Search - Serge Gainsbourg :: Ballades & Mots D'amour

An introduction to passion

01/23/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I remember seeing an interview with Beck on French television about a year ago. He noted his appreciation for French culture and cited Charles Baudelaire and Serge Gainesbourg as particular influences on his work. When I stumbled across this album in a record store, I bought it on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. For someone who has never listened to Serge Gainsbourg before, this album is a great introduction. For a long time fan, this disc brings together a lot of his best work. It's found a permanent place in my cd player. This, much to the dismay of my fiancee who seems somewhat less than amused by the sounds of women in the throes of passion that lurk below the surface of several of the songs. When I mentioned the purchase of this album to a female French friend of mine, she was horrified and seemed to regard Gainsbourg as the devil incarnate. It seems Serge had a way with women. With regard to the issue of influencing Beck, there is a song (the name of which escapes me) on this album that sounds strikingly similar to a song (the name of which also escapes me) on Mutations. Great stuff. Buy it."