch much of the meaning. Imagine my shocked face when I eventually looked up the story behind the songs. Conflicting indeed.
Going into this album after reading a few reviews, I really didn't expect to like it that much. But I was pleasantly surprised. The music was very calming, along with a lovely soft voice, and of course we all know how elegant French can sound when spoken in that way. Being fluent in French and understanding everything was definitely a bonus too, since I knew what was being said I was able to follow along with the story pretty well, as weird as it was at times. I think the main thing that this album lacks is diversity, as calm and soothing as it is, it is a bit repetitive, and the spoken word as opposed to singing definitely doesn't help with that. A bit more actual singing and something to keep the music a bit more interesting would have done this album wonders, all it really needs is to be more diverse and dynamic.
déroutant mais intéressant. une courte histoire assez obscène, avec un son expérimental.
This is another artist that I've never heard of, and I didn't know what to expect either having read a little about the album. I have to say it was better than I was expecting. It's a very relaxed, easy-going sounding album that puts one in the mood. Several tracks stood out and sucked me in. Great drums, choir-like vocals, and bass in several spots of the albums. I think the half-singing, half-spoken vocals are just okay. Favorite tracks: Melody, En Melody, and Cargo culte.
Album was definitely a vibe, couldn’t understand it but I liked it Top tracks: Melody
This is kinda good. Don’t read the Wikipedia
Quite liked this. Will listen again.
I would totally rate this higher if I knew french, as reading the lyric translation so I can understand the story of the album really adds a whole lot, and Serge is regarded as a master of wordplay. But as is for me currently, the album is really carried by the last 2 tracks being so fantastic, while the first 5 are just okay
kind of a messed up theme ... actually really messed up. Probably best I don't understand the words. Good funky music
The first song is just a long soundtrack for men’s cologne. Wait wait wait wait wait… this album is about a middle aged man romantically interested in a 15 year old girl? Wow times have changed. My goodness so much tongue clicking in “L’hotel particulier” the music was great. But the singing and the pedophilia need to go. I now feel strange having listened to this even though I couldn’t understand the lyrics. It gets a 5 purely for the music. Nothing else. 5/10
I like the part where he spoke moist French into my ears. 6/10
Jag väger inte in det faktum att detta är en pedofilplatta utan betygsätter endast det musikaliska, exklusive texterna som jag förstås inte förstår (vilket såklart är extra synd i detta fall). Börjar bra med rätt sköna och medryckande basgångar. Andra låten tycker jag är riktigt bra, trots en kåtstönande 15-åring. Därefter är det helt okej. Ah Melody sticker ut som lite bättre än de andra (som inte är mer än OK). Helt okej skiva, en stabil trea.
This is what this whole 1001 greatest albums process is all about. Completely left-field choice, something I'd never even heard of before, a concept album in a different language - and it's a real, genuine hidden gem.
not too bad 3
Very interesting. Weird sometimes but pretty groovy other times, especially in Melody - Prise complète. I wanted to rate it higher but I really did not like having this French guy asmr whisper at me all the time. I did like his voice when he started singing though, kinda reminded me of the Leonard Cohen husk. Overall not something I’d listen to a lot but didn’t hate it. 5.5/10
actually liked this, very French, very baguette.
I get it but kinda just artsy french stuff
Interesting but I don't I'll ever listen to it again
Great loungy, smokey style with psychedelic guitar and the occasional burst of strings. I wish I had subtitles because the spoken word French lyrics are definitely a focal point in the mix. Okay Wikipedia has a plot summary because this is a concept album: A guy is driving when he accidentally hits a 14-year-old girl on a bike. He falls in love with her and takes her virginity but then she dies in a plane crash and he mourns her death. 😬 🤷🏻♂️ The music is cool though.
Viimenen pedo konsepti sai 3 tähteaä tai noh se konsepti heh meikä poika pedo tämä hauskaa hommaa myösikin ranskaksi tässä lähellä suuläpeä microfoni ja kertoo ranskaksi minäpuhuja ajavansa tytön yli autolla ja vaihtavat siinö sanaset narraattori herra keskiiässä ja tyttö siknä sitten nelisentoista & hotelliin ja neitsyys & tyttö kuolee onnettomuudessa & surunvallittelut herralta vikakappale
s erste nöd englische album? mega ume. erste track grooovy. er redt afoch nur. giti jo huere geil?? me poetisch, uuuff strings figged jo hert ine huere geil. uuuuf kontrabass mit boge. alte dynaaaamik. aaaah do isch d Jane Birkin. Ballade de Melody Nelson. er singt? bass immerno seehr geil. ok cute song, sher intim und so. valse de melody. strings mega schöön. ah melody. er will sex mit ihre sie isch 14ni chiiiiiiillig. l'hôtel particulier. er treit sie dur es hotel, s instrumental isch haard, s klavier isch mega geil. En Melody. Drums geeeil, hinked es bitz aber genau cool. Bass immer geil. melody mega am kreische und so. ich glaub die zwei sind am bumse? und denn gohts sie uf sunderland und stirbt wells flugzüg abstürzt. Cargo Culte foht glich ah wie de erst song. Bass und giti mega cool. uuuuuuh de chor. uuuuuh yes aaaaaah. ah cargo cult isch e religiöses ding zum verstorbeni uferwecke er will d melody wieder. fuck de chor insane. nimel "tu t'appelles comment?" "Melody" "Melody Comment" "Melody Nelson". Giti wird Fuzzy und so und de chor macht oooooooh orgle time und alles. Jean-Claude Vannier het die Arrangements aaanegfitzt. Bass extrem schön gspielt und groovy. Drums troche und tasty. Gainsbourg flüsterlibueb und mega poetisch. Konzept isch fucked up aber spannend, genauso wie d Buech Lolita irgendwie fasziniert. Mega guets Konzeptalbum, bin für meh französischi Musig uf dere Liste. De erst und de letst Song het mi extrem packt. Au cool wies eigentlich de glich Song isch aber eimol lernt er sie kenne und eimol suecht er sie vergeblich nochdem sie gstorbe isch. S erste mol isch de Song irgendwie happy und am Schluss ischer verzwiiflet. Sehr starks Album.
ok also ich glaub me muess schochli de kontext wüsse vom album insgesamt bin ich chli hii- und hergrisse französisch isch unglaublich schöni singsprach, glichzitig redet und raunt er meh als dass er singt, was zuegebenermasse aber au sehr zum album passt musikalisch findis recht geil mis problem isch halt auchli, nur wills es kontroverses thema isch, heisst nanig, dass es weg dem es spannends thema isch (looking at you Homo Faber) L’Hôtel particulier findi glaub musikalisch am coolste und s kreische und alldas züg findi iwie no spannend??? wie das gekreische und musig ufenandprallet, aber schlussendlich würd ich das trotzdem nümme lose (usser so wenni s ganze album am stuck lose, was glaub eh de sinn vom ganze isch) ja schlussendlich weiss ich nöd genau wo hii demit, aber es 3 hets scho verdient, au wenn ich wohl selte wird zum album zruggcho
I could smell the cigarettes through my speakers.
Damn the French have disappointed me. Not bad if I didn't know what it was about. Well even then, I maybe would have given a polite 2, but "En Melody" had to fucking ruin that. Yeah whoa I can't believe I'm giving a EUROVISION WINNER and the songwriter of "Poupee de cire, poupee de son" such a low rating but this is rough.
Sleazy old school porno French ASMR that will probably inspire an A24 film. Also, this Gainsbourg guy has quite a wild career.... 3.5/5
Listen - I’m the first one who’ll tell you how much I hate the French, but this one is nuts and kind of fun
I like the low sexy voice and the laid back, chill vibes of the tunes. It's extremely samey. After the first track you can predict what the rest of the album will sound like (exactly like the first track) There's also perhaps the most annoying laugh ever recorded hidden about halfway through this
Not bad. "Avant-pop". Glad I don't understand French because this subject matter doesn't hold up. 3.3
Pleasantly surprised me. Got better with each song. The deep base and delicate guitars gave it a kind of profound feeling to it. Overall though, I probably won't visit it again.
Histoire de Melody Nelson - "Story of Melody Nelson" is a 1971 concept album by French songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. This French pop album is Gainsbourg's most influential and accomplished works - dare I say, his magnum opus, in addition to one of the best French language albums. It's a short album of songs that tell the story of an older man falling in love with a young girl, then dealing with the loss of that love. The music on this album is unique as it's not rock or pop, but something else interesting - similar to trip hop. The elegant pop music influenced French rock music and many other artists for generations to come. Although I can't speak French, I was still able to enjoy the music on this album. The early trip hop beats were a treat and the song production is phenomenal. I agree with all the critics that like this album, it is amazing and influential.
Pretty psych and different. Weird French vibes, takes a certain mood to put on, not my favorite serge album but some very cool stuff on it
Sweet but a bit boring
Good. Not great. Accomplished, but indulgent. Evocative, but uneasy
A really short French album where a guy sings about having sex with a 14 year old girl. Like, I get that this album wasn't exactly meant to make me feel comfortable or anything, but god damn, that's a really icky topic to base your concept album around. Not going to knock off points because of that though, of course - that's like watching "Silence of the Lambs" and getting upset at all the cannibalism. Mostly just feel indifferent towards this based on the simple facts that: 1. This is a very lyrics-heavy album. 2. I don't speak French. Also this man has a lot of saliva in his mouth.
Funky Dunky French!
Weird frogs
Short album and listened though but I want to go back and watch the music video that was created (along with subtitles). Wikipedia entry interesting. 2.6/5
It's hilarious to me that a breakout French concept album would be about a man who (what else?) seduces a teenage girl. So yeah I struggled taking this seriously but can't deny the music is pretty great. I'm a huge Beck fan so I also loved hearing the inspirations of Sea Change songs, especially Paper Tiger. I plan to delve deeper into Gainsbourg and see if he's got more hypnotic music, maybe about the allure of wine, women, and cheese, and the obscenity of EuroDisney.
A gorgeous album musically - but hard to ignore the casual glorification of child abuse. It’s funny, but it’s not - risqué, fine, but uncomfortably so - I mean it achieves its goal of making you squirm and ‘pushing the boundaries’ and in a way making you think - but do I want to spend 28 mins in the skin of a Nabakov character? No. So despite the musical brilliance and the high minded concept - I’d rather put something else on rotation. That said it’s a good piece of art to make you wrangle with yourself.
Rating: 6/10
Like the bass. French is sexy. Got a bit repetitive though
I listened to this at work between parent teacher interviews. It felt a bit sleazy having a Frenchman talk provocatively into my ears during this time. The second last track, En Melody, was a highlight.
The audio equivalent to jamming three interlocking berets down onto your head, then sticking a Gauloise cigarette, soaked in Chartreuse, into each ear. I enjoyed this for what it was.
:/
I quite liked it! The instrumentals were very nice. Not sure about the talk-singing though
Heb dit plaatje een jaartje geleden ontdekt, erg boeiend en raar. Net iets te lang alleen.
Ik word er helemaal relaxt van.
Fijn!
This was certainly interesting. My favorite song was Cargo culte. Wish I spoke French so I could know what he’s saying.
good sound, but pornographic in nature...not nourishing.
Oui oui?
Well, that was definitely the best album about a middle aged man falling for a 14 year old girl that I've heard today. What's strange is I literally just returned from a business trip to France, which makes me wonder if the album generator is stalking me. In any case, this was interesting. I wish I could understand the lyrics, but musically it's pretty cool. It has a nice groove to it. 3 stars.
Despite the language barrier, I enjoyed this more than I expected to. There's some good guitar playing in there.
Interesting.
Well the Wiki is eye opening...
Totally fine. Not good. Not bad. 2.5 so 3. I guess.
La verdad es que es un discazo, una pena que los franceses den puto asco. Sería un 4 si no lo hubiese buscado en Wikipedia.
Okay
Love me some French ASMR. No really, I love the backing music and it sounds a bit ahead of its time. The story and lyrical content is really weird, but then again, I can’t understand much.
16th August 2023 Listened a couple of days late cos this was Dusty’s birthday!! He’s here! Interstate how wide reaching this album is in terms of influence. It’s made up of lots of components which come together to tell a dark story with moody French narration.
Way different than anything I normally listen to. I kind of wish I could have understood the sing/speak that was going on, but from what I have read I doubt I really want to. 3.5/5
Melodie Nelson <3
Not my favorite Serge, but I really do love the groovy stuff.
Very sultry, kind of interesting but it sounds very similar.
Wont listen again but v good
3/5 - liked the instrumentals but would have enjoyed more lyrics or singing.
This was quite a surprise for me actually. If I were to do this 'album a day' challenge again in 10 years I wonder if I would rank this one higher? There was a lot to uncover here - the overall story arc that the album provides is actually quite an interesting little fantasy, though it was hidden (to me) behind a different language and behind this weird 60's-ish obsession with relationships with really young girls.... nonetheless there is some SERIOUS groove on this record. The instrumental part of the album is rocking and bluesy and /loose/ but still very awesome. I was bobbing my head a LOT. The deep-voice whispered poetry delivery of the 'lyrics' was very Leonard Cohen-ish and I'd say LC knew all about Serge G. He pushed the 'fantasy' a bit too far a few times - notably the 'laughing' went from cute and bubbly to completely repulsive haha he just didn't know when to quit. The feeling of the final track really pushed this up in the ranking for me. The protagnoist's contemplation "I miss this girl terribly,.... but did I just get away with this terrible thing? do either of those things matter?" was actually quite compelling to me. I feel like I've watched a movie though he never showed me anything visual (except the evocative cover photo I guess) Truly an interesting piece of art, though overall my listening group found the premise to be somewhat revolting.
Seen this album cover a million times, so glad I finally get to check out the music behind it. The unfortunate thing is that it's all in french, and the story being told in the lyrics seems to be a pretty important part of it. Especially in the first track, which gives me vibes of 'The Gift' by The Velvet Underground, with a quieter instrumental in the background, and ASMR-esque vocals upfront. This opening and the similarly long closer are definitely the highlights, the closer especially has some great moments, but everything in between seems to just pass by so quickly. There's some nice melodies (pun intended) and instrumentals spread through this middle but without the lyrics to grasp onto, nothing really sticks. Glad I got the chance to check this out finally, but i don't see myself returning to it any time soon. Unless i suddenly become fluent in French.
Pros: Nice background music. Pleasant voice. Cons: Recitation instead of singing. Disgusting plot: "This album is about a man hitting a 15ish year old girl on her bike with his Rolls Royce, who he then promptly falls in love with and seduces." It gets a 3 out of 5 thanks to good instrumentals.
Very French and horny
oui. tres bien.
SEABASS! SEABASS! FETCH ME 3 MORE SEABASS AT ONCE. THESE CUSTOMERS ARE FURIOUS!