If only it was longer I'd give it 5 stars
sequeiraj | Sydney, Australia | 11/04/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"A concept album from the master of French music. If you've never bought a Serge Gainsbourg album before, you could start with a greatest hits, or you could just dive into the deep end with this.Dry, clean, sixties production, with the a smattering of strings. Serge's deep vocals are sensuous and dirty at the same time, Jane Birkin's are sweet and innocent textures dotted throughout. As it's in French I don't know exactly what it's saying, but it deals with a man driving his Rolls Royce (just like Serge in real life) and hitting a young woman/girl. He takes her in and they form a 'relationship'. There are some creepy tracks around this part of the album, innocent/desperate giggles from Jane, and a constantly amazing feel on the bass, winding through each track. Every song is crafted to flow into the next. It would also have to be the ultimate album to have sex to.This is where Air and Beck have got all there ideas from, and you've got to love them for it. It's a classic album, a masterpiece by anyone's standards. You get to the end and you want it to all start again. As I've said above, the only disappointment is that it's over so quickly."
A masterpiece of Rock music
brice_lestunff | 11/25/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"A masterpiece of Rock music, the best album of french music (i've ever heard), and a good place in the top 100 best albums of rock (not far away from Ziggy Stardust, VU & Nico, The White Album, etc...). If you don't understand a word of french, you should get a translation because the text is just as fantastic as the music, in fact it's classic poetry. Here's the story :
1. Melody : Serge drives his Rolls Royce and, deep in thought (he's thinking about the "Silver Venus" of the hood of his car), he knocks down Melody Nelson, a english red-headed 15 year-old girl - "What's your name?-Melody-Melody and what's your lastname?-Melody Nelson ..." - and fell in love with her.
2. Ballade de MN : A beautiful love song which announces the death of Melody. "her days was numbered: 14 autumns & 15 summers"
3. Valse de MN : "The sun is rare & happiness too ..." a beautiful (again) thought about love & happiness.
4. Ah Melody : "you don't know what love is, you said to me, but are all the things you say true?" it's in the same mood of the two previous songs.
5. L'Hotel Particulier : Serge is taking Melody with him to a kinda sleazy hotel. he describes the baroque decoration and suggests what's gonna happen in the "the 44, the Cleopatra room".
6. En Melody : = "In Melody" well, look at the title, if you know what i mean, it's an instrumental supposed to evoke the funny thing they're doing in this bedroom. At the end of the song, Serge tells us :
"Melody wanted to see again the sky of Sunderland.
She took the 707, the night air freighter.
But the automatic pilot at the controls
of the aircraft made a fatal error to Melody ..."
7. Cargo Culte : Serge, disenchanted and falling into madness, decides to follow the "cult of the cargo" practised by the Papuans - they are praying the gods to make the air freighters fall in the jungle (where they live) and thus salvage what's in the freighter (money, etc...) - praying the air freighters to bring his Melody back.And so, this tremendous (although it lasts 28 min) album ends.
I Hope I gave you the desire of discovering it."
This is the Serge to get....
James Baker | Highland, NY United States | 11/30/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'd heard his name a million times before over the years, but was unfamiliar with his work. I happened upon this album and thinking it would be a quirky 70's novelty item, I purchased it.
I was transfixed! I don't speak a word of French, so I have only the slightest clue whats going on here, but this music and his delivery transcends language. I find it ultimately pointless to try and describe music, but think of the coolest 70's porn music imaginable, add strings and in some parts a choir, and then add a lecherous and deep narration over the top and you start to get an idea. And along the way you'll hear some of the most beautiful "melodies" that you've ever thought possible.
If you've ever swooned to Scott Walker, or been hypnotized by a particularly lush film soundtrack, then you will ADORE this.
If you've never purchased Serge before, START HERE. You'll fall for Melody Nelson, too."
Track Listings (7) - Disc #1