12 Brel Treasures among 30 songs total including "Au Printem
J.S. | California, United States | 10/17/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"An excellent 2-CD collection containing 12 Brel treasures among the 30 songs total.
Some of the songs that are hard to find but included here are La Tendresse, Au Printemps, and Les Prenoms de Paris.
"La Chanson des vieux amants" (Song of the Old Lovers) is a wonderful nostalgic look back at a romance of 20 years: all the storms the couple has endured, and "the sweet tender marvelous love" that continues today even as their "tender war" persists. To me, Brel's passionate singing and the wonderful piano and orchestral accompaniment evoke all the romance and nostalgia of a World War II era Casablanca, making this one of Brel's greatest classic songs.
"Quand On N'a Que L'amour" (When We Have Only Love) is Brel's quintessential theme song (circa 1960) for idealistic young lovers who believe that love conquers all, in stark contrast to Brel's later more jaded songs, ranging from "Le Prochain Amour" (also in this collection) in 1961 to "La Chanson des Vieux Amants" (Song of the Old Lovers, first song in this collection) in 1967. "Quand On N'a Que L'amour" strikes a similar tone of optimism as another Brel song, "Au Printemps", which is also included in this collection.
"La Tendresse" (Tenderness) is Brel's nod to the power of tenderness in human relations, the lengths people will go to and the sacrifices they'll make to experience it. It is rarely included in Brel's other albums, so its presence here makes just one more good reason to buy this collection.
"Le Plat Pays" (The Flat Country) is Brel's nostalgic homage to his home country of Belgium, sung with great affection. Although he grew up in Belgium, he spent nearly his entire musical career in Paris, France.
"Mon pere disait" (My Father Would Say) is a nostalgic song about the stories and legends of the North Wind that Belgians pass down from parent to child. For example, before the great flood, England and London stood across the mud from Bruges, but now it's a part of Bruges that is "lost at sea." I know a few Englishmen who'd surely take issue with this interpretation of events!
"Les coeurs tendres" (Tender Hearts) is a run-down of several types of tenderhearted people Brel has encountered over the years, with his keen description of the characteristics of each.
"Marieke" is a nostalgic song about a first love that played out on the beaches of Belgium one summer in his teen years. It alternates charmingly between Flemish and French, the two national languages of Belgium.
"La Quete" (The Quest) is better known as "The Impossible Dream". This is Brel's version of the song also crooned by Elvis Presley, Andy Williams and The Supremes, and originally created by Mitch Leigh and Joe Darion. I don't believe Brel's version is as satisfying as the original in English, however, at least for native English speakers.
"Ne me quitte pas" (Don't Leave Me) is Brel's most famous torch song, in which he uses exquisite imagery to press his suit with a girl who has already left him, descending in the end into abject desperation as he struggles to maintain a link, any link at all, with the object of his love. Frank Sinatra was moved to sing an English version of this song ("If You Go Away"), which unfortunately doesn't do justice to the stunning poetry of the French original. This is my favorite song of the entire Jacques Brel repertoire because of the power and the haunting beauty of the lyrics, Brel's impassioned voice and the evocative music!
"Au Printemps" is Brel's poem celebrating young love in Paris in springtime. This song is full of bright optimism, youthful innocence and hope, and lacks the jaded feel of his later love songs. The song has rarely been included on Brel albums, making its inclusion here just one more good reason to buy this 2-CD set.
"Le Prochain Amour" (The Next Lover) is Brel's world-wisened and world-weary evaluation of love: "...it's good to be in love... I know just the same that the next love will be my next defeat..."
"Les Prenoms de Paris" is a terrific, light-hearted song about being young and in love in Paris. It is rarely included in Brel's other albums, so its presence here makes just one more good reason to buy this collection.
"Amsterdam" is one of Brel's most famous songs. It's about the sailors who disembark in this Dutch port and how they deal with the vicissitudes of their lonely lives and the dreams that haunt them once they reach the shore.
Other highly recommended Jacques Brel CDs you can find on Amazon.com include:
Title (ASIN#) No. of Songs
Quand On N'a Que L'amour 3-CD set (B00000IYC9) 49 songs
Infiniment (B0002PUHGU) 40 songs with great English translations
The Olympia '61 and '64 (B000BJ7D96) 30 songs with great English translations
Vol. 1-Special Edition (ASIN: B000042OFF) 16 songs
Les Flamandes (B000006UOA) 21 songs
Les Bonbons (B0000AKOLD) 14 songs
Master Series: Jacques Brel (B0000046O5) 16 songs
Volume 1 - Grand Jacques (B00000DXQY) 15 songs
Grand Jacques Integrale 172 Titres (B000025BD8) 172 songs
What's even more fabulous than the CDs, however, is the 3 volume DVD set released in 2003: Jacques Brel: Comme quand on etait beau. (ASIN: B0000AQJPR). The set includes 7.5 hours of live and staged performances as well as interviews and home video footage. Everything that the heart of a Jacques Brel fan desires to capture the essence of this very theatrical artist in a way that an audio-only recording can not.
Also of great interest: the VHS video "Jacques Brel" (ASIN: B0001P1XG4), a video biography on the life and music of Jacques Brel. Full length documentary features extensive live footage and interviews with Brel himself as well as his daughter and associates. It is also available on DVD, but only from Films Media Group.com (Item# KEH1348).
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Track Listings (15) - Disc #1
