Michel Legrand - "Play for Dancers" Vinyl LP (Philips) 1964

What I have is the U.S. version that is called "Michel Legrand Plays For Dancers"  It is known in France as "Archi-Cordes" and in other parts of Europe as "Violent Violins."  Which the latter is actually description of this classic Legrand album.   Once you hear "Di-Gue-Ding-Ding" you never forget it.  The song will be grilled in your head till the day you die.  Which, with this particular song, is a very good thing.   The whole album is fantastic, and the U.S. cover is mis-reading the album.  One would think it will be just an album of tunes that one can do the Wobble, or Hully Gully and of course the Shimmy - but in fact, this is a recording made by Legrand that has his best work as an arranger.  The violent strings are biting and the rest of the album is almost electronic in its feel and behavior.  More Joe Meek than Henry Mancini and with a great deal of the Legrand melodies and presence.   Sound - wise it's a witty piece of work as well.  There are arrangments that will make one smile, just by its aural possiblities.  An unique album and one of Michel Legrand's greatest works.  

MICHEL LEGRAND - "Michel Legrand (WEA) Vinyl 1981

I found this album yesterday, at Amoeba on Sunset.  I'm a fan of Michel Legrand.  I try to avoid the 80s material. Because I always felt that was a bad era for everyone - and this album was recorded and produced in 1981.  What caught my interest, is that he wrote both music (of course) and lyrics.  So this is truly a hardcore Legrand solo project.   If not the greatest Legrand, it is still pretty good.  Side one is the most interesting, due that it has a full orchestration on that side.  Legrand doesn't only do lush, but he's intense as well.  There are only a handful of recordings or albums where he sings, and this may have been the last Legrand singing album - but I'm not sure about that.   Nevertheless, he sings great.  Side two is basically different from the first side, due that it is very much guitars, bass, keyboards and drums setting. Not exactly rocking, but some tunes do have a 'funk' feel to them.  I can imagine a Steely Dan fan be into side two, while us Jacques Demy lunatics will be into side one.  As far as I know, this album never appeared on a CD, but one can find used vinyl here and there. I would pick it up - especially if you're into the Legrand/Demy world (side one). 

Antoine - "La Guerre" EP

Antoine - La Guerre EP

Download

Vogue Records

The garage French rock version of classic Donovan.  “La Guerre”  I am going to have to presume that this is either an anti-war song, more likely about Vietnam, which makes it very May 68.  I like his voice, his music, well, everything. “Ne t'en fais pas pour cela, ils revent” (Don’t Worry About, They’re Dreaming) is Bob Dylan if he landed on St Michel sidewalk.  It even has that Al Kooper organ sound.  The beauty of the EP format is that the music, the image, the whole package is compact.   Like a full album, the EP works it magic the same way.  

André Almuro - "Poésie de Cruauté"

André Almuro - Artaud, Genet, Lorca, Cocteau, Larronde, Almuro - Poésie de Cruauté

Vinyl LP (Download), 1962

Disques Mouloudji

A mysterious album that I downloaded from god knows where, but what a cool piece of vinyl.  I’m on the hunt for it.  The little I know is that André Almuro worked in radio, and was or is (he’s still alive at 82) a figure in the French Music Conncréte world.  He met a 15 year old Pierre Clémenti and worked together making films, and recording Clémenti’s poetry.  Eventually in the 40’s he hooked up with the legendary Pierre Schaeffer and joined his Radio Télévision Française.  

Poésie de Cruauté is a fascinating piece of work.  Here Almuro makes music behind the narration of various poems by Artaud, Lorca, Genet, Cocteau and Olivier Larronde, who I don’t know at all.  The poems are read by Jean Bollery and Pierre Frilay, with a certain amount of vocal effects for their voices.  A great album, and without a doubt I am going to look for Almuro’s films.  Fascinating.

Also of great interest is that this album was released on the great Left-Bank (Vian pal) Mouloudji’s record label.

Edison Denissov - "Boris Vian/La Vie en Rouge Cycle de mélodies & Colin et Chloé suite de l'opéra 'L'Ecume des Jours'

Edison Denissov - Boris Vian La Vie en Rouge Cycle de mélodies & Colin et Chloé suite de l'opéra 'L'Ecume des Jours'

Vinyl LP, France, 1983

Le Chant du Monde

Very little information about this album, except that Edison Denissov was a Russian composer who lived in Paris, and was quite fond of French literature, including the works of Boris Vian.  Side one is a suite of songs based on Vian's poetry with the vocal talents of Gerda Hartman.  Small orchestration behind the songs, but still quite operatic in style.  

The second side is "Colin et Chloé" an opera based on Vian's L'écume des Jours (Foam of the Daze).   It's is without a doubt an opera and i am not sure if it has ever been staged, but I like it.  There is a nice part of the piece where they use jazz melodies, which of course is the ultimate tribute to Vian and his world.   Interesting odd record within the world of Boris Vian.