Olympia 64

Zut alors.

Didn't really enjoy this much. Not bad, just not my thing. 2 stars.

Great Jacques Brel live album of course, these chansons are obviously all of 5-star quality, and their live versions are often better than the studio ones.. But not sure if live albums should be included in this list, even though some are quite legendary and some of them have several tracks that do not appear on any studio album. Tough choice, as Olympia 64 satisfies both criteria.. so 4 stars then in the end.

Chansons, sung with great enthusiasm. Le Plat Pays is still a classic, of course. Not the kind of music I regularly listen to, but it was a nice change.

My album #301, and it's a lovely one. Several of Brel's chansons are of course classics. His performance is compelling, the band does a good job too. I don't understand most of the French lyrics but the language sounds nice. (Brel also recorded some of his songs in Dutch but I prefer the French. Noteworthy by the way is a recording of Brel's work in Frisian by Douwe Heeringa in a 'lighter' style.) I listened to Enregistrement Public à l'Olympia 1964, containing 15 songs. Personal highlight is Le Plat Pays, while Amsterdam and Les Bourgeois stand out as well. One can argue about live albums in the list. Let's say that in this case the live aspect doesn't add much compared to studio versions.

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!

I never heard this one before but it was rather disappointing

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.

Smá legacy bónus út af Bowie tengingunni, en þetta er líka mjög flott live plata og skemmtileg.

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.

I kinda liked this? but also, I'm sure I don't ever need to hear it again. 3/5

Even though I don't understand French, the singing is really powerful and emotive. It's not really my thing but enjoyable for the theatrics.

I don’t know what I was expecting here, but I kind of loved it? My experience with French music is pretty damn limited- mainly just the Neigeverse and Charlotte Gainsbourg- but this is right up my alley. It’s basically a Parisian Sinatra backed by Duke Ellington, which yes please. Will come back to. B

Meh. Not really into this kind of French pop.

No cal ser fan de Brel per saber apreciar la seva veu portentosa, i la majestuositat de la seva interpretació, que es reflecteix de la millor forma possible en els seus mítics vespres a l'Olympia.

Not my taste, but this guy is talented.

Una muy buena voz para un género vocal de las primeras décadas. Para entusiastas de este estilo

Enjoyable. I've heard of Jacques Brel but never really listened to him before. I was well aware of his influence and now have a better understanding of why he is praised. Performance wise, I don't need to understand French to get the story telling involved in his songs.

No.

Doesn't really sound like a live album until the audience claps at the end of each track - great mixing! Very fun French music of the era. Not my thing, but can't argue it's not great. Probably would've gotten more sick of it if it was longer than 30minutes hahah.

its like a French opera

This just doesn't work for me. The fact that it is in French doesn't help.

Definitely not for me

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

This is great! Love it!

Chanson francesa. Está bien y se sale de lo común de la lista. Un 4.

Easy listening if you want. Passionate, exciting, inspired performances.

Æj ég veit ekki, alltilagi ad láta þetta renna í gegn. Ekki mjög eftirminnilegt.

Kunni að meta. Fer á einhverja sunnudaxchill playlista.

Get ekki

Very chill, feels like im on a terrace in Paris

2 1/2

LP

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.

The man can sing but yeah not my thing.

Goed begin, zeikerig eind

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

I can get why this is on the list, and I enjoyed it as far as being a new exposure. But I’ll never listen to this again unless it’s on some Wes Anderson movie soundtrack.

im sorry dude it sounds like french mickey mouse

Great voice but the music was average. Need to check his other stuff

This guy's insane! Una interpretación muy sentida y alocada, me cayó mil puntos.

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

Bit rah-rah stereotypical soused-in-a-circus music, but the dude knows a killer chorus.

It's a strange decision to include a live album of Jacques Brel on this list. I would rather put "Jacques Brel 5" on it as his best studio album. That one does not contain that many famous songs, but this live album also has only two ("Amsterdam" and "Mathilde").

Fun

It's Jacques Brel, what's not to like?

Didn't look up the lyrics, just feelin the vibes

Not something I would ever have come across or even thought to seek out on my own but, despite being at best adjacent to my wheelhouse, I quite enjoyed this!

Wow this takes me back to sitting in the back of my parent's car and being really grumpy at the flipping French Chansons being on again, with my dad singing along loudly to drown out my screams to PLEASE TURN IT OFF. 10/10 would listen to again.

No fucking clue what he's singing about, which is a good thing as I didn't get distracted by the lyrics. Technically impressive for a live album too.

This was interesting. The opening song, Amsterdam, I know from Scott Walker and I realised I'd come across the name a few times through that. I love that song and was hoping for more like it and the rest of the album kinda doesn't deliver. He is an absolutely amazing singer but musically it just doesn't work for me.

Maybe I'd have liked one of the other 63

Ok

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

Quite a nice, fun album, but slightly disappointing. After the first song Amsterdam, I was hoping most of the songs would share this same energy, but many ended up being piano ballads instead. I still enjoyed these songs, but they didn't quite have the same punch of Amsterdam. Overall, it's definitely worth a listen, though. 7/10

I could have died without listening to this.

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.

lekker voor de zondag en in je Franse fase

Even though I don’t understand the language. He sings with such emotion that the meaning of the song becomes clear. Not something I used to listen to, but I enjoyed this album. Favourite song: - Amsterdam

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

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

Not familiar with this artist at all. This project is bringing such excellent opportunities to my ears. Although I cannot translate the meaning and it is quite possible that Jacques is singing about mundane tasks of life, his voice and style are filled with passion. It was quite a pleasant listen, but this is not for me as far as an addition to my library, so it sits at a 3.

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

I’ve heard Jacques Brel songs over the years but this is my first sustained listen to an album. Good French songs. Certainly something I’d enjoy at a bistro or cafe in the background. Not really something I’ll add to my library and listen to again, but if someone played it at my next dinner party I would enjoy it. I know a little French but only enough to get the occasional gist of what he’s singing about. So I imagine a lot of the wit and emotion I hear would be even more compelling if I were more fluent. Passionate and entertaining and I appreciate having listened to this.

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.

This one is a bit of an oddity but I weirdly kind of enjoyed it.

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

Definitely a mood album...! I feel like I should be smoking an unfiltered cigarette drinking coffee at an outdoor table just watching the world go by. I don't feel adequately equipped to review an album of this genre (...overly-theatrical French love songs...?) so perhaps my best review could be that this is enjoyable background music; I'm sure I enjoy it more (mostly?) because I don't understand the language - it helps Brel's aggressive voice wash amongst the instrumentation as if it were it's own complimentary instrument. Being a live album only adds to the mystique - the hall reverb, the urgent crowd responses are as important to the vibe as any other component. Somewhere roughly in the 2nd half of this album his vocals start getting....more weird? Little chirps and yelps - more akin to overacting :P although I'm sure some things are lost in translation. It gets a little annoying here and there but rarely lasts too long. Not necessarily a personal keeper only due to personal tastes but it is a worthy listen at least once - putting this on transports you to a different time and place and I could see how people love this album. 7/10 3 stars.

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.

French 'Chanson' requires an intimate knowledge of the lyrics uttered, in addition to a sort of classical composition that tethers the record. In 'Olympia 64', the sheer musicality through Jacques Brel's voice shines through even with a lack of French understanding. Be that as it may, a fair judgment of the album still can't be attained without considering the fundamental nature of the music - in 'Chanson', the poetic essence in the lyrics which typically precedes the music.

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.

I really liked the vocals and overall atmosphere this album creates. It’s very impressive

Not an especially great live performance and not especially interesting songs. Not sure why we all have to hear this. Very short though.

Dont forget it's french

fun for the whole family

Not really heavy metal like I asked...

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

Not bad

French!

Nooit wat mee gekund, vandaag ook niet.

Ook leuk om een keer te horen, maar zal dit niet snel nog eens draaien

Best prima eigenlijk. En lekker kort en to-the-point ook die Jacques.

Leuk om er een keer Franstalig tussen te hebben. Weer eens iets anders.

This just didn't do it for me.

a live album, french, 1964.... I have no idea what to expect here. Ok I have no idea what genre this is, but it's the sort of stuff that'd end up in a tarantino movie as an ironic soundtrack to a shootout or a torture scene. but it sounds exactly like you'd expect something french from the "olden days" to sound. I can't really give it much of a rating, it's too old and removed from anything else I listen to. but 3/5 because it wasn't bad or anything.

Really not my cup of tea, Chanson.

Oh, this is fun. Jacques Brel has a strong, passionate vocal. Combined with evocative musical arrangements, Brel accomplishes the not insignificant feat of making you care about what he's singing, whether you understand him or not. By the time the audience kicks in at the end of "Amsterdam," I'm ready to storm the gates for him and possibly take up smoking. That's by far the best song on the album, but unfortunately none of the other songs quite match it in energy or emotion. This was an enjoyable listen though. Fave Songs: Amsterdam, Les Vieux, Le Plat Pays

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

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

I liked this inspite of myself. I'll never listen again but it was fun while it lasted

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

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

я такую дрянь не слушаю принципиально, мусор ...

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.

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

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.

Moving

french but kinda groovin

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

It's fine, even beautiful at times. But I don't need it and probably won't ever listen to it again.

Ziek album

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.

All french but kinda lit

Goofy French live album is a tough follow up to Sgt Pepper. Damn you random generator.

Nice music, pretty voice, but Brel plays the game mainly on his lyrics. Even though I am learning French I am not able to understand it properly. Not even talking that near the end I was little bit bored.

Not really my kind of thing but didn’t hate it so 3 stars seems about right

Hell of a voice. Simply not my thing.

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

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

Liked it

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

I found it hard to get past the 'frenchness' of it and just listen to it as a piece of music, which I think is partly to do with not understanding the lyrics and partly because I don't often listen to music which isn't in English. I thought it was pleasant, but I think he might have been slagging off the english in the second to last song... 🤔

I liked this a lot more than expected.

Well I gave it a go but its just not for me I'm afraid!

Cos nowego na liscie, bo albumik live, ale to nie koniec nowosci, bo jest to tez pierwszy albumik nie anglinski czy po anglinsku, bo niemieckie grania byly, ale z angielskimi wokalami, a tutaj mamy spiewaka francuzkiego Jacquesa Brela, pierwsze slysze ale juz wiem ze to gruba ryba francuzkiej muzyki, bo przeciez kogo innego by na taka liste upchali, co do gatunku muzycznego, to jest to francuzka piosenka spiewana ktora okreslaja mianem chanson, gatunek skupia sie glownie na stronie lirycznej, wiec troche nie sposob mi oceniac muzyke ktora opiera sie na slowach rymach i typowo francuzkim stylu prowadzenia ballady muzycznej, gdzie instrumenty sa jedynie tlem na ktorym bard maluje szczesliwe male drzewka, ale sluchalo sie przyjemne i nigdzie nie bylo momentu gdzie by spiewak zaniemagal, a material 50 minutowy bez zadnych cutow piosenka po posence polaczaonce clapowaniem, wiec caly zapis koncertu tak jak byl grany, na plejaka wrzucam tango pogrzebowe, czyli tango funebre, ciekawe czy w innych jezykach podobny gatunek rowniez jest lub byl grany, bo jakos nie moge nic sobie przypomniec podobnie brzmiacego, a moze to tylko jezyk ktory az tak wplywa na odbior spiewu

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

3

Olympia 1964 by Jacques Brel (1964) Belgian crooner’s live performance of French chansons before a very enthusiastic crowd. Recorded with full applause interludes, much of this 28-minute album is wasted space. While I can’t comment on the lyrics (beyond observing that some of them appear to be of admirable poetic quality), I can observe his voice, and it’s only okay. He’s no Sinatra (or Como or Martin or Torme or Davis or Bennett or Williams or Streisand). His live delivery is dramatic enough, but he struggles with pitch, sacrifices tone to drama, and lacks dynamic variation. Yes, I know that was the style. But it was a poor style. Very good backing orchestra, playing excellent arrangements, which are well executed with sensitivity to the many tempo changes. It’s more of a Broadway style than a solo vocal performance, and thus it fails as an album. Don’t get me wrong—he’s probably great in the studio (i.e., producing an actual ALBUM, which is, after all, the focus of these reviews). Yes, ladies, I know, he was a hottie with very kissable lips but let’s be fair and objective. After all, Blondie doesn’t get any extra points just because Debbie Harry is stunningly beautiful. Just like Bob Dylan, Carole King, Janis Joplin, and . . . (Oh, never mind). It would certainly have been a better musical experience to have been in the audience. (I guess you had to be there!) 1/5

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

An all right album

French tings

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

Belgian music

Good

whatever lol

This wound me up big time

What a story teller :D

4.5 | De él conocía muy bien la canción de Amsterdam y Ne Me Quitte Pas (que desafortunadamente no venía en este disco) pero nunca me había puesto conscientemente a buscar más de su música. No entiendo por qué porque es del tipo de música que ya se que me gusta mucho; toda la idea de justamente lo que podemos llamar música folk moderna en su verdadera expresión, sin tomar en cuenta las fusiones que se habían hecho con rock y otras situaciones, aquí está un disco que canta canciones en ritmos, estilos y progresiones que se hacían casi iguales 100 años atrás. Esa gracia del chanson, creado específicamente para ser escuchado en francés, con el fraseo y la cadencia específica del lenguaje, son situaciones y estilos que se han perdido tristemente. En mi caso es música que jamás me cae mal y son compositores que en muchos casos tuvieron una influencia titánica sobre música que se escucha más "moderna". Fuera de decir que me encantó el disco no hay mucho más que añadir, así que solo usare este espacio para también recomendar que si a alguien le gustó este estilo y tuvieran la curiosidad de escuchar algo similar pueden buscar a Vladimir Vysotsky, que en mi opinión es una leyenda enorme muy poco apreciada y que todos debieran conocer, como en este caso de Brel es música que te llega aun hasta antes de que busques que significa la letra.

le grand jacques

Música agradable, buena voz. Disco en vivo con lo que supongo son los éxitos del señor. Muy francés el género, chanson, suena como un paso intermedio entre la balada y el tango, llevado más por la lírica y la voz. No está mal. 2.5 estrellas que sube a 3 porque en realidad no lo odié ni nada.

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

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

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

al parecer los en vivo que tiene la lista van a ser muy extraños y únicos, me agradó bastante por que hasta coincidió que me estaba rasurando y me sentí en barbería antigua. Me imagino que fue un show en un lugar pequeño y muy intimo

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

Not for me thanks

It's just not for me.

Extremely french. 2.5

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

Utter drivel.

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

bof bof

Interesting. Pretty good and apparently gets covered a lot. Investigate more.

French slow music not really my thing.

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

Not my favorite, a little meandering.

Well, I don't speak French, so there's that. Putting that aside, the album has a great feel to it, if you're in the mood for it. Luckily, this morning, I was. The album is not one I would reach for very often, but I wouldn't turn it off either. 3 stars.

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.

Interesting and decent but nothing else

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

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

eh, french...not annees folles :(

Not u

"jee"

Love it! Fun French music

Spotify. Interesting listen but nothing stood out

I can hear the passion but that’s about it

Ihan hauska ranskalaisfiilistely. Mies tulkitsee

C'est la vie, baby.