Olympia 64

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.

Omg I looove this.

French. (2)

In one ear and out the other.

hes got a beautiful voice but major snore at times. I don't know if im just not in the place of my musical journey to appreciate this, but after one or two songs I was just like ok i get it. Its FINE.

Meh - could've died without listening. Not even knocking it because it's french - just not that great.

France does not have the right to exist

Overall, it sounds pretty good and very theatrical. I would have enjoyed it more if I understood the language, although the instrumentation seemed pretty good for a live album. Favourite Track(s): Les jardins du casino Least Favourite Track(s): Les vieux

Nice 👍

Une planche

Clearly a lyrical album, sung by a pleasant voice with excellent diction. But rather wasted on someone whose only language is English. My O’level French did have me concentrating hard on translating as much as I could. Fish eyes, dancing midget, heart of an old wife, veneered mountain. Ah Amsterdam I understood that bit. I can’t in all conscience give this a 1, but in reality it isn’t an album meant for my ears. Just going to bung it an average score and move on.

IDEK i think there is something lost in translation here. maybe serge gainsborg really liked him... cant tell if its opera influenced or a french frank sinatra wannabee.

Старая европейская эстрада во всей своей мощи.

That voice.

Sacrebleu! This album has a certain je ne sais quoi but I shan’t spin it again.

i mean wtf? i turned it off after 3 songs

10/10 for French learners

I wanted to like this - more because I'm a francophile and than anything else - but meh. Didn't hate it, didn't love it, didn't get the hype?

Jacques … use your inside voice dude

I’m probably not turning it on myself but VIVE JACQUES BREL!! Sounds like he spits a lot while singing…

I feel like there’s an insurmountable amount of context necessary for this to have any impact on me.

Not something I'd typically listen to but I appreciated it. His voice is super powerful and the instrumentation really emphasizes it.

The first half of this is great, very passionate singing. Wish I understood it though, I have heard he's one of the world's greatest songwriters. Second half was just ok Also side note, why does "Le plat pays" sound so familiar?

3.5

An interesting change of pace from the usual stuff served up. Ultimately though it was nice for a play through but won’t be revisiting.

this was probably a very pleasant evening if you had been there in person, but as a recording it's just fine. I'm always happy when some non-English music comes up, and i had never heard of Jacques Brel, but looking into him more, i definitely agree with his significance and inclusion, especially given his relative low profile within the English speaking world-- to me, getting more ears on artists like this should be the point of the book. unfortunately, I'm just lukewarm on the actual music

Listening to 60s emotional ballads in a language I do not understand is not really my ideal album listening experience

very french

Umm I guess this good?!? I don’t speak French so I don’t know what this guy is singing. I guess if French lounge music is your thing this album is for you. Correction I understood the word Amsterdam.

That’s my second non-English album. I like French singers but even more so if they are female. This record was not bad or anything but I did not enjoy it either. He did sing his ass off though. One star for the beautiful French, one star for his effort.

French

Sounded like a French crooner. It was okay, not really something I would like even if it was in English. 2.5/5 Probably won’t listen again

Not my thing but I can appreciate it....I guess. It's musical wallpaper to me.

This actually had catchy, harmonious rhythm. I was pleasantly surprised.

Una de las mejores demostraciones de chanson française. Jacques Brel lo da todo en su interpretación, a caballo entre un concierto convencional y una obra de teatro. La orquesta también es excelente, con esa pasión típica del tango. Aunque no me haya enterado de mucho, las letras también tienen fama de ser buenas y muy ingeniosas. Pero la voz y la pasión de Brel ya lo dicen todo por sí mismas. Más música del mundo y menos Britpop, por favor.

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.

I really like this. my french is rusty but I dig the beauty and theatricality of it

Starts great but after a while i lost a bit my interest...As I love the hits from Brel, I was a bit dissappointed, especially because this is a live album...and Brel is one of the all time great performers...An artist who leaves his heart en soul on stage...

Enjoyable French live album, you can tell he was/is loved. I will not rush back to relisten but I appreciated quality songs and quality arrangements. Album includes the track Amsterdam.

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.

Intense and powerful voice! I need to learn French 🥖

Ah, Papa Outai in the flesh. 2.5/5

did not like

Definitely not an album I would have ever listened to. I did listen to the album 3 times thru. The last time I listened while reading translations of the lyrics into English. Not an album I would listen to again. Not my style. One of the first things I thought of when I started listening to this was that there was so much art and changes going on in the world in the 60’s and this was definitely not part of the progression.

I always wonder how someone who was clearly not very talented was able to have a successful career in music. This album sounds like a guy just woke up one day, said “I’m making music now,” and did it early enough in history that no one had anything better to compare it to, so they just assumed it must be good.

magnifiqué !

Not my jam but interesting, can see how this influenced artists like Bowie and Leonard Cohen

Interesting but not for me. 1/5

Sounds very theatrical, I don't understand a word, but it feels like acts on a play. The orchestra sounds very clean and sharp, it has a really nice production. Unbelievable it was recorded live in 1964

As far as Chansons go, I'm not a huge Brel guy but solid stuff here. Maybe I'll get more into it another day.

Niiice.

This was fun. Felt like I was in a small cafe in Europe.

French Pop from the 60s is not at all what I expected to find on this list. Amsterdam is awesome, but the rest of the album can’t quite compare.

French chansons, very impassioned. 60s. Very minimalist, pretty pointless if you don’t understand the lyrics, very text focused.

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!

Does not transcend the language barrier.

It’s not my cup of tea but it wasn’t made for me.it has personality and melody which is more than I can say about a lot of albums I’ve heard on this list.

Why do all these French singers sound like they'd be pedophiles

this was nice, but i only really enjoyed it passively. i don't think it's the language barrier that puts me off, i've enjoyed other non-english music on this list just fine. maybe this just wasn't the most engaging music for me

So French, it had to be Belgian. Good fun

Je suis

It is not the album for me. The music style and French of it all is no bueno on my ears

Not my cup of tea

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

scott walker made his whole personality out of this? good enough for me

Chanson. Lyric driven French music. It's hard to judge this without understanding the nuances of the language, since he's known for his wit and turn-of-phrase and it's hard to appreciate explicitly lyric-driven music in a language you don't understand.

Yeah, this is exactly what I thought it was going to be. You imagine Jacques standing on a stage silhouetted by a spotlight, singing his heart out. That's exactly what I got, but there were a lot of songs where it sounded like he was up there playing around, even though I know that's not the case. I enjoyed two songs, but wouldn't recommend this to anyone.

It was very French.

Very interesting listen, almost feels incomplete without some sort of visual component, since the poetry being spoken seems to have some physical elements to it. Makes me with I understood French, because all I can say is that this was odd but intriguing. Top tracks: Amsterdam, Tango funèbre, Les timides

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

Typical 60s soft pop. Only really unique thing about it is the country of origin.

Listened through once, it’s pleasant though not sure I’d revisit

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.

Musica francesa dos anos 60. Irrelevante pra mim, apenas por questão histórica.

Historically, kinda cool. Would I choose to listen to it again, probably not.

It’s fine for background music in a French patisserie, but doesn’t do much more than that.

Super powerful vocal led songs. If you are in the mood, fantastic choice. If you are not, everything kinda sounds like the crescendo from My Way

Understandable French chansons

1/6

Perhaps it is good for what it is- but I can't stand what it is.

From my research, the most impressive moments of this album were best witnessed in person: clenched fists, hunched shoulders, wild eyes, gasps for air, and physically collapsing on stage. I imagine that fitting well with all the accordion.

The French circus has come to town! Now I have to find my earplugs and my earmuffs and then wrap my head in Saran Wrap. So insufferable.

I like a lot of non-English pop from the 60s...particularly from France, Italy, and Brazil. You can add this Belgian to the list.

Great singer, did not understand one word so unfortunately it gets a 2. Would be a 3 maybe 4 if I spoke French, thats on me.

Yawn soz

i am too tired and too About To Go To Work for me to rly give this record what its due even over the course of one cursory listen...IE actually look up a translation for the lyrics that are obviously central to the whole performance (and genre). that being said i still kinda loved listening to this LOL like the delivery is just far too vibrant to be ignored,,,not knowing what the words are doesnt stop me from having a variety of actual Reactions thruout that feel like they must be appropriate to the text. mostly humor....some lines are sung like the wittiest punchline in the world and that energy comes thru across language barriers. theres some energetic and moving moments too, and surprising deftness with the orchestrations. a v cool little slab of wax documenting what has to be one of the most memorable performers ive heard work in the medium of music

Brel certainly has an emotional delivery but there's also some humour. Can see the influence he had on Scott Walker

Scary nursey rhymes by Belgium man.

My o-level French can't keep up which is a shame because he sounds like he means it.

I assume it's witty, which is totally wasted if you don't speak the language properly. Is he the French Jake Thackeray, or is Jake Thackeray the English Jacques Brel? Anyway, I prefer Thackeray from a subjective point of view that I understand the lyrics.

Je n'ai pas compris un seul mot, mais j'ai adoré la passion et l'esprit français.

Beautiful, fun, I wish I knew what he was saying :/

I’d heard of Brel in so much as he was an influence on Bowie, Leonard Cohen and Scott Walker but had never actually listened to him. It was interesting and enjoyable, the French have this unique singing genre that I think you have to be French to truly appreciate but non the less I liked it.

It's pretty entertaining reading through the reviews of people who didn't bother to dedicate two measly minutes to educating themselves about Jacques Brel. How do you get through 1089 albums -- many of which you're not going to know ahead of time -- and make no attempt to learn anything along the way? If you're not trying to broaden your horizons, why are you even doing this? That said, this is the type of thing I'm here for. I was unaware of Jacques Brel and his influence, and after having spent some time reading his Wikipedia, I'm happy that I've learned something today.

I mean, you know… it’s a vibe. Practically a cliche, with the accordions and all. I do speak French well enough to get the gist of the lyrics, which helps me to appreciate this. He’s super well known in France, but in my opinion if a classic French singer was going to be included I would have voted for Charles Trenet. Also, I’m no Brel expert, but I’m willing to bet this is not his best album.

What a French crooner! The lyrics are lost on me, but the quality of his voice really is special. Would recommend this one to curious music types.

1/10 Wha

I liked this. Not sure if I would have liked it more or less if I knew the words. Strong voice.

7/10

Live album from a 60s era French crooner....not something anyone living needs to hear.

Wi wi

Can’t complain too much at 28 minutes

This was okay. Simpsons: No

Enjoyed this more than I expected. Not sure when I'd choose to listen to it again, but I'm going to be generous with my rating.

It's short so that is good, but I couldn't understand the majority of it and I'm still not a fan of live albums. If I wanted clapping distorting the music I would do it myself.

I can't tell if I'm lauging at this guy or with this guy but I kinda enjoyed it and he seemed fun. Listening to a guy who's known for his wit and not understanding the language is certainly a barrier but I had a good time with Jacques.

Probably worth it for Amsterdam alone.

Oui oui monsieur 4 ⭐️

Quelle horreur

Made me feel like I was in Paris. Paris is tops on my list of places I never want to visit, right behind Somalia and Libya.

It was fun for about 1.5 songs. I don’t know anything about this style of music but it seemed solid.

In terms of lyrics, I was lost as I sadly I don’t speak French (yet), but musically and emotionally pretty good although not really my type of music. I can imagine how he was important to French culture. However, it’s another live album. As I’ve said a thousand times, give me a compilation of studio recordings rather than lives. The applause and white noise after each song were very annoying. I had to skip to the next track as soon as it was done. For that I have to give it a 2, although I would give it a 3 generally, I imagine.

it was just French 👍🇫🇷🥖

Cómo me gusta la chanson francaise

Music is good but lyrics in French. Sorry I can’t speak French.

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

I don’t know what he is saying but what a performer!

I imagine 98% of the audience for this concert were smoking cigarettes while sipping drinks at a round table with two chairs. I bet Jacques Brel was even smoking between songs and the room was hazy with the air of smoke. I can almost smell it. I don't know what he's saying but I could have gone without the bizarre laughing on Track 3. I know this book needed to put older music in because there were notable artists prior to the Beatles.

great author and performer

Dude's passionate. I'll give him that. It's kinda cool. It's something I imagine playing on my parents giant record player/radio/tv console when I was a kid. I've really no need to listen to this again, though.

A live album where you can feel the intensity of the performer, and the love from the audience. It is clear Mr. Brel could do no wrong on this night.

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 ...

I'm sure I've heard plenty of references to Jacques Brel (though now I think about it, many of those references may have actually been to Bertolt Brecht, who is apparently not the same person...), and I've definitely heard an anglicised version of 'Amsterdam' before, so this is a nice opportunity to join the dots and get a fuller picture of the man. I can't help but feel I'm missing something by not understanding the lyrics, but the music and voice is so evocative that it paints a pretty vivid picture (of jaunty western European town squares, mainly) in my mind regardless . And anyway, the audience sound like they're absolutely loving it, so it must be alright.

Hard to rate because I don't even know what you would call this. I'm sure it's supposed to be good for what it is, but I didn't care for it and wouldn't ever listen to it again.

This doesn't particularly speak to me, but it's clearly influential and all that. I'm totally neutral on this one. And I don't know any French (although I generally ignore lyrics so that shouldn't matter).

Nice and short. Reminded me of Scott Walker - in fact, he covered "Amsterdam" (so did Bowie!)

Did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did! Ratatouille vibes I’d put this on while cooking to romanticize my life

Live album from a French singer in 1963. Boring

This is exactly the sort of cliche French music that people think of in stereotyped cartoons or films or whatever. It does have a cinematic feeling. Very Wes Anderson. Also kind of reminds me of Frank Sinatra at points too I dont have a huge amount to say really, I'll be getting much less out of this as I don't speak a word of French unfortunately. Still cool to see something that isn't in English on the list Highlights: Le Plat Pays

Interesting, and I enjoyed the music, but it’s a tough listen when you don’t speak the language. Also, it appears based on some research that this is clever lyrically - unfortunately, didn’t get to experience that.

Why is this on here? Forget the language barrier. Why is this here? What makes this worthy of being on a 1001 records you need to listen to before you die? First off... It's live: a compilation of songs. Not a cohesive album. It's not recorded well. The levels are all over the place and inconsistent. Robert Dimery is either a complete idiot. Doesn't know what makes an album great. Or is a pretentious twat. This album is on here to strictly test ones patience. When you stumble upon an album like this, on this list, it's painful to get through. Not because the music is bad. But because it makes absolutely no sense to be on here. It's not even a mediocre live recording. What is so great about this record to be on this list? There needs to be a disclaimer. Because listening to these types of records (one's that have no business being on a list like this) should not be a problem solving equation to figure out its purpose. One should be able to listen to it, language barrier aside, and understand its significance. This isn't just a review on this record. But records like this.

Okay dokey, French language show tunes today, not sure how to rate this😆, an indifferent ⭐⭐⭐ I think...

Wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did. Could grow on me with further listens. 3.5/4

"Olympia 1964" is the second live album by Belgian singer and actor Jacques Brel. The Wiki-listed genre is chanson which interpreted for this time frame is a style of French pop music which emerged in the 1950's and 1960's. Gérard Jouannest was the ensemble leader and François Rauber was the orchestra conductor. The album produced by Jean-Marie Guérin. Audience handclapping opens the album and "Amsterdam." Brel singing with a strong voice in French. A melancholic tone with a piano and what sounds like an accordion. A very emotional and theatrical performance by Brel as he sings about prostitutes hanging out in a neighborhood. "Les Jardins Du Casino" begins with horns, percussion and bells. It's very 30's/40's soundtrack sounding. Pace changes. A translation to the garden of the casino. The album end with Brel singing a cappella in "Le Plat Plays." An ode to his native Belgium. Strings accompany Brel. A thunderous applause at the end. Not my usual music style to listen to but this was fine. Brel has a strong, forceful and theatrical voice. The music had a soundtrack feel to it. The overall music tone ranged from romantic to theatrical to playful. Pace changes within songs kept things interesting. I can see why he was a popular singer in the 1950's through the 1970's.

One or two total classics, but not a brilliant album.

2.5, don't know French, but some nice cooking background music

Gee... a live album! in French!! C'est bon... non

Great listen. Romantic... I want to say.

Certainly a committed and convincing singer, though in a seriously old school style. One wishes one knew what he was singing about. (Note to editors: nobody cares that Scott Walker covered any of these songs.)

Like singing in French

De verdad quería que me gustara, pero hay algo en su canto que me disgusta. Eso y el hecho que no entiendo ni mierda lo que está diciendo. Usualmente no es problema con idiomas que no manejo, pero en este caso era necesario ya que al parecer es una de las gracias de Brel.

Couldn't understand a word except for Amsterdam. Found it to be pleasant regardless. 6/10.

Pleasant French songs

I mean, it seemed fine, but it's old timey french music, that I'm pretty sure relies on lyrics. So............not really a sell for me since I don't speak french!

List: no

Gear: Dunu SA6 Artwork: 📸🧑‍💼👂 Production: 😐🙂👌 Music: 🇧🇪🎤🧟 Rating: 🍟🍟(🍟)/5

live french (or italian) album from the 60's.

Not my thing.

Jaques Brel is the king of French chansons. His voice is amazing and this must have been some live show, amazing. This album was all a bit much of the same. He's getting some nostalgia points as really the album is only one star as his voice is not an excuse for a boring album.

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.

Surprisingly really nice to listen to. Very emotional, powerful performances that resonate across language barriers. Perhaps it would be 5 stars if I spoke French and understood the lyrics.

All French, all live, all highlighting Brel's voice and musicality

2/3

I am familiar with Brel from having seen Tom Robinson a number of times. He has a version of Les Bourgeois in English that goes down well. And he’s done other Brel tunes as well iirc. Obviously this gets that +1 for not being anglophone, but I’m not entirely sure it’s quite a five. Close - I really enjoyed this - but I don’t know how frequently I’ll listen to this.

I just relocated after living for 3 years living in a French-speaking territory. Listening to this gave me PTSD.

Look at that french looking mf. Might be a N/A. I'm reading this genre is lyric driven and I don't speak french. I do appreciate getting some foreign language albums though.

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

Definitely a fun listening experience. Genuinely, I thought Les Vieux was a fantastic song. Translating that line for line was eye opening compared to its happy sounding progression I wouldnt say that Chanson is my style, but its a really effective, story telling genre. Operas not too distant cousin 😆

I couldn't understand a single word this guy was saying. Was this Spanish or something?? Honestly if it's 2025 and you don't know how to speak English, you shouldn't be making music Ok ok on a serious note, I love the emotion JACQUES sings with. Guy lets it fucking rip. Le Plat Pays was a favorite. Overall a really nice listen. Never would have listened to this otherwise. Redeemed this week after a couple duds in a row. His Wikipedia says he was quite influential on other singers after him, which is some I factor into my scoring when I like an artist's music and I completely ignore if I don't like their music (fuck you Fela Kuti)

Feel like I just smoked a thousand cigarettes.

I did try. I did! But it isn't for me. I couldn't really find many positives either .. maybe it was a bit Gotan-y without a decent beat?

I had no expectations for this album and it was surprisingly enjoyable.

Why is this on here? Dude isn’t even singing, just talking.

Hmm... yes... not typically my thing, and I couldn't understand anything he was singing, but OK. Done and done!

Have to be in the mood for this

2.2 Just really really not my thing - no idea what he's saying - naff genre - 60s fidelity recording - overenthusiastic clapping At least with other 60s recordings on here I've thought that even if the quality is bad, you can tell it would have been class to be there. If I found myself transported to this gig right now I'd make a swift exit to the bar.

I dont know what he’s singing about, but I FELT it maan. This was really a breath of fresh air event amongst the 60s albums

pretty nice, unfortunately belgian

I quite enjoyed this, but I do have a soft spot for showtunes, and as a non-French speaker, this was quite musical theatre in feel and delivery. The audience is certainly into it.

4/5

This isn't for me. Chason has been long forgotten for a good reason, but... Brel still oozes cool. Supremely talented but too dated for me. 2/5

Overall: 3/10 You can hear the emotion and power in his voice, but this really is not my type of music. Fav Song: Amsterdam Least Fav Song:

Not what I'd usually listen to but actually somewhat enjoyable, starts off strong but in my mind fades off from there.

Incredibly French, but not unenjoyable. I liked the song “Les Vieux” the most and was surprised that ultimately i quite liked this album.

French parish crooner. He’s good for what he does. Not my thing. 2.5

Looked at the artist, year, and album cover and thought "ah, shit." Then I pulled it up and saw it was only 28 minutes and thought "I can do this." Listened to the first track and thought "ah, shit." I gave each track 10-30 seconds in the middle. This is in no way whatsoever my jam.

An unexpected, but eternal, joy of an album.

Interesting, but I don't understand french.

My French is pretty rusty, this album is super crusty. Non.

Jacques Brel is awesome. His style of Chason singing is energetic he almost sounds like he's hooting and hollering with his whole chest in every song, but he's also good at conveying softer emotions while still being a very distinct singer. If there's one thing I don't enjoy about this recording is simply that its so short and live, it makes the production kinda weird in some songs but beyond that, awesome little album

Completely fine, but also completely unremarkable. More interesting as a study of Jacques Brel the celebrity than Jacques Brel the musician. I have no strong feelings other than I'm reasonably convinced that I can find better recordings of Brel playing these songs on other albums. Why is this on the list?

LETS FUCKING GO ITS NOT DAD ROCK!! wait im a lyricshead and i dont speak any fucking french. shit. uh he said poisson i know that one. and amsterdam. this guy has a major cigarette voice ian was right. i find the like 7 minutes of clapping on every track of a live album really annoying almost all the time ngl (unless its somebody i like then its fine). yeah this is really not doing it for me even at all so much for my dreams of an actually lovable album. nothing actively awful i just cant get into this guy singing he sounds like hes in some movie musical on tango funèbre. sorry bro stromae can sing in french u r not stromae tho. have we had a single artist yet whos not a white european? (googles) oh right. AC/DC are white australians. my bad :/ le dernier repas is a little interesting! the 1st thing so far thats rlly grabbed me boring but i cant understand if hes saying anything misogynistic bc i dont speak french so itll be a 2 from me

I'm having to use my better judgment as a ballast against heaping praise on the relief of not listening to more dad rock. This has cool thoroughly written arrangements! Long, interesting melodic lines that interact in surprising ways with the accompaniment! I know chanson isn't going to be everybody's cup of tea, the theatricality of it still makes me leave my guard up, but this feels way closer to being representative of the creative explosions within 1960s pop than anything we've had on the list so far. You can see where this would be in conversation with pet sounds (even if it's not nearly as radical in its construction). I'm going to put on air of understanding anything about the history of chanson and "pop chanson" here and take a wild stab that Jacques Brel has more of a foot in the past of historical chanson and it's renaissance roots than Serge Gainsbourg and some of the versions of the genre big with hipster music majors nowadays. Even starting with Greensleeves, one of the oldest surviving melodies in the entire musical canon gives a sense of historical heft and context here. The starry-eyed version of me that has a cultural fascination with the 60s wants to see his impassioned bellowing as representative of some historical crossroads, a large ship of cultural tradition being forcefully turned toward modernity and musical globalisation. I think a more sober-minded analysis probably points toward this being only a few nudges to the left of Lawrence Welk music, old wine in new bottles not really interested in fresh looks at old arrangements and idioms but simply providing slightly more muscular and gritty conveyances of ideas we've already heard. My occasional disillusionment with a lack of originality here does not dim the many laudable and lovely elements of this album. Tracks like tango funébre have some insane playing from the background musicians, the musette on this track in particular is wild, the woodwind counterpoints are as clean as a whistle. On my favorite track on the album, le plat plays, a woozy chromatic chord progression softens gradually with a surprisingly affecting theremin solo until the gentle strings come in at the end to carry it home. It feels uncharacteristically fresh in its harmonic language from the rest of the album, this sounds like something off of moon pix at some points. And even brel's lone vocal trick of getting louder and raspier as the track goes on is reasonably well-restrained here. Even some of the immediately stupid-sounding tracks here like Les jardins du Casino sound like they'd be fun as shit to play in the pit orchestra for. There's no cheap extended instrumentation here, everything is written out in full with expected mid-century rigor, and against my more cynical nature it makes the whole album shine more than it has any right to. Despite the elements of real care and creativity that pop up here, I suspect I'll be less than gracious about Brel when I think back on this album. I think of other live albums from vocalists of this era: James Brown live at the Apollo, Sam Cooke live, even Tom Jones live at the talk of the town. Maybe those are preposterously large figures to compare brel to, but my mind can't help but picture how much assured and rich the vocal choices are compared to what's given here. It just doesn't match up to what this era could do. Make this an album of true originals, keep the aces orchestra, and find a more talented singer. Then you've got a five star album on your hands

While it was cool to hear the obvious influence the sound and song structures had on artists like Bowie and Leonard Cohen, the best thing I can say about the album is that it was short. It starts strong with Amsterdam, but that was also the peak for me with none of the other tracks quite grabbing me like that one did. Many of the songs felt very repetitive to the point that I was forced to hit the skip button once they got about 2 minutes in and nothing new was happening. I’m not much of a jazz guy and jazz player in a language I studied 20 years ago? It felt like a homework assignment all over again

First of all, thank fuck for an album that isn’t dad riffs. Sure it’s dad jazz, but I’ll take it over everything else we’ve been listening to. “Amsterdam” is worth the price of admission here, with such understated power arranged behind “Greensleeves”. It’s a stunning tune, with passion and swagger for days. It’s hard to dive too deep into some of the other songs as they can feel a little same-y; “Les vieux” and “Les plat pays” are both excellent but some of the songs at a little chintzy. Still, there’s no denying the power here. I give it a 3 rounding down from 3.5; if there were more standouts I’d go higher. Breath of fresh air from where we’ve been though.

was not able to find an english translation for any songs besides the first one (after looking for 30 seconds) which dulled my experience a little bit. the vocals are emotive & the clear focal point here; the way seemingly control the music is neat. the orchestral accompaniment has some neat moments (the theremin bro?) but ultimately takes a backseat. there's a few pleasant songs throughout the very short runtime but regardless of the sophistication level of the frenchman involved this kind of thing goes in one ear & out the other. if it was Tom Waits this would be a different story live show sounds like it would've been a blast though those french people were eating that shit up

Not sure I’m French enough to fully appreciate this, but it was certainly worth listening to.

This is a bit of a stretch, but go with me - I felt the same way about this as I did about Straight Outta Compton. Just like I am not young black man enough to appreciate the context and feeling behind SOC, I am nowhere near enough "elderly Frenchman smoking a Galoise outside a bistro at 11am" to appreciate Jacques Brel. He's clearly got a massive fan base, as the crunchy applause after every song attests, but it's undeniably not my thing. And this tiny, half hour, eight song snippet of the man was not enough to sway me on this. Thanks Jacques, but non merci.

Very jaunty! I can see the appeal. Reminds me of Edith

lmao 🤣

I couldn't get past the first song and a half

baguette escargot pain au chocolate

Old French songs combine two of my least favourite things

I know it sounds brutal but I really don’t get how this album is on this list. If you look at the wider picture, if this is on there. Then surely so should all 78 studio albums by Houmous & Chutney! 1.3

It is nothing to do with it being in a language I don't understand, but I didn't like the singing. Unless he is acting in a musical and this is the style then I gey it. If he is just a singer, then, it's a no from me.

7/10 Highlights: Amsterdam Plat Pays

Olympia 64 by Jacques Brel Listening to Olympia 64 made me realize just how much of Jacques Brel’s artistry lies in his emotive delivery. He sings with such raw passion that you can’t help but feel moved, even if you don’t understand the words. That said, I suspect that knowing French would elevate the experience significantly, as I’m sure the lyrics hold just as much weight as his performance. Even without grasping the full meaning, I found myself appreciating the energy and intensity of the music. It’s an album that hints at more depth than I can fully access, which left me both intrigued and a little detached. Standout Song: Amsterdam Score: 3/5

So stereotypically French it came full circle and I quite enjoyed it. Felt like I was sat in a Parisian restaurant

Not being a confident French speaker probably hurts my enjoyment of this. I knew Amsterdam through the Scott Walker version, but everything else is new to me, and it’s … it’s music, I guess. Didn’t hate it, didn’t enjoy it, never listening to it again.

In my view, there are some genres of non-English vocal music that can be enjoyed to the full without any comprehension of the lyrics. This album does not fall into that spectrum. I really enjoyed listening to it, but can't help feeling that to appreciate it fully, it's necessary to understand the lyrics. Unfortunately, my French is not up to the job, and, while it seems a little unfair, for that reason I will go four stars rather than five. In reality, though, it's my loss, and I know I would love this album even more if I knew enough French to understand the lyrics.

5/10 passionate. should be worth something but it isn't 12-27-2024

Surprisingly very good. Amsterdam is a level above the rest of the tracks though. I do know some French so not too much of a language barrier, may not have liked it as much if I couldn't understand any of it.

I liked this more than expected. I can appreciate Brel’s role in French pop, and it was overall a great listen.

Nice 60s soul, good lyrics and theatral vocal in french.

Much powerful. Will listen when I have an examination in 24 hours.

Jacques Brel, aka inventor of instant teleportation to Europe.

I feel like it is almost worth learning French just to see what has this guy so worked up. I wateched the video for Amsterdam and Jacques sure does pour his heart into it. This album is exactly the kind of thing that should be on this list, even live and in a language I don't (yet) know.

I'm sure this had some significance in 1964, especially to the French, but, at this time, to an American, I found no pleasure in listening to this recording. It isn't terrible music, so I'll give it a 2, but I didn't find it interesting, progressive, or something I feel has any lasting influence on me or most of the music I listen to.

Best while doing French stuff.

I assume that this has masterful lyricism in French. Otherwise, why?

French. French jazz? Idk. Its in french. I feel snooty

Not really a fan of this genre. Fine for once

Nice nice

A lovely voice and the whole record is great. I'm sure to sure a Brel fanatic this would be an iconic recording of a legendary performance but unfortunately I don't know enough about him. However I will delve further on account of this.

I really love Jacques Brel's music and this one was a pleasant listen as well. However, I miss some of the uptempo songs that Olympia 61 has. Also doesn't really have the hits I like from him on here and the runtime is very short. Nevertheless a beautiful album. If only my French was adequate enough to listen to the lyrics.

Overrated

Umm ok, influential I guess? Faves: Amsterdam, Les jardins du casino

Welp, I'd no doubt get a lot more out of this if my French didn't suck. Still an interesting listen, I guess, hearing where Scott Walker took some of his schtick from. I'm sure he's been influential on a whole bunch of other people I dig, too. Fave tracks - "Amsterdam" and "Au Suivant" - the latter of which is presumably the song that appears the most on this list, as there's three versions of it? Are there any other songs with that claim? 🤔

I don't like chanson when it's sung in English, so I definitely don't want to hear it in French. Love David Bowie's version of Amsterdam, but that's it for me - no more chanson.

enjoyable enough, but i think if i’m gonna go back to this i’ll seek out the full recording of this show.. this version is noticeably missing something highlights: amsterdam, le plat pays, la dernier repas (apr 23 2026)

vibe

Belgian guy singing (chansonging?) in French. Very dramatic, dramatically awful. One star for the longest 28 minutes of my life.

No thanks

interesting enough but just not something i really care to listen to

very much enjoyed this 3.5 stars but will give 4.

Classic sound, made me miss Paris a lot. :,) Favorite track: Le plat plays

Amsterdam

spoken word is great if you know the language if not then 2/5

Eh.

Big and intense, and also tender in a way. It's interesting for a while, but can't quite catch me since I don't speak more than a few words of french.

I'm sure I would enjoy this more if I knew French. Very passionate singing. Normally I don't like live albums but I don't mind this being live, great energy.

Mwah

I’m sorry this is not a must listen to album. There is so much better music from this era that this does not belong in this list

If you imaging a French crooner recording an album with stereotypical French music sounds (the accordion and piano) then you’re already on the money

Mi único otro acercamiento con la música francesa de este estilo es el trabajo de Serge Gainsbourg. Entendiendo de cierta forma la teatralidad y complejidad de las piezas francoparlantes, puedo admirar bastante el trabajo de este LP, el cual es un registro en vivo de Jacques Brel. Su imposición ante el micrófono muestran una seguridad envidiable, y van muy bien con el estilo de canciones que interpreta, las cuales son historias narradas. Personalmente, no lo disfruté tanto. Este estilo Kitsch estuvo bastante de moda en Latinoamérica, más aún para quienes somos vecinos de los argentinos y su tango (el cual encuentro mucho más interesante que su versión francesa). No sé cuál fue el impacto de este álbum en la música francesa, pero de cierta forma podría inferir que Brel tuvo un impacto similar en las corrientes más alternativas del indie noventero y dosmilero, como Pulp o Baxter Dury, que Gainsbourg. Tampoco sé si este disco deba estar en esta lista, pero esa discusión se la deja a cualquier francoparlante que quiera iluminarme.

I'm very happy that Jacques Brel existed. Sidestepping the rise of blues and rock n roll, he charted a completely different route through into popular music. And as much as I love a bit of blues and noisy guitar, how much richer were the 60s and 70s for having had someone like Jacques to keep alive the theatrical passion of the old cabarets. Because of him, we got artists like Bowie, able to combine the best of all worlds. I knew some cover versions and Brel-style songs given to us by Scott Walker, Bowie and Marc Almond, but had never made time for Brel himself. There's something so enjoyably despairing about French, delivered in a minor key and (often) 3/4 time. Moi, je l' aime.

Might have enjoyed it more if I were fluent

I wish I knew the language but that was a very enjoyable listen. Something about the pacing of the lyrics was just really outstanding. Unconventional voice that just seems to work for this as well. I see why he was so influential. 4/5

Nice live performance but the selection of songs isn't as interesting.

I love the cover of this album.

It was a pretty passionate performance, I’ll give Jacques credit for that. It’s a strong set with lots of character on display especially on Tango, that one got the crowd right riled up. He definitely lays it on pretty thick and it’s not for me but it’s evident he’s a great entertainer. 3 st.. Ahem, Trois etoile

Old french singer. This is a live version of the album. I listened to the whole album. Wasn't that bad, but I don't know what he was singing about.

I don't know wtf he was saying, but he MEANT EVERY WORD! This sounded so crazy.

I actually quite liked this. His singing is dynamic so it was an interesting listen.

could i write poetry to this? n

Perhaps if I had paid one lick of attention during Madame Grasso's French class in high school, I might have been profoundly moved by this album. The truth is, I skipped that class a lot, rendering these songs to jibberish. The music itself sounded to me like common French street music. I may throw a spare Franc into their open accordion case as a tip, but I'll likely never listen to this again.

Minus one for being a live album. Plus one for being short, so that cancels out. 2 stars because every song sounds the same. Fine for background music at a fancy restaurant, I guess.

Not my tempo

It was ok. I just couldn't get into it.

This is beautiful, this is the type of thing i was hoping to get out of this project

Not really my music

6/10 This hits a ceiling but hits it extremely well His voice and charisma are off the scale. Excellent delivery The music is simple and very very French Perhaps too simple, and it is just him belting out a few songs Best: Amsterdam

I thought this would be a more difficult listen as it was all in French, it had good energy and was upbeat throughout, although I wouldn't have it on again although glad I listened to it

Really enjoyable

for me to get into a foreign language album, it has to be something really special. and while this is pretty different, i just couldn’t get into it. having said that, the crowd seems REALLY into it.

Kinda dig it

Live french lounge-esque singing from the sixties. Meh.

At this point in the list (700-something) I welcome any and all variety that occasionally comes along. This seemed like it would be a nice listen, but is too randomly obnoxious to really enjoy.

Mediocre at best. The voice is OK, I guess, but the songs are bland and uninspired. The music is uncreative and overall it sounds like an amateur lounge singer at kareoke night.

I only speak a bit of French so there easily could have been something I missed here. The crowd seemed to enjoy it enough but if I have to listen to a French language album, give me something by Edith Piaf any day of the week

1.4 1x catch up 11/5/24 -- good voice just not something i'm interested in

French Scott Walker?

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

Foreign languages are hard to rate but I hated the music so that made it easy. 1.375

Wasn't for me. Glad it was short (<30 min).

Fine. Nothing remarkable.

Good French pop

It was pleasant to listen to in the bacground whilew working. I did not pay attention to any partovilar song (as in none stood out) but they were all equally pleasant. I would put this on t olisten to while doing something else, and would possibly buy the album if i came across it, but I would not seek it out

Another French album. This guy looks like the dude from Dragnet. Not Colonel Potter, the other one. I can only follow some bits and phrases of French, and the rest is by tone. That said, he carries emotions through his voice effectively, for whatever those French emotions are. A lot of contempt, I think. It passed the time on the morning commute pretty well until it ended. That's more Philadelphia's fault then Jacques, though. This being a live album, I was expecting the audience to express more. Maybe they're a more polite audience. Or they just have contempt for Jacques.

Thankfully a short album. I assume this is fine if you're into this sort of thing... I'm not.

It's very difficult to give a proper assessment of Jacques Brel with my very limited knowledge of French. Based on that, I'm giving this album 3 stars because it feels fair. That aside, I can appreciate the dynamics of the music, at times larger than life, and others gentle and soothing. There are certainly stories being told even if I don't know what they are. The influence on Scott Walker is very evident, even if he hadn't covered so many of Brel's songs. Francophone listeners, I hope you enjoy this one!

It's refreshing to listen to a non-English album - French chanson is always lovely, especially Jacques Brel who was a modern chanson singer in the mid 1960s, not more old-fashioned than before his era. It's a short and lovely album, a live album which sounds remarkably fresh, as fresh as a studio album. Great stuff.

Very unique, yet graceful voice… bof bof

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

It’s very French. I liked it more than I thought though. Dude has an interesting and powerful voice.

Twee old fashioned French. First track is Greensleeves for gods sake

Great voice, just not my taste in music.

Meh, not bad but I have no interest in listening again

C’est formidable

What a delight

Je m'appelle Laurence. J'aime la musique. Je voudrais des pomme de frites. Je jouer dans la piscine. With such a primary-school level grasp of French, it's perhaps no surprise that this album by Jacques Brel was mostly lost on me. Of all the non-English language recordings on the list, I've found this one has presented the most significant language barrier so far. This is such a moot, annoying criticism, because it's entirely on the listener for not speaking French well. What was Brel supposed to do: overdub a line-by-line translator, or learn a new language simply so lazy Brits could enjoy his music more? My issue is that the Brel songs I've heard are more notable for their lyrical detail, and less so for the music. Going by the English translation, the lyrics of "Les Vieux" are absolutely beautiful, and pure poetry: a haunting and devastating account of people growing old. "Amsterdam" is the same in its iconic gritty rendering of a seedy yet enticing town. The other songs across this album are probably just as powerful, but the trouble is I'd never know this from hearing them alone, and so can't factor that in to "Olympia '64" as a listening experience. The live setting on "Olympia '64" doesn't help, with intrusive crowd noise and a limited, flat production which probably doesn't serve the dramatic arrangements in the best way possible. Brel's vocal quality is very good, being passionate and theatrical throughout. I also must acknowledge that his influence in popular music looms large: tracks on this album alone have been covered most notably by Scott Walker (who released an entire album of Brel covers) and David Bowie ("Amsterdam"), Marc Almond, John Denver… the list goes on. But without further ado, I'm lazily slapping two stars on this album as a reminder to learn a new language and thus gain a greater appreciation of Brel's incredible lyrical gift.

A little tough to embrace a prime example of “chanson”, which according to Wikipedia are lyric driven songs, when you don’t speak the language. So for me, it was just listening to some decent music with a Frenchman ranting over it. I can't penalize the album just because I didn't understand the words.

Jacques Brel may be a very good and important chanson singer. If I remember correctly, I also like one or two of his songs. I think the track Amsterdam is one of them. However, I can't do much with the live version of the album. I have also realized that chansons are obviously not my preferred music genre. It joins the rap, country and hip hop genres that I have avoided. As I read in another comment, I can live very well without having heard this album. 1/5

3.8 - I did like the start of this, but then I felt like I really needed to understand the lyrics. Liked the voice though

Could barely understand a word this guy was saying. 2/5

Great voice

Twangs my heart strings for some reason.. I'm not French but it feels familiar.. 3 stars

French Bing Crosby.

Not particularly interesting, but not actively offensive, either.

"I yearn for Amsterdam, where killer robots hide in the canals🎶" I watch approvingly from under my berét, the grey curl of smoke from my Gitanes mingling with the surly waiter's insouciantly smoldering Galuoises, as I signal him over to bring me another Pernôd. The music brings back memories of ma chère douce Aurélie and a single tear trickles down my cheek. But no matter, who can mourn lost love while listening to such dramatic rolling of the r's! I call for another Côintrèaú and nibble on my bagûette and çamembért and larks' tongues. The song ends and the crowd roars its approval. I leap to my feet with the others and throw my petanqúe bôulès in the air. VIVE LA FRANCAIS! VIVE LA MUSIQUE! VIVE L'AMOUR!

ces chansons est comme qqch ma prof de français en annee 10 nous a forcé écouter et puis traduire. je n'ai pas apprécié les flashbacks, à bas les français !

The opening track (Amsterdam) is intense - it kind of has the chord progression of Greensleeves but with the addition of some seriously cool/dramatic singing and timpani-like drums punctuating it. About half of the remaining tracks follow the same lines, with the more upbeat, intense ones being the highlights. The ballads, on the other hand, are kind of lost on me - excluding the string parts, which are pretty good. "Le plat pays" is a track which would be a complete throwaway without the strings in the latter half (though honestly, it's still probably a throwaway regardless). As an aside, this musical style is exactly what comes to mind when someone says "French 60s music". The accordions probably don't help to break down the stereotype. I'm giving this a slightly higher rating than I would've initially, because as another reviewer pointed out, it's hard to judge this without understanding the nuances of the language, since Brel is known for his wit and turn-of-phrase. 3/5 Key tracks: Amsterdam, Les timides, Tango Funebre

Please. Gimmie a break.

7.5/10. I don't know why, but this album may just be the album that matched my expectations the best. I literally got chills because this album sounds EXACTLY like what I thought it would sound, from the vocals, to the instrumentation. Expectations aside, this is a solid album. The music is beautiful. :)

They were performed well but I didn’t like the songs.

Очень красивый и трогательный альбом на французском!

I prefer Super Mario 64. "Amsterdam" was jaw-dropping, but then he started baguetting all over the place and I completely lost him.

Enjoyed the first couple songs, but kinda lost my attention later on. But cool music to add into the mix and different than I am used to listening to.

Silly french jazz man. Ok-solid nothing stood out. 5/10