Olympia 64

Being a native French speaker, I've always been aware of the cultural importance of Jacques Brel, even though as a young and hip amateur of mostly *anglo-saxon* music, I was merely relegating him to a singer for older generations, someone who did not have anything relevant to teach the careless youngster that I was. But now that I've gotten older myself, comfortably lying on the couch of my cozy living-room as I'm writing this feature on my phone, I might obviously know a little better. The question is: why did I *really* change my mind about Jacques Brel? Is it because of my current, somewhat comfortable surroundings that I can fully appreciate *chansons* now? Have I turned into an unapolegetic *bourgeois* in the space of only two decades? Or is all of that irrelevant? If it's because I've turned into a *bourgeois*, the irony is priceless here. Indeed, Brel's wit, sharp eye and acerbic tongue were almost never better channeled than when he used those assets to paint vitriolic portraits of the elder generations of his own time--all those sad, well-off, self-righteous sods never able to admit they cornered themselves into lives ultimately devoid of any meaning. Truth be told, in Brel's songs are *also* other sorts of lessons, though, and ones I could have started learning as a young man. When the Belgian singer depicts younger characters, for instance, his powers of observation are still very much on point, both conveying the humanity and pathetic shortcomings of those characters through the same jeering-yet-elegant wink to his audience. Flawed dunces and endearing dollards can be found in all age groups. And Brel never missed a chance to remind us of this. Of course, there's a third, more elegiac streak running throughout his catalogue of tunes, which gave out all those signature songs most French speakers still remember today. And for those, Brel was as 'emo' as any tortured young rock act can get. Just listen to those tracks. Even if you're not speaking French, you might still sense the emotion seeping through the perfomance itself, if not through the words used (the man was also a fine actor who had learned this secondary trade exclusively through his experience as a performer giving it all onstage). If anything, English-speaking artists with a keen eye for details and an overall flair for the dramatic--artists such as Scott Walker, Nina Simone, David Bowie, Judy Collins or Nick Cave--certainly sensed this emotion we've just mentioned here. Hence their wonderful covers of Brel's *repertoire*. Recorded live in 1964 at the legendary Parisian venue *L'Olympia*, this record, as short as its original version was, does a very fine job displaying the three different streaks of songcraft we've spotted up there. Subsequent CD versions later included parts of the show left out from the original 30-minute album, with Brel staples such as "Les bonbons", "Mathilde", " Les bigotes", "Les bourgeois", "Jef" and "Au suivant". But even without those popular extraneous cuts, this live album is essentially Jacques Brel at his best. "Les vieux" (*Old Folks*), about old-timers waiting for death, is for example one of his cruellest songs, because as heartwrenching and detailed as the lyrics are, they can also elicit many mocking snarls in response. Dark comedy and tragedy go hand in hand throughout the tune, whose chorus revolves about a clock relentlessly counting the seconds left before the final demise, nicely supported by a piano motif insisting on each of those fateful seconds. Musicality is rarely forgotten in Brel's *oeuvre*, as shown in most of those cuts here, even though such oeuvre is first and foremost narrative-driven in nature. Death is also central in two other songs, "Le dernier repas" and "Tango funèbre". The first track pictures the narrator's "last meal" with his entourage, the second depicts his burial, and both are unforgettable lessons in songwriting, ones that Nick Cave, as a connoisseur of Brel's body of work, probably remembered when he penned the similarly-themed "Lay Me Low" for *Let Love In*.  Freeloaders and sycophants shedding crocodile tears unavoidably find their way into the afflicted crowd in those songs, closely watched by Brel's ghost. This makes the titular 'tango' in the second track, already a wonderful piece of music, even more gripping, chilling and wry. Old parasites in funerals aside, younger people are also mocked during the gig, as in "Les Timides" (*Shy people*), where inapt wannabe lovers make fools of themselves under Brel's unforgiving eye ("they just blush and *crawfish*", the singer tells us--yes, "crawfish" is used as a verb here, which is just as grammatically wrong or off-kilter in French as it is in English). And both age groups seem to be derided in "Les jardins du casino" ("In The Casino's Gardens"), a precise study of bourgeois pettiness that goes from micro to macro in its ironic breadth. As great as those tracks are, however, this live album wouldn't be the historical document it is today without two songs counting among the most famous Brel ever penned whenever he decided to dive headlong into full epic scope. The first of those songs, "Amsterdam", was actually never recorded in a studio, so what we have here is the definitive version, and it does not take a seer to understand why this sweeping tale of sailors and whores rubbing shoulders (and more) in the midst of a drunken, lascivious haze didn't need a studio recording after this live capture at the Olympia venue. Brel's voice is incredible here, each and every one of its inflexions adding weight and meaning to the words sung or yelled. And the orchestra supporting that voice is the *coup de grâce*, its head-spinning instrumentation placing you right in the middle of this grotesque waltz of beautiful losers. You can almost see the lights and lanterns of the harbour behind the dancers. In three minutes, you've been to the Netherlands and back, and it's a trip you will never forget. As for the second legendary track, "Le plat pays" (*The Flat Country*), a very personal ode to Belgium--slow, grim and yet quite tender--there *is* a studio version of it, contrary to "Amsterdam". But this live rendition, backed up by strings circling above the desolate land like so many flocks of crows, equals it, if it doesn't actually surpass any other version available today. *Olympia 64* is therefore one of the best entry points into Brel's whole body of work, and as such, deserves to be remembered as the timeless classic that it is. One could argue that studio albums *Ces gens-là*, *N*4 (La valse à mille temps)* or the later rerecording of old songs *Ne me quitte pas* could be equally relevant if you wish to get acquainted with the inspired and inspiring Belgian singer. Either those, or any of the comprehensive compilations sold out there. But if first, you want to sense the powerhouse that Brel was as a live performer, *this* is the record to start with. It is by no means a rock 'n roll album. Actually, it's almost the opposite in every way. But for anyone interested in the French language, or international novelty curios, the emotions such a record provides are not so far off the mark compared to more "modern" strands of music. Ask David Bowie, Nick Cave or Nina Simone if you're still having doubts about the whole thing. [Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 993 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 2 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 4 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (as I think many others are more important): 3 ]

What I listen to while my rat cooks me dinner

I wanted so much more shit like this on this list. Way too much British/american punk rock. 5

It’s ok, but could’ve died without listening

Never heard of him before (though I guess I’ve probably heard his songs without knowing who it was). Had a bit of a French Leonard Cohen vibe going at points. I felt a bit like I was starring in a Wes Anderson film while I was listening to this. I liked the feeling.

boy, he really MEANT IT when he sang, huh? i love how crazy this sounds now - i wonder if it did then, too.

It's hard to appreciate explicitly lyric-driven music in a language you don't speak.

Struggled to listen from start to finish. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for this when I listened to it, but honestly I really question to inclusion of an album like this on this list. I suspect some hipster was feeling very please with themselves when they put forward this one.

It's hard to judge this without understanding the nuances of the language, since he's known for his wit and turn-of-phrase. When Scott Walker covered Jackie, you got a sense of how great a lyricist Brel was.

OK, so this is the sort of thing I had kind of expected and also hoped for when signing up for this 1001 albums thing. Yesterday I had Limp Bizkit and today I have Jacques Brel. LOL This album definitely broadened my horizons just a little bit. I am familiar with this style but only in passing. It's the first time I've listened to several tunes of this era and style in a row. Brel is clearly connecting the cabaret with what would become early contemporary French music. Glad I listened to it? Yes. Need to listen to it more? Probably not, it was interesting precisely because I had limited prior exposure. Good selection for the 1001 though!

I have always held a number of Jacques Brel's songs close to my heart, but I had never heard much more of his work, nor heard him singing to a live audience. The combination of his voice, his emotion, and his poetry is absolutely captivating. It isn't a surprise that there have been so many attempts to translate his work, but as he is such a master of the sounds of the French language, there will always be something missing in translation. Each song carries me away and paints such a vivid picture. How I wish I'd been at the Olympia then!

I liked this a lot more than expected.

Amsterdam is a banger of a track, this guy has a very powerful voice and I'm here for it, I think I may actually listen to it again sometime?

I am not sure why I needed to listen to this. No need to listen to but thankfully it was a short album.

Brel is an incredibly influential French chanson singers who has covers by a variety of English speaking speakers you may know, including Bowie. I feel this album was picked primarily because of Amsterdam, a masterful work of emotion and passion about life in the city. Do not take that track lightly. You can however take the rest of the tracks lightly. They demonstrate Brel's talent and songwriting, but none of the rest are his best work, but it does get comically French like that 3rd track so it is entertaining at times. Obviously this album doesn't hold very well to today with audiences (or even a decade later), and you need a certain perspective to appreciate, which I don't care to have.

Woof. This inclusion seems almost accidental. It's a live album of a guy singing in French over show-tuney type stuff, in the same vein as the infamous Scott Walker 2. I'm not sure what is supposed to be remarkable here, and neither is Wikipedia. Usually I accept all foreign language projects with grace, but that's because at least they are musically interesting. We did have at least one French album with that Serge Gainsbourg project, but that was obviously important. This one? Yeah I don't know. Give this slot to someone more deserving. Favorite tracks: Le Plat Pays. Album art: A guy harumphing into his hand, looking worried, perhaps about some guy from the future who wouldn't understand why he MUST listen to this live album before he dies. Not even Jacques seems to think this is special. 1.5/5

I have readily accepted music with vocals in languages other than English although this was typically due to the beats / global rhythms. Of those that didn’t have the beats, hardly any were in French. One exception is Edith Pilaf's La Vie En Rose which I quite liked. I never did seek out other French songs that I might have liked as much and perhaps it's my loss. This album isn't at Edith's level but some of the songs are very powerful and full of emotion. I do hope he's not singing about Bugs Bunny episodes but I don't have a clue and I'm not going to check. Just in case the songs are about the Wascally Wabbit, I better not rank too high.

A lot of complaints about “too much dadrock” only to give this album 2.5 stars on average 5/5

This is who Pepe le Péw thinks he is.

Ooh La La.

I've not seen any of Jacques Brel's movies but based on his music, I am guessing he's an extraordinary actor. I don't speak French well enough to know what he's saying most of the time but I sure as hell know what he's feeling. Very few artists get under my skin the way he does.

fun for the whole family

Love it! Fun French music

I’m a little French, a little pretentious, a little gay. So this was right up my alley.

In the 60’s, all I knew about Brel was that he’d written Ne me quitte pas (If You Go Away), one of Dusty Springfield’s greatest. Then, sometime in 1973, I got a copy of Bowie’s hit single, Sorrow, and the b-side was Brel’s Amsterdam. Bowie’s version is absolutely outstanding. And Brel’s version here is the highlight of this album for me. Pretty closely followed by Les Bourgeois (which I first heard in the late 70’s by Tom Robinson, under the title Yuppie Scum) - and this is where you need a translation , because Brel wrote wonderful lyrics. Check out a translation for Les Bigotes - timely after NO voters sank the weekend’s referendum. Brel was a huge talent. Unique.

Once I read someone likening listening to Jacques Brel without speaking french to listening to Morrissey without speaking english. Be that as it may, Brel is still a joy to listen to even when you don’t understand him! Such spirited delivery. The backing music is consistent in matching the energy as well. The music transcends the language barrier. Besides, doesn’t Morrissey himself have a large Mexican fanbase?

I think it was nice. You could tell he really meant the words he said. Had to look up the lyrics to understand the songs. It was more simple than most of the albums.

Moving

I'm surprised how long I have been listening to this record.

Great voice! Even understood a bit with my French. Very fun

Not bad. Not knowing what he's singing about was a little frustrating.

My grandma is a huge fan of this man. I like it as well, but not as much as her.

Amsterdam is pretty great but I don't speak French so uhhhhhhhh

Great vocal delivery. Chanson is lyrically driven, so unfortunately can’t judge it in its intended focus, but was nice to listen to musically and to put a term and a face to this music style of the 60s in France, Belgium and Europe.

Han virker passioneret, men sprogbarrieren er nok lidt for svær for mig at overkomme. Croissant, Pain au chocolat, baguette, hon hon hon 🤌

The most french thing since Jean Valjean, Emanuele Macron and René Artois sat atop La tour Eiffel eating an amuse bouche of escargots avec garlic et oignons. Rating: 1.5/5 Playlist track: Les jardins du casino Date listened: 04/02/23

Este estilo de música francesa me gusta a veces, puede caer bien para ambientar, sin embargo no se me hace que sea para una lista como esta; incluso algunas de las canciones y los juegos que hace con la voz me parecen demasiado de cotorreo y que igual estando ahí pudo ser chistoso pero grabado no me parece tan impresionante. Además, plagió a Cri-Cri, eso no se hace.

bof bof

Omg I looove this.

I haven’t listened to Jacques Brel since dissecting his music as part of a French Paper I did at uni. Needless to say he’s amazing- Love!

It is somehow crazy, that there are so few albums on this list, which are not American or British. It is supposed to be a list of 1001 albums you really should listen to but is so full of mediocre albums. This album proofs that the "author" at least tried to put some other great non-US/non-British musicians on the list. But still it is far from enough. Of course Brel needs to be on this list. Of course a lot of people will not like his music. Of course that is ok. But nevertheless, this is in the history of western music certainly a very important musician. Now we can start to debate if the list should also contain various great folk musicians from around the world ...

Oh yes! This is the shit. Right away you can hear Stromae, Scott Walker and Nick Cave. So much commitment to the drama. It’s wild and thrilling. His style is raw and earnest, like Edith Piaf and Marc Almond. You don’t need to understand French to feel the story. This isn’t just singing. This is a true performance. Masterfully done.

An unexpected, but eternal, joy of an album.

lmao 🤣

I feel like I have been waiting for his passion all my life!

What a delight

Great voice

Очень красивый и трогательный альбом на французском!

My French listening is not as good as I’d like it to be, so I listened to Olympia 64 mostly as music rather than trying to focus on the lyrics, which I then read later. I’m almost in awe of how good Chanson is as an art form, and am kicking myself that I’d not got round to Jacques Brel before yesterday. His gift for melody and performance is impeccable, bringing a real sense of drama to the performances, and his voice is just beautiful. The arrangements also have drama when needed, but also a playfulness which certainly makes up for my not catching all of the lyrics. Having read the lyrics, I’m even more in awe. Full of simple yet devastating observations but also wordplay, you can see how some of the wordier songwriters working in English were attracted to Brel’s work. Having got this album at around the same time I discovered how much I liked Charles Aznavour, I’m pretty sure the universe is telling me to work on my French listening, so if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to do that now. Au revoir

Master of rhytmn, this goes so hard. My only complaint is that it makes me want to learn french.

A really good album and I enjoyed listening to some songs in French.

5/5 - Grand

Loved it. A voz e interpretação!!!!

Five stars for the power this recording of Amsterdam has over me alone.

9/10 absolutely beautiful I love quirky french shit

banger after banger, love this guy

Nice. Always loved Amsterdam (and Ne me quitte pas), goosebump stuff, and I quite enjoyed the vibe of all of this. And as the 1001AYMHBYD list is so hilariously shit at acknowledging the existence of the non-English-speaking 95 percent of the world and its music, this is an automatic +1, makes 𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘲 é𝘵𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴. And no, I do not understand what Brel is singing. You don't have to, you know?

Incredible! This is the type of album I hoped to be introduced to through this. I don’t know what he’s saying and I don’t want to. It’s beautiful, exotic, interesting. Loved it. Saved it to my library.

Great chansons sung with much vigor.

😵

Jaja, rustig maar, ik ga precies het cijfer geven dat jullie verwachten. Wie ik veel op Jacques Brel vind lijken is Stromae: ook uit Brussel, grijpt hij op de muziek van zijn tijd nietsontziend de grote thema's aan. Maar Brel is toch een klasse apart. Op dit album Olympia '64 hoor je hoe hij alles geeft tijdens zijn optredens. Brel zingt vaakt niet, eigenlijk schreeuwt hij. Het gaat over dood, liefde, hypocrisie, oorlog, alles. Een paar van zijn grootste nummers staan op deze plaat. Amsterdam, welbekend voor fans van Acda en De Munnik, Brel nam er nooit een studioversie van op. Le plat pays, door Brel zelf in het Nederlands gezongen in een vertaling die beter is dan het origineel (Mijn vlakke land). Les bourgeois (De burgerij), Jef, Madeleine, Les vieux, Au suivant, allemaal klassiekers (waarvan allemaal goede vertalingen bestaan). Op verzoek vertel ik nog wel waar het allemaal over gaat. Want dat is natuurlijk meteen het manco van Brel: als je het niet verstaat, hoor je alleen maar een man die zich ontzettend druk staat te maken op vrij ouderwetse muziek (een tango, een wals). Oud werd hij niet: op 49-jarige leeftijd blies hij de laatste adem uit. Zichzelf kapotgeleefd.

One of the main reasons I want to learn French is Jacques Brel. How he minds each phoneme, the passion for each phrase, and the charisma spilled all over each song testifies to his authenticity. It is contagious and charming. Jacques is one of those big European icons from the twentieth century that were poorly known in America. Victims of the self-absorption happening in the USA during the Cold War. Lucky us that we have ways to dig into the past and get to know those left at the margin. Great album, unmatched artist.

Has to be a five. Brel is a top ten artist for me, love him :)

A correspondent on these pages described Brel as a French Leonard Cohen which is wrong on two accounts - first of all, Brel is Belgian; and, if anything, Cohen is the Canadian Jacques Brel! Brel had an unmatched song writing skill, able to not only write acerbic songs satirising society but also tender, romantic and moving songs about lost loves and lost friends; haunting songs about death and funerals; and, of course, songs about soldiers losing their virginity in a mobile army whore house. In rating this album, I admit that I am swayed by Brel's entire catalogue. Olympia 64 does a good job of capturing a moment in time (and you can hear the crowd go wild for the music) but it is an unsatisfying album as so many tracks were recorded but not cut (restored on later versions) and some of his greatest songs aren't here. A fine artist whose works will endure and continue to inspire future songwriters, just as he inspired Scott Walker and David Bowie.

The divine Monsiuer Brel!

5 for cultural diversity on the list.

Posé sous Jacques

l'olympia c'est un peu cheapos si vous voulez mon avis

Beautiful, don't understand a word, and could only find half the album, but it's beautiful

Très bon album de classique chanté par un brel au sommet de son art 5

9/10. I've never heard a French person get so excited.

Jacques Brel- Olympia 64 Jacque Brel is cool. he’s got so much drama and passion in his voice. My favorite song of his is Ne me quitte pa. After listening to Kid A and Amnesiac recently I feel like it had a similar emotional effect as I get from a Radiohead ballad. The last song “Les Toros Avec Final “was awesome. 4?5?

Really dug this! So dramatic. He’s got an awesome voice and the songwriting is really cool.

More of this please!! Perfection!

Tres bien! Je peut entendre cette disque longtemps

very cool

oui oui ah ah ah ah, ah aha ah

Jacques mon copain, mon Belge. Un album incroyable. J'aime le plat pays/ mijn vlakke land (zeker beide versies beluisteren) hohoho Cette chanson me donne envie de sauter sur mon vélo et de rouler à la mer. Viva belgica 🇧🇪

Very chill, feels like im on a terrace in Paris

Comment, en bon Belge, mettre autre chose que 5? (rip les amerloques qui comprennent rien dans l'onglet reviews) Prefs: Amsterdam, Le Dernier Repas, Les Toros, Tango Funèbre, Le Plat Pays, Les Bonbons, Mathilde, Les Bourgeois, Jef, Au Suivant, Madeleine Moins pref: Les Timides

Actually quite enjoyable. Have to say I wasn't looking forward to some French crooner but the style is so different to what you'd get in English that it's refreshing. Probably benefits for being a live album too.

Dont forget it's french

Ziek album

What a story teller :D

First French album listened to. Was very surprised by the showmanship and general music

высокой красоты музыка, блистательное исполнение и шикарный треклист создают работу, которая, может, и не шедевральна, но недурно приблизилась к идеалу. Снижу оценку я лишь за короткий хронометраж и очень шумные аплодисменты. 9/10.

I loved the feeling of listening to this. There's a charm in the performance I don't often find.

I enjoyed this listen. My French isn't great but it was nice catching some phrases. Musically, it was very comfortable. I'd like to put it on more in the future and see what else I can get from it.

Nice 👍

Une planche

3.5

Such an interesting pick for 1001 albums before I did but great music. But very niche. Cool to read about how huge he was in Belgium and France though. I’m rating it high because of the fact that I would have never heard it otherwise.

This is the sort of album I crave from this experience. I had no idea what to expect, but damn this knocked my socks off! Brel has such an intense delivery of these songs, and I definitely think my first taste of him being a live album was beneficial; the man oozes a frantic charisma that I’ve never really experienced before. As this was only short, I listened to some of his studio stuff afterwards and it all delivers. I’ve no idea what this guy is saying, but I am 100% in on this.

magnifiqué !

Niiice.

So French, it had to be Belgian. Good fun

Je suis

Difficile d’imaginer l’effet que ça doit faire d’entendre Brel si on ne comprend pas le français. Le mot qui me vient est « fièvre »: rare sont les interprètes qui se donnent avec tant d’intensité. Et je trouve quand même cocasse qu’il crache à ce point sur les bourgeois, alors que ce sont eux qui l’écoutent et le portent aux nues aujourd’hui… Il est considéré comme de la haute culture

Honestly I was kind of dreading this, but I really enjoyed it. It was cool, French, and lots of great accordion.

I enjoyed the review that even mentioned Scott Walker 2 as comparison apparently without realising half of it is Brel covers, and wondered why this album is here. Listened to the 8 track album linked to in the app and then went and listened to the full 15 track performance which is also on Spotify. Jacques Brel is the anti-Dylan, even though he's been covered by some giants their versions are nearly always inferior. Only Nina holds a candle really, the Scott Walker ones are all fun but not quite as good (but plenty good enough to have a playlist of them all, particularly Mathilde), and then you've got shite like Seasons in the Sun (Le Moribund is unimaginably superior). I wish I spoke French so I could fully appreciate his visceral performance.