Olympia 64

Powerful voice for this famous French crooner, but it’s not a style of music that appeals to me.

Loved hearing ridiculously rolled Rs again. Really enjoyed it

Jacques Brel!!

Sounds like he is talented, could not get through it however, especially live.

Not sure how I feel about this album, his singing is good, but I don’t know how this genre changed the face of music. It’s very of its time and doesn’t blow me away

Turns out French pop sounds exactly what you would think.

Euro fresh euro chic euro cool

It feels like a hard album to judge as I don’t speak French and it’s a live album but anyway not the sort of music I listen to and not an artist that I will be seeking to listen to but the music and voice wasn’t bad so not dreadful

I didn’t like this at all, but the crowd loved it, lol!

Did not enjoy this at all

incrivelmente entediante. 1/5.

Listening session: april 1st, while commuting to internship Listened to before: no Thoughts: so I learned a new instrument today: the Ondes Martenot (which I thought was a theremin based on sound). This album is a nice change from the other genres on here and I really appreciate the amount of passion that Jacques Brel sings with Favourite tracks: Amsterdam, Les vieux & Le plat pays

French showmanship at its zenith.

Good album from a time when men were men...

Despite not speaking the language or knowing anything about the lyrical content, I quite enjoyed this. Brel sings with such passion and conviction. Amsterdam in particular got me hyped.

шансончик

I know of Jacques Brel through Scott Walker associations. I love this style of music, and Brel's voice is great too. Classic example of why there needs to be more international representation on this list. Just delightful.

While listening to this album I had a strong desire to don a beret, smoke a cigarette and be condescending to an American. Jokes aside, it was a fun album that I never would have heard if not for this 1001 Albums thing. 1960's French pop. Who knew?

Quite interesting! Really enjoyed "Amsterdam", definitely out of my wheelhouse so glad to have gotten this

why is this here?

Bro I’m not even really ever into this type of pops in English. I fuck with Champs Elysees and all but this was just meh. Also the applause on this live recording is too loud

It's kinda hard to appreciate a lyrics-focused genre when you can't understand the lyrics

This was a surprise. His vocals are so passionate, and the music is lovely. I want to wander a French street with this playing in my ears.

I feel like I am listening to a Wes Anderson soundtrack. And that is a good thing for me!

This album is NOT a bit of me. French music like this has never been my bag, and this album was a struggle to listen to from start to finish. I’m thankful it was only 28 minutes long. Also, why do I feel like I'm watching Ratatouille?

Perfect as background music for a Parisian cafe. Nothing I really care to listen to purposefully.

I recall the phrase “Jacque Brel is alive and well” from when I was a kid. This was tolerable but I was glad it was only 28 min.

Not sure what to make of this. It was short enough but I didn’t hate it like I was expecting to. So it was raised by low expectations.

The passion and emotion came through clearly despite a strong language barrier! Nothing exceptional individually on a first pass, but all very nice and a genre of music I would love to hear more of. Very nice!

it was fine i guess? not my thing

I think Chanson works better with female vocals. This is fine, but would not seek this out if I was looking for French pop.

Not my cup of tea.

Could this be the absolute definition of french annoyance?

Different, captivating. Wish I could understand the words.

Nice background tunes

I don’t know what the hell I just listened too. It wasn’t bad… probably won’t hear it ever again though. Lots of accordion and French for first thing in the morning.

I know a few Jacques Brel songs that were remade in English, so, I have an idea of who he is and how important he is to music of the 70s. This album is nice, wish I spoke French….

2,5 stars

You don't need to understand French to appreciate the sweeping musicality of this album. Brel's powerful, passionate voice is accompanied by a backing orchestra in a live setting, and it made me feel like I was actually there listening to the show (it's that big-sounding). The music is so beautiful. Highlights for me included "Amsterdam" and "Le pat pays".

Bara fínt sko

Virkar nettur gæji. Lögin bara allt í lagi.

Gets a bit too French at points, but very good and makes me want to listen to more of his stuff and more in this vein.

Very fun, but I listened to the tracks out of order and I wish I hadn’t

Usually it's a bit hard for me to appreciate foreign language albums, but this one was fun. 3/5

Interesting music, but the ceiling for this one is pretty low considering I don't know any French.

I can’t help being seduced by something so swinging ‘60s French. Do I love the music or his singing? Non. But do I want to wear a pillbox hat, a minidress and shiny knee boots while whisking through the cobblestone streets of Le Marais on a Vespa? Oui!

if you wanna feel like the star of your own 60s thriller, this is top tier walking around music. ☆☆☆☆☆

Impressive energy in his singing - you can feel he means every word he sings. But the songs are uninteresting and the sound quality is not very good. The best part is that the album is quite short.

This is a review I legitimately feel guilty about cause the magic of this album (if it has any) was completely lost on me. For instance, I know he wrote a lot of the lyrics and poetry and that went into this album, which could be super powerful and moving, but I don’t speak French. I also could see how the super theatrical element to this music is especially inspiring, and I could see how an artist like this could influence somebody I really love who is also theatrical, like Bowie, but again it just didn’t click for me when I have nothing else to cling to. But I would say that’s the most impressive and interesting part of the album was the instrumentals. But again, this album’s awhile just didn’t click with me despite the obvious talent.

Haven't heard of him before which tells you how much I know about chanson. Usually I'm rather indifferent to songs of that kind but honestly this album was rather fun 3/5

very interesting, enjoyed

Sounds good but not my thing. Wouldn't mind it playing in the background at a cafe

Would probbaly really love it if I knew what the lad was saying

It’s the wrong link here, as it should be to Olympia 64 (Live), with 15 songs 48 minutes, which makes a difference - with Au Suivant and Madeleine matching Amsterdam. I know it’s my loss in not speaking French but the stories are lost/water on me. I appreciate the atmosphere and delivery, but…

It is not my jam, but I do enjoy it enough at times. I was itching to listen to something else by the second to last song.

1.5. Best part is the length

French Sinatra

i didn't think french music sounded like this unironically

waste of time. Same as 1000 other crooner albums of the era, BUT THIS ONE IS IN A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE, SO COOL, PUT IT ON THE LIST.

An unrecognized influence on David Bowie (who covered “Amsterdam” in English.) A uniquely grizzled and charismatic voice in chanson.

Good singing, but very aggressive and non-stop. I wish I spoke French to know what he's singing about...

Well, cross that one off the list.

Obviously, something is lost if you don't know French, but it's still a swinging vibe especially with the live audience element.

2.5/5 Neither here nor there for me. Didn’t think it was bad, but it also kept sinking into background noise every time I tried to listen to it so it never got to good or great.

nope. not the vibe today at all. do not care for this. hate this guy's voice. music is fine, would have been so much better if this was an instrumental album. 2/10

Had never heard of this artist and had no idea what he was singing about, but he did it with such gusto and conviction, I couldn’t help but be into it.

At times I felt I was in a Disney movie with French language overdubbed. Lovely stuff.

Charismatic and French. Cheered up my morning quite nicely.

French Vysotski goes hard.

A bit too French at times

Nothing bad to say about this. Enjoyed listening this. This isn't my go to music what I'd listen to but would happily listen this when I am chatting with friends or something similar.

Unexpectedly cool There’s some cool songs on here - tracks 6 and 8 I’m glad I got to learn more about this guy

He sounds very enthusiastic and the music seems pretty good for the chanson era. I don't understand a word, though, and it's just not for me, I guess.

I came here for the music and I'm staying for the music. However I am also staying for the reviews. Currently, the top review for this album states simply, "What I listen to while my rat cooks me dinner." Thank you user 62c77de5c8f97a728892e47c. Your comment brought great joy to my life and you will never know it. To all the comical geniuses out there providing such brilliant commentary, thank you. I don't always like the music, but I always like the reviews. I have nothing insightful or funny to say about this album. Jacques Brel reminds me of a male Carla Bruni and as such, I enjoyed this album quite a bit.

Good but certainly not my thing.

I have no idea if this is good and I am not particularly interested in listening to enough similar things to figure it out.

A French guy speak heavily into a microphone while a light accordion plays in the background. Sometimes a crowd cheers for the Frenchman. 6/10

can't put Jacques down!

Dense and bombastic. Although I feel a bit handicapped from not knowing the words (sorry France) the feeling of these songs came across well. This seems more like a poet/songwriter where the words are a key part of the experience. Nevertheless, I liked his delivery and effort going in to every song, the way he delivered his verses and the way the music swelled and faded. Very dramatic. Very European. Nice Highlights: I don't know any of the titles or words except Amsterdam

As a bit of a metal guy, I am pretty used to not understanding the lyrics, but I feel that with this, I am really missing out. That being said, it still was an enjoyable listen.

Listing to this album I'm thinking, "Shit, I don't live it or hate it. It is dissimilar enough to my experience that it is going to take several listens to understand. Plus, the only version I can find is a fucking double album." My wife says, "Ha, all I can think of is French class." Clearly a neutral reaction from someone who know the music more than me. I'm copping out, for now.

Really cute record. I bet this was a really nice live show. Not familiar with this cat before today, but I dig his style. The showmanship and music is a delight and vocals match impeccably. This was a pleasant one.

fuck the French

The monkeys paw really and truly unfurled with this one. I wanted a unique album that wasn’t just mediocre British Punk or American Rock, and in a sense I got it with this album. On the other hand, I didn’t really care for this album all that much. Listen, I had to give an album a 1 star review yesterday for the first time in 108 albums. I ended that review writing that “All I can do at this point is hope I get a better album tomorrow.” When I checked out the reviews on this one, I was not the happiest camper. However, it’s completely understandable why the rating is so low. I don’t speak French, and neither do a majority of the people rating these. I don’t really love the way Jacques sings here. I didn’t get much entertainment out of this one. But, it’s getting somewhat of a pass this time. Yesterday’s album was in English and I outright detested it. This one was at least fun, gracefully short, and has the built in excuse of being in a foreign language. It’s not what I’m looking for, but it’s fun. Would that be a reason that a majority of reviewers are going to rate this one pretty low?? Yeah, for sure, obviously. But, you can tell without speaking French that Mr. Brel is a talented singer, even though this isn’t really my thing at all. I think my favorite song was “Les jardins du casino”. Why?? Don’t know. Doesn’t matter. The instruments were fun enough throughout the album, and the obvious passion put into this man’s craft elevates it to at least a 2 for me. Not nearly enough for a 3, but I can at least see the reason someone from France in the 60’s would go crazy for something like this. It’s not bad, but it’s not for me, and it’s probably not for most people in general honestly. But, I can see why it’s here, even if I’d have liked another Pearl Jam album or 2 instead. This is my first experience with a “Chanson” on the site. Humorously, of the 6 listed on the site, every single one of them has a 2 star rating, which will likely end up matching my own takes on all of them if they end up sounding anything like this one. One of them is even in the bottom 20 rated albums on the website. Knowing my luck this week, I’m going to end up rolling it pretty soon, or just another Chanson in general. I can’t say I’m the most excited about any of them. The French make outstanding Electronica, but I’m not so fond of the Chanson from what little I’ve heard so far, and it would seem I’m not in the minority when it comes to that take either. We’ll see when the site decides to spring Chanson 2/6 on me so I can verify whether or not they all kind of sound like this or not. Until then, this one is a very comfortable 2 stars out of 5.

I am not a big fan of live albums but yet, I am happy that Jacques Brel was able to make his mark in a list such as this one. I think it is a short and interesting listen but I'd much rather hear the studio version in this case. 7/10 [SWAP]

not my thing to be honestv

Nagyon rossz volt, nem bírtam végighallgatni

Mope

No idea what he was singing about, but thoroughly enjoyed it. I wouldn't mind owning a copy.

French Frank Sinatra

Kinda fun considering i dont speak the language

***a good, easy listening album

I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS. AN ALBUM THAT'S NOT AMERICAN OR BRITISH??? NOT AN OUNCE OF ENGLISH?? GOD DO YOU TRULY EXIST?? DID YOU PITY ME? FOR HAVING TO LISTEN TO ALL THAT SAME BORING 60'S AND 70'S ROCK AND FOLK AND DAMN I'M ACTUALLY GONNA CRY. First of why is "chanson" a style? That just means song. What else can I expect from English speakers though? It's like saying Taylor Swift's style of music is song. French songs from that time are so interesting. My French teacher used to play this type of music for class all the time. How wasn't an Edith Piaf album included is beyond me, but hey there is at least a bit of French on here. I have to grab at any crumb of European diversity on here. A Romanian album is never gonna be on any list of this sort, so I have to celebrate what I can. I'm so fed up with that punk, punk rock, folk, grandpa rock. Why include an album that has two sentences on Wikipedia and the arist singing it has like 50k listeners. It's clear I'm not in need of listening to that before I die. Anyway great day, love this guy, though Stromae is my favourite Belgian singer by far. It's a live album as well?? I've just noticed that. It's the best one I'd heard on this list. It's incredible. This guy truly is talented. More stuff like this should have been on this list, but I know that tomorrow when I wake up, another Bob Dylan album will hit me.

As always, it’s difficult for me, who is woefully monolingual, to rate a non-English album when lyrics are the focal point if the songs. Evidently, Brel was deeply influential in France and Belgium. Unfortunately, I don’t really understand why—just that he WAS. This album didn’t offend my ears, but it seemed behind the times for the 1960s, so, perhaps unfairly, I’m giving it a 2.

Unfortunately I feel this album is somewhat impenetrable as someone that does not understand French. Reading further into the work of Jacques Brel, and even from just listening to this album, it is clear that his music is hugely lyrically driven. Without that insight into what is being said I feel I'm missing a major piece of the puzzle of what makes this work. Musically it isn't terrible by any means, but clearly isn't the central component of what makes these pieces great. It feels like it would be similar to asking a non-english speaker to listen to the music of Bob Dylan or Tom Waits and appreciate everything it brings to the table. It's unfortunate, but I can understand why this would have its place on the list.

Really nothing special, sounds like the soundtrack from an old french cartoon to be honest. Favorites: Amsterdam, Le Dernier Repas Least favorites: Le Plat Pays, Les Timides Rating (out of 10): 6/10

Tango Funebre and Les Timides are real solid songs. The former is funny with pretty opposing lyrics. The latter is solid and has nice tunes. Overall, would recommend for people to give the album a try. Le Dernier repas was really good. Just not lyrics I’d read when I’m feeling in the dumps. His gusto and oomph is a treat.

Pretty good stuff, if you are into it. I liked it about middlin'. Solid 3 for me.

I wouldn't have liked this even if it was in a language I could understand.

I really wanted to like this more than I did, especially with Scott Walker and David Bowie such big fans. I suppose it demonstrates a certain level of sophistication to enjoy Jacques Brel, sadly a level I don't appear to have.

It’s real tough to like a big band singer when you hate the voice.

It wasn't bad I'm just not sure why it was included.

Some songs on this album reminded me of Nick Cave, if he spoke French. Overall a really interesting album

Nice

Härligt franskt

Maybe this was really high quality for its time? I’m not sure. I’ll never know. The guy has a good clear French voice, that’s as much praise as I can give. Just so so dated when it comes to listening in the 2020’s. Two points for signing about casino gardens, they’re underrated

Well, its all in French, which it tricky because my school-boy level of literacy is not really helping here The orchestra and accordian-heavy music is not for me, but it does a lot to evoke an imagined post-war France vibe Interesting, but I will never willingly listen to this again in my lifetime

I give Brel and his devotees the benefit of the doubt I'm missing something about this music's aesthetic quality or historical significance because I'm not a French adult in 1964 whose never heard rock n roll before. He doesn't seem like an explosively powerful performer or have a magnetic singing voice. The songwriting and instrumentation are pretty traditional. When I heard "Le plat pays," though, I did pause at its weird beauty; I feel there's SOMETHING here on this album I'm not understanding (besides the French lyrics). I think he's handsome and has a cool demeanor, so maybe I'm actually over-enchanted despite not loving most of these songs. I dunno, I'd like to think I would have been listening to jazz or Varese or something if I were a continental European in 1964.

I am learning French, so I appreciated this album. I wish I understood a bit more though!

I think this must get lost in translation.

These old live singer-songwriter albums really rely on 2 components: the singer's voice and the lyrics. Because typically, the backing instrumentation is pretty simple and just enough to be a platform for the singer. Not only that, since it's live, the instrumentation is washed out by reverb and poor recording equipment. So back to the 2 components. The singing: It was alright. Not a performance that blew me away by any means. But you can definitely feel that it packed a punch and was just odd enough to stand out. The lyrics: well I can't really comment. Because I don't speak French anymore and I can't be asked to translate this whole thing. It would be great to give some love to some of the more diverse albums here but if I'm being honest, I wasn't feeling this one. Amsterdam was probably my favorite track.

Ei iskenyt yhtään

Levyn kansi kertoi heti mistä on kyse. Ranskalaista laulantaa. Vaikken mitään ymmärrä, kuulostaa että lauluissa on tunteita, dramaa ja komediaa mukana. Laulaja vetääki sillee hyvin että on hyvin hyvin tunteella mukana, mutta semmosta kait vähän vaaditaan tämän tyylisuunnan laulelijoilta. Menee kuitenkin siihen "en kuuntele toiste"-kategoriaan.

Mukavaa ranskalaista teatraalista musiikkia. Ei varmasti normaalisti tulisi kuunneltua, mutta todennäköisesti ei myöskään jää listoille kuunteluun

French live album, pleasant Les timides

Was alright. Not really my thing.

Very passionate french music. Too bad I cant speak french. 3.8/5

It's well performed for sure, and it's better than most live albums from the time. However, to me it's not much different. It's a live album from the 60s. It doesn't really compare to the best studio albums of all time. I'm trying not to weigh too heavily that I don't speak French, but it really doesn't help. I am glad I heard it because there is passion and intent behind this performance, but it isn't timeless, and it has been surpassed many times. 3.0/5

an excellent singer, with lyrics up front, and well written. but you better be a fan of that style of what was considered pop music of the time

College me getting really into Jacques Brel has aged quite nicely. Amsterdam still an all timer.

My judgement on chanson music is "How much do I want to smoke a cigarette during?" I would've maybe had two to this? But slowly and maybe with a French 75 cocktail. Enjoyed!

Notable Textzeile: A mon dernier repas Je veux voir mes frères Et mes chiens et mes chats Et le bord de la mer Die Sprachspiele werden auch mit rudimentären Kenntnissen hörbar, die Musik begleitet und ist gefällig. Die Energie, die sicher genauso verletzend und fies sein kann wenn ihr Schmeicheln vergeblich ist, gefällt in ihrer Spannung.

Belgian Nan-Rock! But seriously, there was something about Amsterdam, but in French... Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ Nan ★★☆☆☆ (3/10) Total reviewed : 222 Already owned : 50 Purchased : 11 To buy list : 3 Nope : 158

A lyric driven genre in a language I do not understand. Not a sound I particularly enjoy, either. I have no choice but to give this 1 star.

5/10 Literally the definition of French chanson. Live album (ugh) but it does work better here than on some of the other albums on this list. It feels like the kind of music you'd hear in the background of some movie where they're trying to be all sophisticated and shit. Good but just not my kind of music.

The first album I’ve gotten that is in French. Also probably the most stereotypically French “chanson” album I’ve ever heard. I like Edith Piaf and Charles Aznavour better. This guy was good but his lyrics were a little manipulatively depressing.

Jacques Brel. What can you say - just one of the greatest song writers of all time. Amsterdam is a masterpiece but every song on here is equally well crafted. Only downside is it’s not long enough!!

3/5. I think there's a decent amount of things to recommend this album. There's some lovely melodies and arrangements here, and the singing is this great opera-tinged pop style. That said, the genre is best known for it's lyricism, which will be lost on non-francophones (I am one). The one other pleasant side to this music is it's not like listening to early Bob Dylan as a non-anglophone — in that case, some of the music would not be good enough to justify the rough singing. The music stands on its own.

Music and lyrics are poetry, and Chanson is a perfect example of this. While there’s not a lot on the album Wikipedia, I got a lot out of being exposed to this artist and exploring his influence and other works. I’d highly encourage others to do the same. Notable details to me were obviously the French language and renown, Belgian origins (like several of my favorite Francophone artists) the artistry of the lyrics in both languages (some lost or changed in translation), and the inspiration provided to and covers done by so many other notable artists (including my fav, David Bowie). My bias is very present here, but this album exemplifies what I love about the 1001 Albums journey.

7/10

I will always love a french jazz moment!

lol what is this? Why is it here? It's not bad, but a top 1,001 of all-time? French sounds so silly, especially in this context. While I know the most convenient thing would have been to record this live, but there's no live element that benefits this album over being a studio recording. The applause is distracting and makes everything a little disjointed. I was going to maybe call this album good, but I think the only good thing on this album is his vocal control. I will be glad to never listen to this again. Favorite Song(s): none

Just when you think it can't get any worse.

The most French thing I've ever heard. I imagined myself floating down a river with a baguette and it wasn't so bad

One of those live albums that almost don't sound like a live album until the clapping. The guy is an amazing singer, and his band is great too But.... as good as the guy is, French is such a hard language to make sound good when you sing it, and it's quite harsh on the ears when the rest of the music is so je ne sais quoi. The only song that really works effectively with the bite of the French language in song is Les Toros Avec Final, which is one of the most pleasantly dramatic songs I've ever heard But other than that, the principle of the album is spectacular, it's just how coarse and harsh French sounds in song that are supposed to be romantic or whatever. So all in all, it's about as close as a 4 you can get without rating it a 4 in my opinion. I don't really want to take off 2 whole stars just for that one issue I found, but it's consistent enough throughout the album that it just bothers me

Beautiful album love his voice

Ça, c'est de l'art. De la poesie. Vous êtes tous incultes, barbares, que vous êtes.

Vocals

Album 1036 of 1089 Olympia 64 - Jacques Brel (1964) Rating : 3 / 5 There’s an obvious language barrier here, so I can really only comment on the performance rather than the lyrics themselves. That said, it doesn’t take long to recognize that Jacques Brel was a seasoned, deeply expressive artist. The passion in his delivery comes through loud and clear, even if you don’t understand every word. Throughout the listen, I kept thinking that this felt like hearing a French Leonard Cohen - intense, theatrical, emotionally committed, and fully present in every moment. This is clearly an album where the performance is the point. You can almost picture him on stage, pouring everything into the room, and I have no doubt that seeing this live would have added another layer entirely. What surprised me most is how listenable it turned out to be. I went in expecting this to feel distant or inaccessible, but instead it held my attention and even won me over at times. Not something I’d reach for often, but absolutely worth the experience.

Just no,

Kind of life-changing. Why am I even listening to other kinds of music

I really like how the tracks in this *drive* forward, matching with Brel's sharp plosives and the natural sound of the french language. It fails in the way many (most?) live albums do, its production quality is poor, it was clearly not recorded in a studio and it doesn't do anything interesting by virtue of being recorded live. I also feel like this would hit way harder if I knew what he was saying. Overall, Im pleasantly surprised, when I saw it was french-pop this morning i audibly groaned. Happy to be mostly proven wrong (and a little pig-headed)!

Very charming, but ultimately not my thing. I do love the Song Amsterdam, but I prefer the Scott Walker version. 3/10

I'm sure someone likes this

I get it. There’s super passion here.

Never heard before. Felt nice and energetic, I wish I knew more french to follow the lyrics properly as it quite a focus in the record. Happy to see some music from outside the US or the UK in here.

Huh…?

Very disjointed with songs seemingly from different concerts, and not a voice that cuts across all languages.

Not necessarily bad, yet also not really enjoyable or seemingly worthy of inclusion on this list.

Old, French

203/1001 Jacques Brel - Olympia 64 Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ The name isn't a new one to me, but his music is. When the music is so vocal forward and you don't understand the lyrical content, you need to love that voice to embrace it. Unfortunately, it grated on me right from the off. On the other hand, it's mercifully short at 28 minutes.

"I am French le hon le hon" shut the fuck up dude

2/5 - Very much not for me. Generally not a fan of live albums but the recording seems to have been done well for this one. Easily the Frenchest album I've ever heard.

This album has Screamin' Jay Hawkins Energy, mixed with Leonard Cohen. I don't think I'd listen to it again, but I enjoyed it for the novelness of it.

To France for me

Interessante, gostei. A primeira música me lembra Greensleeves. Muito massa a língua francesa pra música. Muito bonitas as músicas, gostei. 3*

Sure

I was explaining the project to a friend today, before I'd revealed my album, explaining how there is always a chance I get an album in French, or Portuguese, or... Did you wake up craving dramatic French show tunes? Well buddy, do I have just the album for you! The delivery is unhinged and full of character, but I'm not sure I'm rushing to see a Frenchman shouting poetry at me for half an hour. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Amsterdam - Tango funèbre - Le Dernier Repas

Just not my thing.

I’m not entirely sure what I’m supposed to say about this album. It’s Jacques Brel, armed with a perfectly average voice, singing songs that feel like they were written for Frank Sinatra on his day off with the exception of the added French accordion. It’s… fine. I’m aware this record carries enormous cultural weight, though that significance is mostly lost on me—possibly because I’m not French and wasn’t born in the emotional afterglow of D-Day. Am I happy this made the list? Maybe? Hard to say. What I do know is that I feel a profound indifference toward Olympia 64, and I’d lose absolutely no sleep if I never heard it again.

Knowing the translations for these songs won't make this any better for me. The music is playful and entertaining, but I don't find his voice anything but average... like this album.

Essentially a "no rating" as I don't speak French and get the sense that this lives and dies by it's lyricism. Still, he was a good singer with good delivery, and the music itself was relatively charming. I enjoyed catching the odd word I recognised

5/10 Wow, about as French as a thing could be. Culturally I can't hook onto this, so I can only judge it musically, which is fairly forgettable light jazz, delivered very passionately

Oui Oui am I right fellas??

i don't know what the fuck he is saying, but i really enjoyed this. Liked songs: - Amsterdam - Le dernier repas

Exhausting!

Tous les meilleurs morceaux

I'm not sure I'll ever listen to it again unless someone needs a rec for a student film score but it was a nice break from well-known artists

As I may have mentioned before I did mu thesis on chansons francais. This is a wonderful live album of the lighter side of brel

In a hilarious coincidence, when I first started listening to this album, I was sure Brel was the same performer from the basement club in the old Jimmy Stuart/Kim Novak movie "Bell, Book, and Candle" which is one of my (and my mom's) favorite movies. It actually wasn't Brel, but it was one of his contemporaries, Philippe Clay, who actually opened for Brel at one point. But that association, and the overall mood and Brel's amazing voice, made this a very enjoyable album for me. I also spent a little time reflecting about how to evaluate music sung in a language you can't (or in my care, barely) understand. You can't use the lyrics to inform or augment your connection with the songs, you have to rely just on the singer's voice and the instrumentation (which was pretty sparse here). Fortunately, Brel is a vocal master, and his voice and delivery provides plenty of emotion and interest. - Heard before? No. - Will I listen again? Definitely. - Does it inspire me to listen to more of this artist? Yes. And Philippe Clay.

A live performance of a Belgian singer singing in French backed by an orchestral ensemble. It was OK. Like watching a very old foreign film with a scene in a restaurant or club with a band.

I could tell it was great but I didn’t love it

Absolutely great album

This has Mike C written all over it

I wish I spoke French, alas I do not. I can't accurately judge the songwriting therefore, only the performance. It's nice! ...And that's about it. I hear Brel's brilliance is in his wit and lyricism, which makes it a shame that I can't judge it based on that. On the sound of it alone, this is worth a 3. I suspect if I spoke French this would rank higher for me. (and no, I'm not going to look up translations or find English language covers. That, I feel, wouldn't be in the spirit of the original work.) So there it is: a 3/5, with my apologies to Jacques Brel, and indeed the entire nation of France. I'll pass the apology on in person to my French friend next time I see her.

Good 8/10

6/10 Favorite: Amsterdam

Artiste connu par ses tubes entendus à la radio, c'est la première fois que j'écoute un album complet. Dans cet album je connais (et apprécie) 'Amsterdam'. Les autres morceaux sont dans le même esprit, avec un accompagnement discret qui met bien en valeur le chant et les paroles. J'aime assez son énergie sur scène, et je pense que je pourrais l'écouter de nouveau. =>3/5

Can’t say I love listening to albums in different languages but at least I can improve my French? Pretty cute songs but not a bit of me. Fav song is ‘Le dernier repas’.

Good on Robert for including something non-English on the list. But this? I question the authenticity of his efforts.

This album has me feeling really indifferent. I doubt I will remember this album for anything good or bad.

I pictured myself driving along the French Riviera with my wife by my side,

Spanish - sounds really good. Difficult to get into.

This album is actually beautiful. It's so soft and at the same time pretty interesting at some parts. It's not that I've loved it but I have really appreciated Brel's music and the way he delivers it live. This album sounds really good and with so much taste.

This was really fun to listen to, but I think I must be missing a lot by not understanding the lyrics. Would definitely explore more of Brel and this style.

Stunning. I was listening off my phone speakers in a McDonalds with ny head down, eyes closed, hands cupped over the speakers, soaking it in. It commands your attention that way. I was expecting vibrato and ‘technical prowess’ but what I got was so expressive and adventurous. The harmony and accompaniment parts on this were really sensational too. I felt like I was being transported to a different world, where this ancient song form has adapted to the complexity of the modern world. It’s like a sentient robot running through a field

Listening to this had me feeling like a dog when its owners are having a conversation. I understand next to nothing but when I hear one of the few French words I know my ears twitch and my head tilts.

Not being able to understand the lyrics, and chansons are lyric-driven, gives this music a unique feel. It drives your attention away from the lyrics and more towards the sound of the voice and what choices are made in the music. I have been learning French for a while, but can only pick out a few words here and there. Despite being mostly unable to understand, the voice of Jacques Brel is beautiful and very expressive. 4/5

OK, I feel awful giving this a bad score, because I'm sure it's all my fault. The thing he's doing with his throat sounds like the sound you make when you're pretending to speak underwater. I've been to France plenty of times, I'm aware there is a guttural aspect to the language, but for some reason, this guy bugs me. Other than that, it's pop music, which in this case is fine, I guess? But I'm not sure *why* this album must be listened to before death. So overall, I'm not sure it's bad, but I hated it and it was hard for me to listen to half an hour of guttural throat noises, so 2 stars it is.

Are songs in English the only ones that rhyme?

There were 2 songs I couldn't find anywhere but i think 3/4 of this record gives me enough to judge. Musically interesting though, and i think French is a very musical language, it's hard to listen in a language I don't understand. I read along with translations so I got an appreciation for the meaning i think. Hard to give it more than 2 stars though.

Gaullist nonsense

Einige sehr schöne, einige ziemlich miese chanson(g)s

Selten Fan von live Alben. Mag Chanson gerne. Aber das tut wenig für mich.

Der Mann hat was zu sagen, leider oft auch zu schreien. Habe ein paar leisere Töne vermisst. Chanson Classics - wuchtig.

Great way to practice french!

It's great to hear the first interesting live performance in awhile! He seems super charismatic and entertaining. Great to see the origin of a lot of Scott Walkers songs. Some songs got my attention less but Tango Funebre was awesome. 3.5/5 -> 4/5

For posh people who don’t like music but think they do

Does nothing for me

His voice ist powerful nice

Not something I would listen to

Pleasant to listen to. Nice to hear the original of a song I only knew in my native tongue. The emotion in the voice is very audible and nice to hear. However it is a dated record which drags it down a bit. 3/5

A period piece, and quite interesting to hear it. Clearly a guy with loads of charisma.

Might appeal to older French people, but as a non-French speaker it wasn't really of any interest. Even as a style it's pretty dated and not one for me.

To quote renowned music critic Austin Powers, this sort of thing ain't my bag, baby.

Appreciate it. Millions of French can’t be wrong.

A relaxing break today. I felt underdressed for listening to this music. I needed to be in a New York apartment in the early 60s.

You can practically hear Jacky sweating under the bright lights. Amazing really.

This album is theatrical, which I do appreciate listening to sometimes. Jacques Brel sings with emotion and passion. I think it would be interesting to see him perform in person than listen to a recording of a performance.

Favorite Track: Amsterdam

This is really fine and peaceful "crooner." Yup, it is, he is, French. Not understanding a word really, but that is part of the charm here. It is not quite jazzy and not not jazzy, it is just simple and nice. It is the kind of music one might put on to reduce stress and relax. And who doesn't want that?!

Good palate cleanser album, a solid 3

I don't speak French, but he has a pretty good singing voice.

If I stay true to my thoughts about rating, I have to give this a 2. I mean it's not bad, but it's just not something I would select to put on. And TBH, it's something I would probably turn the channel on if it came in and I had control. Made especially for grandmas with plastic on their couches and covering their carpets.

It was fine. I'm sure great for the time, but not my cup of tea.

Having a grasp on the French language, I found it pretty entertaining.

Is this one of those video game mods?

I don’t know, Lloyd. The French are assholes.

A live non-English album by a "theatrical singer" - I'd practically written my 2 star review before listening to a second. That all changed with the first track, which touched parts of my brain that rarely get activated - it's stunning stuff. The rest of the album is a post coital comedown from that high, but what a high it was.

= The Beatles

Two things might immediately surprise the modern listener and both are about passion. The first is the passion in Jaques Brel, the sheer energy; it’s remarkable that he gave so much emotion in such range to all his songs across the performance and then again presumably night after night. The other passion is that of his audience. Clearly the Beatles version wasn’t the only mania on offer in 1964. Brel’s own compositions almost define the French chanson, stylistically and thematically. There’s lots of regret for love lost, remembering of live drunk to the lees. There’s also lots of humour. The clarity of the recordings is technically impressive for the period, though you will notice that Brel frequently drives the meters into the red till they clip, not an unpleasing effect given the emotional delivery style. His voice is very forward in the mix giving the whole a very immediate feel, along with the way tracks apparently run straight into each other without intervening silences. All in all, a record of a performer at the peak of his powers, Bravo, Jaques!

No another live album! He clearly tries, but the recording quality is pretty trash. I don't know enough french to appreciate the lyricism.

The music itself is actually quite good and the singing is soulful and powerful. My issue is, I don’t understand French so the lyricism and wit are fully lost on me.

It was okay! Interesting to study the cultural fenomena.

Traditional pop that's limited by the confines of its tradition. Brel is great here; his vocals - especially on the opener "Amsterdam" - carry the performance. He injects every song with a dramatic flair that elevates the music. That music is pleasant, but it lacks variety. There are ballads and more upbeat tracks, but they all feel somewhat predictable. Of course the focus here is likely on the lyrics - I don't speak a lick of French but from reading about chanson the story and poetry of the lyrics seem to be the most important part of the songs. Regardless of lyrical quality, this makes for songs that are often hookless and just a vessel for those stories. And without some kind of variety, it can feel like the same song with different stories. Probably a great performance in 1964, but I would long for something exciting to happen if I were to see it today. I like the accordion though.

Thankfully a short album. At times it was ok but most of the time all I could think of was Joey Tribbiani trying to speak French.

che meraviglia la lingua francese, ma per me è un po' troppo datato nello stile, nella musica, in tutto. mi sono divertita un po' meno di quando ascolto cose simili americane funk, jazz o soul

That was my favorite of the early live albums on this list. I don’t think the music is necessarily better but this is one of my favorite niches. I love older French music like Joe Dassin and the vibe of the album was perfect. I planned on giving it a respectable 4 stars but I really enjoyed all but one of the songs which I found a bit boring. Rating: 4.6

I could listen to Jacques Brel all day. I don’t know his work that well but I love the cabaret style and staccato yet expressive singing. There’s nobody like him. Even so, I doubt this is his best album so 4 stars

If I was 30 years older I might like this, but I'm not and I don't. 2 stars or D.

Very French. Not sure if all french singers were this dramatic, but boy does this guy take his performance seriously. It's really hard for me to judge the importance and influence of something like this, but I loved getting something different from the british and american albums.

Decent listen

All the delicacy of the instruments paired with the rambunctious vocals really did it for me. Would love to see the English translation of the lyrics too. Was someone playing a saw at one point?

Français en tabarnak (je sais, je sais; il est né belge). Points for the poetry, and that's about it.

Nope…

Never again

France in the '60's has that classic romantic sound, but that doesn't mean it makes for good listening. Doubly so when it's a terribly mixed live album. That said, he reminds me of a French Sinatra or Martin; a crooner.

Heel dramatisch maar het heeft wel wat ofzo

I had never heard of Jacques Brel before this and this album didn’t move me at all.

ehm?!

Ein grosser Chansonnier, sicher einfacher wenn man französisch kann.

LOVED IT!

French singing with piano and other instruments. Good voice but I disliked the crowd noise.

I'm sorry, I'm sure this is great but I can't take it in 😏

I enjoyed trying to apply my gcse French to this. Verdict : fail. But that's more of an indictment of the British school system than Jacques Brel.

Classic French sound. I don't speak French, so I have no idea what he is saying, but his voice is OK. The live recording is not great, compared to others from this era. It sounded tinny to my ear. Still fun to hear something that I had never heard before.

Very very French. Like I get it, it’s in French, it’s going to be French, but this was like cartoony level French. Besides that distracting part, I will say that this is one of the better sounding live albums I’ve listened to. Besides a couple tracks I doubt you’d even guess that it’s all live. Very dramatic at times that I could almost believe that this is a soundtrack of a musical. Not bad at all but definitely not for me unfortunately. I think my favorite track was “les vieux” but I will not be adding it to any of my playlists due to the audience noise that was discordantly loud at the beginning of the track.

Sorry, but i don't speak French

No idea why this is on here. May be very culturally important to the French but as I am not French or do I understand the language, it's a 1 from me

Merde

Honestly I didn’t have high hopes going into this one but I actually really enjoyed it. Loved the vocals throughout. I might be nitpicking but what’s probably gonna stop it from getting top marks is it’s a bit too short. I was proper into it and then before it even hit the half hour mark it was done. Top Track - Amaterdam

2 - No es mi estilo

Apparently a lot of the praise for this derives from the lyrics. But I'm not French, nor do I speak French, so I'm a bit buggered in that department. Therefore I can only rate the music rather than what he says, which I tend to favour anyway. I don't like his voice, the music is overly theatrical at some points and boring at others, I don't like how he's looking at me on the cover. Very generous 2, probably the most generous 2 I've given. It wasn't exactly unbearable to listen to, and I did enjoy the first song somewhat. It also is a quick listen, doesn't overstay it's welcome.

i enjoyed it but it never really peeled my ears back if that makes sense. easy listening to listen to while cooking.

First album i've rated thats entirely sung in a foreign language (French). This isn’t my usual genre, but I can appreciate its dramatic, theatrical nature and the passion in his singing. Even without understanding the lyrics, the emotion translated. I could still feel it. What I really appreciated was how uniquely immersive it felt hearing these songs performed live rather than in a studio. The crowd, the pacing, the atmosphere it all adds to the whole album. I could picture him on stage just from the audio all through out the album. Standouts for me: Amsterdam.

1. amzterdam - 1 2. vieuz - 1.5 3. tango - 1 4. plat - 2.5 5. timidez -1.5 6. cazino - 1 7. Repas - 1.5 8. Toros -1.5

I don't speak French

Love it

Love it, I would definitely be listening to it quite frequently. So I have not been really consistent and thoughtful about the revision of these albums. So from now on, I really want to give it thought to whatever it is I listen to. Also, the ranking for me works on the basis of how often I see myself listening to this album, if I even come back to it. Regarding this album, I like that it is in French, or I think it is, and I really like how French sounds in music. I also like the fact that it has a Frank Sinatra vibe.

I don't understand it and sometimes it a little too much emotion and over the top, but it is also French so...

What? Okay, it's not that I dislike it or that it's in a language that I can't understand. It's just that it's soooo wordy, lyrically important and the voice is especially what the music is focused on. As an English speaker this doesn't leave me with much than a bunch of passionate syllabls. And that gets old pretty fast. For foreign music like this to work for me there has to be a really great mood and backing music. This lacks this.

It’s very French and Live. I have no opinion on this. It is what it is. It exists completely in a musical purgatory. Not special, not horrible.

The only version I found on Spotify was the original 28 minute version so that's what I listened to. I'm sure I'd really enjoy it if I was into French operatic music.

No thank you!

Not sure what he’s singing about but he does it with so much enthusiasm that I can help but be partially entertained. 3/5

Yea this one was rough. Nice enough voice. Also under 30 minutes

I suppose I am not Gallic enough (at all) to like this all that much. Monsieur can belt it out, an no doubt to the 60s French heart these were stirring as hell--so, respect to you Jacques!--but too melodramatic for me.

Part of the problem here for me is lack of context (which I don’t have time to rectify), but I didn’t find this terribly compelling or interesting.

Good stuff. No idea what he is on about.

French bullshit

Kunnon ranskaosastoa hell yeah! 3/5

Erittäin väkevä laulumusiikkilevy. Brel antaa tunteiden värittää ääntään jopa särkymisen rajalle. 4/5

I am not exactly sure what Chanson is as a genre, but it is the sound that embodies Olympia 64 and is apparently seen as an essential release to hear before you die. According to Google, Chanson is a lyrically driven French genre using a wide variety of instruments to help convey the stories and words told by its' respective artists. I appreciate the 1001 Albums to Hear Before You Die list for including yet another piece of foreign music on the list, but how can I be expected to enjoy a lyrically driven album when I haven't the faintest clue how to speak French? It is almost setting itself up for failure with my ears and there isn't anything I can do to change that. With that being said the instrumentals also aren't very good at all either, and all in all I have nothing to say about this album. It is very in the middle of the road which is unfortunate because I'd like to have a more informed opinion but I just have nothing to offer...

French/Belgium crooner performing live? Not exactly a must listen to me.

Bro PLEASE clear your throat bro please

If you’ve ever wondered what it sounds like when a man wrestles with his own soul in front of a cheering crowd, this is it. Eight songs, 28 minutes, and enough emotional intensity to power a small French village. Brel doesn’t just sing—he attacks every lyric like it owes him money. The audience? Absolutely loving it. Me? Mostly wondering why my O Level French didn’t prepare me for this linguistic hurricane. I managed to spot “window” and “fish,” which I’m fairly sure weren’t central themes, but hey—small victories.

Jag föredrar hans bror Kjell Brel, ingenting på den här skivan är lika bra som hans "Under en filt i Madrid" Amsterdam har man ju hört i en mängd versioner, inte minst Scott Walkers och jag föredrar den. De långsammare låtarna funkar bättre än försöken till upptempo, det är ungefär vad jag har att säga. På cdversionen finns Mathilde med, den känner man också igen för den har Tom Waits gjort Svag 2a

Det låter lite som Leonard Cohen, lite som Sven-Bertil Taube. Fast på franska. Och förstås tidigare. Rätt trevligt att lyssna på en gång eller två. Men kommer kanske inte att göra det igen. Hade jag förstått franska hade jag måhända fått ut mer av det. Eller inte.

En rättvis bedömning hade nog krävt vissa kunskaper i det franska språket. Emellertid, Brel har en fin röst och arrangemangen förmedlar definitivt en viss stämning. Kanske skulle betyg varit högre, men jag går utgå från den information jag har.

Jag kan inte franska och då faller det mesta med den här inspelningen för. Varken rösten eller musiken är tillräckligt intressant för att stå på egna ben utan texten. Därmed blir det väldigt svårbedömt för mig.

Kind of sneaks up on you.

hon hon hon (im too racist to french people i stg im joking love yall rt)

You can’t make me finish this.

French.

Someone please go fetch me my escargot s'il te plaît

I don't know who this is for but I know it isn't me.

It was nice to get something that wasn't distinctly American or UK music though as non-French speaking American I couldn't understand any of the lyrics. I feel unqualified to speak to the significance of this. In my personal life I have connected more with Francoise Hardy and Edith Piaf which hopefully have some entries on this list.

Sounds like the French answer to Sinatra. Not bad at all, but not something I 'd listen to again. Probably worth a listen though.

it's a nothing burger album but it's in french so that gives it some points !!!

Honestly the album is quite easy to listen to and nice with it being French but there’s little sustenance in it. The album is live, but it is spiced which is a weird combination and results in there being no flow between the songs and no story. What’s annoying is the next song on autoplay by Brel was significantly better. Not bad but disappointing.

was only 28 minutes and still had to skip through it.

While I could only understand about 10% of it. The passion with which he sang garners it a solid 3.

I wish I knew French and it was solid all around

It's really hard to appreciate someone who supposedly has really solid lyrics when you don't speak the same language. That being said, it felt a bit spastic during most of the album. Also I'm not a huge live album guy as I've mentioned before. Also it's all in French so that's gonna cost it a star.

no clue what lyrics were about but he sounded like he had a lot of expression & feeling behind his lyrics.

Tres French, tres stars!

Felt I could only truly enjoy this album if I had my beret on whilst smoking a gauloises

Too French for my liking

Sure, why not

divota! gnusoća jezika (fr*ncuskoga) nimalo ne smeta, čak doprinosi nekoj žestini. teško nakon ovoga biti ravnodušan