For those that have missed what's been going on here this week, today marks the 20th anniversary of the death of Serge Gainsbourg.
No two ways about it, he was such a big figure that we have to mark the occasion. I've been highlighting his legacy so far, an influence that still permeates the French music scene, so I though it appropriate that on the day we should use one of his songs.
While much of his work has been re-assessed and re-evalued critically, his late 80s work remains less well known. His last two albums were regular residents of the second-hand racks when I lived in France in the 90s.
I personally don't think they've dated well. Love on the Beat and you're Under Arrest are patchy at best, with elements like the disco synths on Love on the Beat and the rapping on Your Under Arrest best forgotten. true, they have their moments, like Aux Enfants de la Chance or Sorry Angel, and there are clever lyrics, but few would defend them as anything like his best work.
However, the live material he was producing around this time is well worth a second listen, a heavy funk sound, with thick grooves and Gainsbourg's unmistakable presence across the work.
Le Zénith de Gainsbourg was actually the new last album he released, and if you ask me its a more fitting finale than either of the last two studio releases.
He can even be forgiven the double denim fashion faux pas.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment