Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Wasn’t into it: amsterdam was ok.
2 So, going in with the expectation that I wasn’t going to enjoy this at all, the opening track Amsterdam turned out to be surprisingly enjoyable. Nothing mind-blowing - I just found it to be a cool song with an impassioned vocal performance… but man, that charm started running real thin real quick. I was about over it halfway through the second song and was completely over it when he started doing that weird, dramatic laugh/cry bullshit on the third song. So glad this thing didn’t go over the 30-minute mark. I can admit the guy’s voice is impressive, but I listen to music more for personality than technical proficiency, and this didn’t give me that - though, then again, I don’t speak French, so I don’t know what the hell he was singing about. Either way, it was a bit too operatic and French for my taste, though it did make me think of that one opera-themed Bugs Bunny short, so it has that going for it (Kill the wabbit, kill the wabbit). While not my thing, I guess David Bowie was a big fan, and anyone who’s alright with Bowie is alright in my book. I would strongly recommend anyone reading this to give Bowie’s cover of Amsterdam a listen - not that this should come as any kind of surprise for those familiar with the man, but it’s a really well done translation.
fdg
Having no context for this album, chanson, or Brel to begin with, there was a tough barrier of entry for me to get through here. I didn't quite understand why this was on the list. Normally, with foreign language albums, I can still get an idea for what it was the artist wanted to communicate through the music, even if I don't understand the lyrics( which, if I think about it, really isn't that different than a lot of English-speaking music). The problem here is that aside from Jacques' impassioned voice about what he was singing, we really get no indication of what the music is communicating without understanding the language. I dug into the Wiki a little bit, and discovered that Brel was known for his word play in lyrics, which makes sense given the less-than-stellar musical accompaniment throughout this record. I'm honestly stuck here with a rating, because I'm certain if I spoke French I'd be digging this one. But I don't. Maybe I should've payed more attention in Spanish.
Já þetta hreif mig ekki alveg nóg. Flottur gaur örugglega og á alveg flott lög eins og Ne Me Quitte Pas. Var að telja niður í lokin.
Scrapes a 2 because the guy seems charismatic
General culture
Beautiful singing and songs. Is this something to hear before I die? Probably not.
Neither liked it or disliked it. Seemed to be a perfectly reasonable crooner but it's not something that interested me.
No idea what that was all about since I don't speak a word of French
You can't doubt his passion. Did I enjoy it. Not so much
French
Beautiful voice and instrumentation. Never will listen to this again. Ever.
Vive la France!
pleasant but not particularly memorable
It was in another language, so I didn't understand what he was saying. Otherwise, decent 2.3
Why is this an album I must hear?
Meh.
He certainly has an exciting singing style, and I can hear where Scott Walker and Leonard Cohen got some inspiration, but it's a live album... And not only that, they recorded the crowd in the most abrasive and obnoxious way possible.
Well aware of his legendary status in France. Not bowled over by the "chanson", my lack of French probably not helping with that, but certainly a pleasant enough vocal. Will almost make you want to chain smoke Gitanes if you listen to it for long enough
French crooning. Sure, I guess.
Doesn't work for me - it's not interesting enough musically to get over not understanding French well enough to know what he's on about. One of the albums that probably does belong on the list - he seems to have influenced and inspired a lot of better music - but isn't particularly fun to listen to. 2/5.
Probably would have liked it more if I was French, oh well
Bah.
Not my thing. Not speaking French, all I hear is over-dramatic emoting, untethered to meaning. And sometimes Brel's presentation borders on the ridiculous (Les Bonbons or Tango Funebre). I will be interested to see if my mate Alan, who French fluent French, has a different opinion. The tunes aren't that great either. I mean, I really dig Edith Piaf, and there is nothing here that lights my fire like her greatest tunes.
Meh
Not only French..but live!!! Aghhhh
Not for me.
Not a fan.
It was definitely French!
None for me, merci.
Perfectly enjoyable, hard to judge
C'est agréable mais le principal obstacle est que je ne comprenais pas ce qui était chanté.
Un francés que canta ópera, tango, algo así. No da para esto. Tampoco es tan malo, pero no es lo mío. Para estudiar sirve.
Jeg var stoked, men ble skuffet
I didn't enjoy this at all but I'm not sure I'm the intended audience. I'll give benefit of the doubt and give 2 stars instead of 1. Maybe I missed some cool lyrics due to not knowing French
Fransk Singer/songwriter, live-optræden, tilstedeværende
Too French for me
None of the chansons I truly like were in this album. And there are plenty to pick from!
Je vais peut-être plus apprécié Brel dans une quarantaine d’années, mais d’ici là, non merci. Je suis sûr que Victor apprécierait par contre
yeah i dont speak french, i fucking hate the french but man their birds are alright
This is so ridiculously French it should come with a breton jumper and a beret. Drama and histrionics all the way, and though 28 minutes long an absolutely exhausting listen.
French
A French crooner? I'm giving this a generous two it's likely some nostalgia to what French radio was like circa 1964.
Overwrought nonsense. It's not awful but it's not in my purview at all
I feel like I lose an awful lot by not understanding the lyrics. Totally fine cabaret music, does not move me at all.
interesting album. I have no idea what he was saying, but damn if he didn't sell it.
It's French and old French at that. Hard for someone like me to get into. For me just a 2.5
Sounds very epic and catchy. But in French
Passés les frissons ressentis sur Amsterdam, Brel transitionne vers une succession de chansons sans intérêt. Le public ne s'y trompe pas et le siffle copieusement, réclamant qu'il leur chante un de ses classiques (Ne Me Quitte Pas était sortie en 59). Malgré cela, Brel s'entête et persiste dans son idée avec par exemple des chansons sur les timides dont les gens présents n'ont que foutre. Une soirée gâchée qui se terminera pas une sortie de scène sous les huées. Mérité.
He might be a legend, but I can't say I warmed to Olympia 64. The best thing was that it comes in at under 30 minutes. Really not interested
Ok, det var alligevel slet ikke mig, haha. Hyggelig baggrundsmusik, men jeg ville aldrig sætte det album på for musikkens skyld.
french
Not good. But I found it funny - in its French ridiculousness, so got at least some enjoyment from it.
I'm not a fan of live music, and calling this album "rock" is very misleading
One star of my own liking but adding a star because he’s French and who doesn’t like a swarthy French crooner?
Amsterdam was excellent, reminding me of old Eurovision songs from the 1950s. I think that is the problem for me, a modern 21st century listener. These are songs recorded in the 1960s when The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys, Elvis, Bob Dylan etc were around, yet this album lives purely in the very early 1950s - it was dated music even when it was recorded and the sound of the audience politely clapping between each track just adds to that sense of age. You can almost see an elderly audience sitting attentively in dinner jackets as Monsieur Brel sings his songs from a disappearing generation. One song worth listening to, apart from Amsterdam, is Le jardins du casino. It's a pretty terrible song if I'm honest and is written in the style of the book, Little House on the Prairie, in that it conjures up images of times long since past in a flat, descriptive way that leaves you imagining the gentlemen loafing around chatting and the fake duchesses surrounded by smoke in a casino with moustachioed musicians playing, but ultimately there is no real substance to it. It's worth listening to though because through that flat descriptive style it transports you back to a past long since dead.
Niet mijn ding Brel.
Old school style that I am completely unfamiliar with. Pleasant enough tunes that would be fun to listen to while cooking dinner or having a candle lit dinner in the city.
Half a star extra for 2 years of HS French helping me understand a few of the words. Half a star for this guy’s passionate singing. But how could this be listenable more than once every 10 years?
Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: not really, very nice strong vocals but it’s not a genre I’m in too invested in with English vocals Favourite song: didn’t have one
Nope. Not for me.
French popular music in the 50's and 60's had an interesting element of songwriting to it: a keen focus on the lyrical content made for a much more poetic delivery. It's particularly dramatic, and Europeans loved it. I thought it was okay.
As others have noted here, I wish I could get a better sense of what Brel is singing given his flair for wit - alas, I do not speak French. That being said, the instrumentals are way too low in the mix here (even for a live album), and the whole experience of being spoken to by a French man for 30 minutes is not a pleasant one.
Tjaaa, meget fransk - igen ikke lige min kop te, måske ville jeg bedre kunne lide det, hvis jeg kunne forstå teksterne?
French pop.....not for me....
That's really not my kind of music. And I don't understand French. Hard to evaluate.
Trop french, en verité
French Cohen is probably the best description for this
Pleasant distraction I can see why he’s a thing but not enough to make me revisit.
Way more accordion than I can get down with
If I had this on vinyl and I listened to it with a cigarette and a bottle of wine, I'm sure I would be giving this at least one additional star. Sober as I am, it felt like I was listening to French diction instruction on cassette, which is unfortunate as I think something more balanced would be far more enjoyable to listen to.
Yea I don't know it doesn't really do much for me. I'm assuming the big draw of the album, the first track, "Amsterdam" is what makes people put on the record. I'm guessing this because it has 11 million plays on Spotify, with the second most played on the album being "Le dernier repas" with only 846k. The track starts as like a national anthem, with a sort of clear borrowing of the most famous folk song of all time, "Greensleeves", and then it ends on this shouting "Amsterdam! Amsterdam!" motif. It kind of comes off to me as one of those sort of songs that describes someone's personal entity so they have no option but to like it? Like if someone wrote a song about a guy named Dan who wrote songs and was a nerd then how could I personally hate that? Maybe it's a rallying call type of song for Amsterdammers? The rest of the album didn't really do much for me either. Maybe there is some history behind the record that makes it important but I didn't find much when I was doing some internet sleuthing. I want to give it a 1/5 because I'm unsure if it should be on this list but I'm going 2 because I think there is some upside in that the singer's performance is very emotional and energetic.
Very weird eclectic mix sound lyrics and music. Not sure I'm a fan of the overall product but it was a short yet interesting listen.
It's live, It's french, it's apparently quite influential but aside from Amsterdam, even musically it kinda seems like a parody...maybe more of its time. But I did like Amsterdam.
He sings very well, though I don't know French, I can tell he's a talented singer. Not really my taste for music though
A fun listen, just for the voice and the showy feel of it. But it’s pretty simplistic and being another language makes me unlikely to return to it anytime soon.
I prefer his late 60s/70s folky stuff. Still refreshing to hear French music on this list.
The guy seems like a good singer and a good performer - but I really don't care for live performances of 60's chansons. If I read the lyrics and done my utmost best with the rusty French skills of my high school days I'd probably understand the themes and broad content of the songs. But I really don't care enough. And I think understanding the songs is sort of prerequisite to caring about them for this style of music.
Not my bag. If I'm going to listen to something in a language I don't understand, it better be good enough to transcend language barriers, and this doesn't clear that bar for me. I'd rather listen to "Ça Plane Pour Moi" by Plastic Bertrand, or "Soy Yo" by Bomba Estéreo, or "Zaharila" by El Michels Affair and Piya Malik.
Not for me
French male cabaret singer? Or... IDK. Apparently this guy is a big deal.
Mmm... to be honest....I don't really understand it....I don't mean French. Its just the nature of the vocal cabaret delivery. It puts me on edge in a bad way...If I was in Paris and it came out of a bar I would find a different bar. I'm sure it has cultural significance (it gets a lots of positive scores on here) but its lost on me so I can only give it a low mark as it is so unenjoyable. 1.75.
Didn't really enjoy this much. Not bad, just not my thing. 2 stars.
It's gunna be a no for me, dawg. I'm a lyrics first listener and I don't speak french. Jacques sounds convicted about what he's saying but I don't know what the hell it is, so for all I know he's going on about putting his dick in the middle of a baked brie. Can't enjoy what I can't understand. Quelle dommage!
Okay have no clue here… The album starts with the song Amsterdam, I don’t know french ( well not much anyway) but I does sound well made the way he gets angrier throughout works quite well here. Next is les vieux like Amsterdam it builds up quite a bit ( not as much though) it’s actually quite a creepy sounding song which is cool. Tango funebre isn’t as good as the last two I mean the instrumentation is alright but it gets dull after 3 minutes. Le plat plays is a slower song again contains this build up act it’s okay nothing much to say. Next we have les timides is a bit of a lullaby sounding song it’s alright. Les jardins du casino is pretty good to be fair it’s pretty much the only one that has more than it than slowly getting more aggressive. The instrumental work is very good here too. Le dernier repas is good the same kinda act one of the best examples of good instrumentation but other than that it’s not good. The set ends with le toros avec final it’s cool dramatic and serves as a fine ending. With this being such lyrically based music and for me to not know what any of it means this done a fine job. But I really don’t feel like I can push it past a 2 as I know I won’t touch the album again but I can see appeal for it.
I enjoyed the orchestra (more accordian and theremin, please!), but not much else. I can give Jacques credit for giving his all, his performance is clearly passionate, but I would not choose to listen to this again.
Meh. Not really into this kind of French pop.
This just doesn't work for me. The fact that it is in French doesn't help.
I cannot tell you why this was here. I did not enjoy it. Maybe the lyrics were amazing so for benefit of the doubt it gets a 2
I hear this one more as a historical document of a different time and place. Interesting, but as a non-French speaker, I can't really get everything out of the work as there is to get.
According to Wikpiedia, Jacques Brel is the 3rd best selling Belgian music artist. Technotronic are languishing back in 8th place. Yes, I know Bowie, Scott Walker et al, but it's all a bit showtunes
So this is not my usual style of music to start with. Then it's in a language that I don't understand. Parts of it are really pretty, and I found myself engaged at times. But other times I was sort of checking to see how many more songs there were before it was over.
In French so no comments on lyics; enjoyed instrumentals quite a bit; overflowing with emotion; didn’t like a lot of the vocal choices
This is all a bit twee and silly for me. That’s probably my uncouth ear and not the music, but I can’t help that… sorry!
He's got a good voice but none of the arrangements are anything special.
It was French Jazz. Hmm no idea what was going on.
uhh .. i mean i didn’t despise it but i also just didn’t enjoy. there’s not much to say other than like it was in a different language so yeah but i thought it was kinda cool but eh
A little too dramatic for me.
Primarily this dude signing in French, I mean its not bad, this guy can clearly sing, but not my thing I am looking for. Think I would have liked it a lot more if the instruments were more prominent.
Interesting. Never heard of the singer or the genre before. It was fine, but I feel like I miss some of the importance considering I do not speak French.
Not an especially great live performance and not especially interesting songs. Not sure why we all have to hear this. Very short though.
Ook leuk om een keer te horen, maar zal dit niet snel nog eens draaien
Really not my cup of tea, Chanson.
Everything I've read indicates that this guy is really clever, but that it only comes across if you understand all of the nuances of French. I hope that's the case, because I don't know why you would listen otherwise. Extra star for benefit of the doubt. Best track: Amsterdam
I liked this inspite of myself. I'll never listen again but it was fun while it lasted
Cool, but nothing special
Scott Walker loved this guy. Unfortunately I'm not really a big fan of Scott Walker and I don't speak French. It sounds like a stereotype - or did the stereotype come from this? Best Tracks: Amsterdam, Les toros, Mathilde
It was interesting, but it just sounded very repetitive and boring. Not my thing I guess.
Nice and short, which actually isn't a great thing to say about an album, is it? You should want to listen to more of it when you're done. Unfortunately, Olympia 64 is just mediocre. Brel's voice is nothing to really write home about, and the music just doesn't pop.
I get the cultural significance this probably holds for some folks but I just was not feeling this. Some of the music compositions were alright, but nothing that struck a chord in me personally. Dude has a good voice, and is talented, but this shit just isn’t for me.
i havent gotten an old album in a while, nice. just 8 tracks, 28 mins, lovely. tbh im expecting something like frank sinatra from the album art haha. spotify linked me to a live album which is a little bit annoying but okay. im not liking this music at alll. le dernier repas is the only song i tolerated, other than that i actively disliked everything.
Goofy French live album is a tough follow up to Sgt Pepper. Damn you random generator.
3
Belgian music
Investigué un poco sobre Jaques Brel, y parece ser algo así como un Julio Iglesias belga, pero me llamó la atención que la página de Wikikpedia no dijera casi nada de este disco. ¿Cómo es que entonces terminó en esta lista de 1001 álbumes que debemos escuchar antes de morir? Al parecer la forma de componer de Jaques Brel influenció e inspiró a muchos otros músicos, como David Bowie, así que probablemente escucharemos covers de algunas de estas canciones. El único problema es que difícilmente me daré cuenta. Musicalmente no tiene nada de malo, pero la música en francés no es mi hit y lo único que me llamó la atención fue escuchar tango en francés (de hecho puede que el tango quede mucho mejor en francés que en español). Fuera de eso, se me hizo un disco muy aburrido
Not for me thanks
Extremely french. 2.5
French slow music not really my thing.
Not my favorite, a little meandering.
Wasn't quite in the mood for this, its not BAD but it definitely requires you to be in a foreign mood to vibe with.
2/5. Soothing voice but I don't know what he's singing about.
eh, french...not annees folles :(
"jee"
I can hear the passion but that’s about it
Ihan hauska ranskalaisfiilistely. Mies tulkitsee
1964 Francesa, en vivo Julio Iglesias pero francés? Creo que no me gusta nada la música francesa "tradicional", al menos la de esta época
Jacques mate, maybe take a valium and have a sit down? Warning: Melodrama and schmooze may cause testicles to retract
This got really old fast. I just couldn't connect to this at all. I definitely would not be returning to this. It was just a man singing and a piano and it got boring. Actual Rating...1.5 Liked Songs: "Les Vieux" , "Les timides" , "Le dernier repas"
I don’t care for live albums and generally don’t like foreign albums either if they are heavily dependent on lyrics over music. I didn’t think the sound quality of the recording was very good either.
Tres mal
Le Pants.
Not for me.
I have never heard of Jacques Brel. I noticed this is live and it's in French but it's only 28 minutes long - so at least it will go by quickly. Even though it's in French I did recognize the word Amsterdam in the first song. But have no idea what that song is about but I'm gonna guess it has something to do with the famous city. I gave this a chance and actually listened to it 2 times in a row. But I don't want to listen to this again. I've had other foreign language artists where I actually liked a number of the songs - but this just isn't for me. Reminds me of something like The Lawrence Welk show type music (not good) but in French. Or even like that song that Madeline Kahn sings in Blazing Saddles where she sings in an over the top German accent - which is intended to be funny/goofy. The foreign language albums that I did like at least had compelling music. People did clap the end of the songs and sometimes fairly uproariously - so I guess people were so much easier to entertain back in the day. Perhaps if I understood French maybe I'd appreciate the lyrics. The whole time listening to this I thought I was on Punk'd or Candid Camera where someone was gonna come up laughing and saying "we can't believe you actually listened to that all the way through you dumbass". In short - this is not good - or at least to my ears. I'm pretty sure I didn't need to hear this before I die. Liked songs on Spotify: 0/8 Rating: 1/5 (should be zero)
I do not speak French. Based on the music alone, I would not like this in English either. These are two separate and equally valid reasons for a 1 star rating, deployed simultaneously and without apology. I've heard that Jacques Brel is genuinely considered one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century. Scott Walker, David Bowie, and Nina Simone all said so. I believe them completely and am giving this 1 star anyway, which is the most honest sentence in these reviews. 1 out of 5.
Nicht mein Genre!
1.5
Terrible. Fr*nch “people” disgust me.
oh god
Not my stuff.
Crap
Almost complete garbage.
Amsterdam was cool, just wish I knew what he was saying.
I don't think I've ever heard anything more French in my life. Last track was decent, the rest I've forgotten already
Merde
I couldn't wait till this was over. I could barely take 20 minutes of this, ,much less 28. 0.5/5
Bro it's french
Shite
Absolute shite. Why is this an album I MUST LISTEN TO BEFORE I DIE? Why why why why?????
Well, it's not for me; the first two songs were enough—I didn't listen to the whole thing.
That brass intro with applause is so of the 60s and 70s, it positively transports you to Bruce Forsythe at the Palladium, pencil microphones, ruffed shirts and velvet suits. As for Brel he certainly sings with gusto, the first thing to come across rather than the melodies themselves. 'Amsterdam' reveals the modus operandi; based on the theatrical and the drama plays out like a Gallic marital domestic - Brel simply raising the voice louder and louder. In general the chanson cabaret style gets on my tits. It doesn't help that half the fun must be in the storytelling et je parle un peu Français. I can give it credit for likely having the feckless French audience in the palm of his hand (but then they find Monsieur Hulot entertaining). 'Le plat pays' ('The Saucer Gets It') is probably the most tolerable just because it is laid back, with arpeggioed guitar - a sadness that reminded me a lot of Leonard Cohen. It's ruined pretty quickly by 'Les timides' ('Shy Les'), which is back to Gilbert and Sullivan melodramatic storytelling. My open mind was quickly shut by a tango with accordion. No good can come of it. Insufferable.
Quite relaxing for my goy hands but I'm not french
tooa dvanced for me
Not into this one
Instrumental was really simple and lackluster and singing wasn’t that good.
Sacre bleu! C'est merde!
The best part is it was only 28 minutes.
Шансон тіпа є, а де Блек-металл?
This sucks ass, and it's Fr*nch. 0.5 stars.
Rare world album that I hate.
Apart from the out of tune piano, it being a live album and the tuneless way he sings it was shit.
Sounds like he is talented, could not get through it however, especially live.
I didn’t like this at all, but the crowd loved it, lol!
Did not enjoy this at all
incrivelmente entediante. 1/5.
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
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?
Sounds good but not my thing. Wouldn't mind it playing in the background at a cafe
1.5. Best part is the length
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
fuck the French
Nagyon rossz volt, nem bírtam végighallgatni
Mope
I wouldn't have liked this even if it was in a language I could understand.
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 think this must get lost in translation.
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.
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.
Just when you think it can't get any worse.
Just no,
Old, French
To France for me
Just not my thing.
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’.
For posh people who don’t like music but think they do
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.
Nope…
Never again
I had never heard of Jacques Brel before this and this album didn’t move me at all.
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
I don't speak French
No thank you!
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...
was only 28 minutes and still had to skip through it.
I wonder if there is a way to get this app to skip all the French shit.
I did not use a private session for Spotify on this one. A French Balladeer from the sixties. This is music I didn't know I needed as I was correct.
La grenouille mange le pamplemousse! Seriously tho, not my bag. Dunno why it's here.
I refuse to listen to the French if there isn’t enough snooty guffawing and accordions.
What a waste of time
Impressive voice, not for me
No va
Not my vibe
Nope.
literally and figuratively do not understand this. not a fan of this singing style
Horrible. annoying.
I had never heard of Jacques Brel. I’m not sure why he would make this list.
live albums are rarely good and this isn't an exception. i bet this slaps in belgium tho
Amsterdam
It bored me. The kind of singing is too theatrical.
Por efeito, foi um ótimo lembrete do quão sortudo eu verdadeiramente sou de falar português, e do quão maravilhosa a língua portuguesa é quando se trata de trovar canções. O Francês é um idioma bonito, pelo menos eu acho, mas ele não chega nem perto de ser tão melífluo quanto o Português para o propósito específico do canto. Eu queria que essa lista fugisse mais do anglo-centrismo tão comum na cultura popular, e que apresentasse mais álbuns de outros idiomas. Dessa maneira, eu amaria dar uma nota bem alta pra este disco só por sua linguagem… Mas não dá. O álbum simplesmente não me pegou, não me fez efeito nenhum. São canções que obviamente possuem um foco no seu conteúdo lírico, mas eu não o entendo. Não pense que eu tenho algum viés negativo com bandas não anglicanas. Não tenho! De fato, eu até mesmo busco traduzir as letras e tento cantá-las quando gosto muito de uma música ou de uma banda de outro país. Um exemplo claro é a banda soviética Kino. Adoro eles e eu busco sempre entender e cantar suas letras russas. Mas o som de Jacques Brel não me deu esse impulso em momento algum. Mesmo se fosse em Inglês, ou até mesmo em Português, o disco não teria me agradado. Ele não é o tipo de vocalista que me agrada, e suas canções mais se assemelham a peças de teatro musicais do que música popular. 1.5/5
Uh, English please. WTF would this site think I want to hear this?
Like the worst acting from the 1920’s - 1950’s, but its music so it only assails one sense.
Maybe it's the language barrier, but I don't hear much "musicality" in Brel's voice. It sounds poetic, sure, maybe even appealing, but not particularly melodic. I mean, I love Bowie, but I can take it leave his version of Amsterdam - it just seems a bit "quaint" to me. This album strikes me as a lot of very wordy stuff (in a language I only partially follow) and it seems that is where the appeal lies, rather than in the musical inventiveness. Sorry, this just doesn't do much for me.
This album is a bit like oysters. If you can put up with it you'd probably fuck anything.
Livealbum, men som Scott Walker-fan sette eg egentlig pris på Jacques Brel
God I hate live albums.
O álbum não me pegou muito, apenas. Os vocais são bons, mas o conjunto em si não me satisfez tanto
Just a French taunter. He could well be singing “I’ll fart in your general direction! Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberry. You English pig dogs” Never forgiven us for destroying the French fleet in 1940. 1/5 3/8/25
Lots of emotions in his voice.
Overly dramatic and stagey delivery, not to my liking. Not very interesting.
Just too dull for me
Bad
Not very good at singing plus he's saying absolute nonsense. (1.5*)
Had to speed listen to this one; even at 30 seconds per track, that’s five minutes of my life. I’ll never get back. There really should be a way to rate zero.Any more albums like this and I’ll ask to get my money refunded.
Je n'ai apprécié aucun des morceaux
This is only good if you’re French and then only for nostalgia. Nothing interesting or different
Yeah not that exciting.
You Tube Music link didn’t work
Another Tower Records bargain bin find. This isn’t really a 1001 album that you should hear. Feels like a Tom Waits situation. The songs are probably better when someone else covers them. Also less accordion please and thank you.
Nah
Its in french and very generic of music of the time why the hell is this here?
i mean wtf? i turned it off after 3 songs
Listening to 60s emotional ballads in a language I do not understand is not really my ideal album listening experience
did not like
Interesting but not for me. 1/5
Does not transcend the language barrier.
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
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.
1/6
Perhaps it is good for what it is- but I can't stand what it is.
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.
1/10 Wha
Live album from a 60s era French crooner....not something anyone living needs to hear.
Quelle horreur
Live album from a French singer in 1963. Boring
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.
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!
Not my thing.
Why is this on here? Dude isn’t even singing, just talking.
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.
My French is pretty rusty, this album is super crusty. Non.
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
I couldn't get past the first song and a half
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.
I assume that this has masterful lyricism in French. Otherwise, why?
Belgian guy singing (chansonging?) in French. Very dramatic, dramatically awful. One star for the longest 28 minutes of my life.
No thanks
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
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.
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.
1.4 1x catch up 11/5/24 -- good voice just not something i'm interested in
Foreign languages are hard to rate but I hated the music so that made it easy. 1.375
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
Please. Gimmie a break.
No. Not for me.
Wish I knew what was being said
The French are my near neighbours. I can watch a ferry leave for Dieppe three times a day from the window of my lounge. Heading due south, there is precisely one address between myself and France. On clear, calm summer's days, occasionally the French TV signal will overwhelm mine. Nonetheless, this here by Jacques Brel is precisely why we did a Brexit.
Not my thing
Album was in French and sounded very dated. It was live in the singer sounded very commanding. Aside from that I couldn’t finish this out. 1.5/5.
This one was not of any interest to me. I'm more of an Air fan.
french
Enough live albums - this is like listening to a musical which I cannot understand at all because it is in French. Why do I have to listen to this before I die?
c'est terrible
I've been duped! The album is Olympia 1964! Unless I'm listening to an album that is 19 centuries out of date. "Cest fini Miss Molly" isn't the literal translation, but it's interesting. But, as with all my reviews, if you need to add extra noise at the beginning and end of a song, and sometimes in the middle, then the album is a one star.
What. Why? Just why is this on the list? I'm so glad rock and roll came around or else this would have been the height of entertainment. I can't believe this was recorded live and people paid to see it. ACCORDION MUSIC?! Necessary to listen to before you die? COME ON
This is the best French music ever made
It sounds like any french song from that era. I hate french music. Never got into it.
No
This guys sounds like the inspiration for pepe le pew. I had no idea what was going on. At least Spanish music has good instrumentals. 1.0/10
Fav: Le Plat Pays Least Fav: Les Timides
Que diable
did not listen to whole album, wtf was this??
What are we doing here? What album did this knock out? Whos man is this?
Made it through..
Ew it's French
Couldn’t understand. LOL
Nah. This was lame.
I guess not everything French is worth exporting
Couldn't get through it. Maybe some other ti,e. He's a good enough singer, and I'm sure this is a good example of the genre. I couldn't do it. Grateful for having a streaming subscription so I don't have to buy or try to borrow stuff like this.
Olympia 64 offers a glimpse into the world of chanson, a genre that has deeply influenced artists like Scott Walker and The Divine Comedy. However, despite my love for the latter, I found connecting with Brel's voice and lyrics to be a challenge. Brel's distinctive voice and emotive delivery are central to the chanson tradition. As I struggled to understand his lyrics, sadly, I felt disconnected. For those who appreciate chanson and can connect with Brel's lyrics and unique style, Olympia 64 is undoubtedly a valuable addition to their collection. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 0 STAND OUT TRACK - None
Good singer bur bad concert recording. Will not listen again
This one's not my cup of tea.
Zut Alors 28 minutes of my life gone in a swirl of gitane smoke and badly recorded crooneur nonsense. I'm sure this is fun if you get the words, but if it was an English guy with this level of histrionics and that musical backing it would be absolutely awful and nowhere near this list
Live album
not bad but its live and if I had tried to go to the concert i probably would've waited in a line outside.