Search - Françoise Hardy :: J'Ecoute De Musique Saoule

The great French chanteuse extending her range

Rodney Gavin Bullock | Winchester, Hampshire Angleterre | 06/20/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Reviewer: Gavin Bullock from Winchester, Hampshire United Kingdom
Françoise Hardy is one the the Beatles' generation and was quite popular in the UK in the 1960s. She wrote most of her songs and accompanied herself on the acoustic guitar. Although influenced by the rock music of the time, many songs revealed a real melodic gift which made them uniquely hers. The best, 'Voila' for example, could be emotionally shattering and dig right into the rawest nerves of lost or unrequited love. Her voice, although not big and with a somewhat limited range, is outstandingly beautiful. She has fallen out of sight in the English-speaking world and it is very much our loss. She is a superlative musician.
She now rejects the early songs to some extent and in the 1970s started moving to a more 'sophisticated' style. 'Message Personnel', another song of almost unbearable sadness, shows her emotions moving with her years. However, these tear-jerkers were to become less common, to be replaced by highly rhythmic songs, some with a comic element. Her latest album, Le Danger (2000), marked a trend back to her darker side.
The album here is exactly the same in content as a Pathé-Marconi-EMI vinyl LP released in 1978. Only one of the songs, 'Perdu d'avance', is Hardy's own. 'Brouillard dans la rue Corvisart' is a duet with her husband, Jaques Dutronc. 'J'écoute de la musique saoûle' is a very rhythmic foot-tapper. 'Hallucinogène', by contrast, is sleepy. 'Occupe' is a fine song about a woman whose lover's phone is always engaged. The duet with Dutronc is pleasant, if a little bland. 'Tu m'vois tu m'sens plus' has a slightly menacing air in parts, a feeling enhanced by the strange orchestration at the beginning of each verse. 'Nous deux nous deux et rien d'autre' is gentle and is a typical Hardy song, even though she did not write it. Gabriel Yared is a fine arranger and his delicious orchestration, including a rather unconventional use of the accordion, adds a lot to the piece. A great song. 'Swing au pressing' (Swing to the dry-cleaner's)is rhythmic and funny. Next is Françoise's own song, 'Perdu d'avance' and is a gentle piece but not one of her best. 'Tip Tap t'entends mes pas' is another rhythmic one, as you might imagine from the title. 'Si je le retrouve un jour (If I find him again on day)' returns to the lost love theme. The final track, 'Beau Boeing Belle Caravelle' concerns the two airliners, American and French, set to Latin American rhythms - an inventive and fun ending.
It is not her best album, mainly because she is singing other people's songs. But is it has some gems and I would highly recommend it."