Reviews (page 7 of 7)
eh, french...not annees folles :(
"jee"
I can hear the passion but that’s about it
Ihan hauska ranskalaisfiilistely. Mies tulkitsee
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
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.
Quite relaxing for my goy hands but I'm not french
tooa dvanced for me
Not into this one
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..
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.
Didn’t understand a word!
Please stop
Overly romantic sop. I can barely take Gainsbourg. This, not at all.
This album is pretty bad before you consider the fact that it's French, making it even worse. 0/10
Oui oui 🇫🇷🥖📯
Non merci
Crooning in french to the accordion. Not for me.
I won't do it
I found absolutely nothing to like about this record. How anyone could enjoy it is beyond me. But, vive la difference.
nah.
Oof. That was a difficult listen. Just couldn't get into this one.
What in the French hell
The French Frank Sinatra I guess? I few too many selections from the HMV “World Music” section for my liking
Did I really just spend 30 minutes listening to some French dude singing to an accordion? A little more entertaining than the previous album, but I did start thinking about Margaret on the Guillotine pretty early into this album. Maybe if I understood French, but then again, I understand English and it didn't help with Viva Hate. Sounded like the audience had a great time. I did not. Will not revisit. 1
This will be a tough one for non-French speaking people. I will say Brel sings with passion but the culturally this one is just too difficult to get into. Considering this was released in 1964, it seems culture and music has already past it by then 3.4/10
I didn’t like his voice, or the music. Live albums shouldn’t be on this list. At least it was short.
Måske bedre hvis man kan fransk
Serviu para me lembrar do meu desgosto carregado de preconceito do francês.
Nope. I think the rulebreaker is English unless I feel a lot of emotion.
Wasn't my thing.
I think the combo of French, big band and live audience is too much to process. Not something I would ever pick
I wasn't able to listen to all of it. I just don't like it. It's not because I don't understand the language (don't think I would have liked it more in English). I just don't like this type of music
Nope, not for me.
Not my tempo
Listened Before? N No. I'm good. I did not need to hear a guy sing in French with accordion backing from the 60s. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Amsterdam
Yet another troll addition to the list. This is not good.
Don't listen to foreign songs. Started and skipped the rest.
for those over the pond this is what the eurovision song contest used to sound like in the 60s.
Nah
Could have very happily dropped dead without hearing this Kronenberg advert dross.
Not my cup of tea. Just didn't connect with this one. 1/5
I wanted some more diversity on the list, so it looks like I should be happy, but this is not what I had in mind. Can't enjoy it since my French is limited to voulez vous coucher avec moi
The constant and droning applause does you no favors when you're high
The 60s brought us so many great sounding records and this is not one of them. I do not speak French so all I can really appreciate is the instrumentation and his vocal performance and both are weird in a bad way at parts and lackluster in other parts. Like what the hell is he doing on "Tango funebre". That does not sound good and the same goes with "Le plat pays". I read that this genre, Chanson, is lyric-driven so I might just not be getting the full picture but he is singing so harshly and not in a good way. It sounds like an American doing an offensively bad French accent with all the classic tropes played up to the maximum. It kinda sounds like it is the source of French stereotypes, like if you told me that people started believing French people were snooty/rude solely because of this record I would believe you 100%. It feels manufactured and sort of feels like it lacks any soul or passion that an artists typically has when making art. He sounds like he is constantly straining to sing these notes like he is forcing it. I did like "Amsterdam" and thought "Les jardins du casino" and "Les Toros Avec Final" were a fine songs but I would never come back to anything else on the album. 3.5/10 but I definitely am not getting the full picture as a non French speaker.
It's French. Need I say more?
eww,i hate this
I’m pretty tolerant of most albums and will endeavour to listen to the whole album, regardless of what I think. This was so torturous that I only got half way before deciding it wasn’t going to improve and it did hurt my ears ! What is it doing on this list ??? 1*
Again, maybe I’m jaded that there is no Rammstein, but why must listen to this. Why is this album on the list!? I have no idea.
Lolz no thank you
So… evidently this guy is very influential and people love him. It feels like Tom Waits on a bender in France. Not for me.
I just don't have the context I would need to enjoy this. The accordion bits were nice, but this guy's voice doesn't do it for me and I don't know French. To me, very bad unfun not good times.
You can sing in french, but it won't make it any better.
It's a joke right? Come on. I HAVE to listen to THIS before I die? Tedious. I kept waiting for a punchline that never arrived.
no.
This isn't it
Thanks but no thanks. 1/5
No.
Definitely not for me
Æj ég veit ekki, alltilagi ad láta þetta renna í gegn. Ekki mjög eftirminnilegt.
Get ekki
2 1/2
The man can sing but yeah not my thing.
im sorry dude it sounds like french mickey mouse
I could have died without listening to this.
Not really heavy metal like I asked...
Nooit wat mee gekund, vandaag ook niet.
This just didn't do it for me.
Not going to lie skipped right through this - just totally not for me on many many levels - I don’t need a french crooner, nevermind a live album of one
Not really sure why this album is on the list, as I don't feel I particularly needed to hear it before I die. I found the songs quite uninteresting and unoriginal. Simple songs, with simple and predictable melodies. My French is mediocre at best, so can't really comment on the lyrics. I won't be coming back to Jacques.
Struggled through not knowing what they said. It's over atleast.
All french but kinda lit
Hell of a voice. Simply not my thing.
Call that singing!? I can’t understand a word he’s saying. Lol jk! (Gotta love Spanish) also listen out for the horse half way through les Bon Bons
Well I gave it a go but its just not for me I'm afraid!
Maybe I was listening in the wrong context, but I found his singing voice grating. It could have been groundbreaking at the time, but for me it blurred into the background a bit until he started shouting occasionally
French tings
whatever lol
This wound me up big time
It's just not for me.
Utter drivel.
Not u