Boris Vian/ Henri Salvador - "Henri Salvador chante Boris Vian"

Boris Vian/Henri Salvador - Henri Salvador chante Boris Vian

CD, Compilation, France, 2000

Barclay

Henri Salvador is a superb jazz guitarist who is also a songwriter and all-around performer.  Proabably most think of him as a goofy character, but on the other hand he was one of Boris Vian’s great friends.  Salvador wrote music to Vian’s words, and both shared a sense of humor and maybe a certain amount of outrage towards the world.  He was Vian’s last partner in crime, before his timely death of a heart attack due to his bad heart.   When you hear these recordings, they are one of great joy.  

I never heard of Henri Salvador till I went to Japan, where he has a following with the Swing dance set.    I had to go to the French section at Tower Shibuya to pick up some of his recordings.  I found this album there as well.  Most of it I believe was recorded after Vian’s death, so it’s a tribute to his friend.  Salvador based instincts is jazz, with pop or early rock n’ roll overtures.  He became knows for his parody songs, but I suspect he had a sharp focus, and had an understanding of the French pop culture of his times.  It makes perfect sense the Vian fitted in his world.  

Boris Vian By Various - "À Boris Vian "On N'Est Pas Là Pour Se Faire Engueuler !”

Boris Vian By Various - À Boris Vian "On N'Est Pas Là Pour Se Faire Engueuler !”

2 x CD, Album, Enhanced, Reissue, France, 2009

AZ

Contemporary French pop singers paying their tribute to the Boris Vian songbook.  In theory this is a no-brainer, and a compilation that needed to be made.  But saying that, it should have been something more…. exciting.  Every cut here is well-recorded and extremely well-arranged, but it lacks a sense of danger that is truly Boris Vian.   One can wonder what this collection would have been like under the ears and eyes of someone like John Zorn.  Zorn is an artist who is a jazzier, but who goes beyond that category into another world.  He would have given these songs a fresh touch but faithful to the vision of Vian.  

The songs here are workable and perhaps it is a good introduction to the Vian songbook to those who don’t know his world.  But I think the hardcore Vian fan would want something more challenging or subversive.   But saying that, there are recordings here that work for me.  “Quand J’Aurais Du Vent Dans Mon Crane” is a great song - and actually the music is by Serge Gainsbourg.  He has the monster talent to make anything he touches into something special.   Vian had three serious songwriting partners that he worked with:  Alain Goraguer, Henri Salvador, and Jimmy Walter.  The hits are here, but also some new music attached to his poetry.  It is all very tasteful and respectful, but one misses Vian the Rebel.

Magali Noel - "Magali Noel chante Boris Vian" CD Album Reissue

Magali Noel - Magali Noel Chante Boris Vian

CD, Album, Reissue, 2002 (originally recorded 1964), France

Jacques Canetti

Both films “La Dolce Vita” and “Rififi” benefited from the presence of Magall Noel, and like a shadow  following another presence, Boris Vian had a wonderful singer to represent the pop side of his music.  Jazz like, but more of a pop leaning, Noel tears into the Vian songbook for the second time.  Her first album was “Rock n’ Roll” which was supervised by Vian as well as being all songs co-written by the master.   This album was recorded in 1964, five years after Vian’s death.  It is both a tribute to the man, but also the distance of years between his passing and the recording allows Noel to convey a fresh light to the magnificent Vian wit.  

Finger-snapping rhythm, most of these songs are up-tempo and it does have a sense of energy due to Noel’s voice and presence in these recordings.  

Boris Vian by Claude Vence - "Je Voudrais pas crever"

Boris Vian by Claude Vence - Je Voudrais pas crever

CD Album, France, 2005

EPM Musique

In my typical fashion I am attracted to an album of Boris Vian’s poetry, in French, a language I don’t speak or understand but put to music by Claude Vence.   It seems it is a class French move to add music  to poetry. it is not uncommon to run upon music with Rimbaud, Baudelaire and of course Jacques Prevert - so why not Vian?

I found this CD  at a bookshop in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and I bought it without knowing what it was, except it had the words “Boris Vian” and that was reason enough to exchange some euros for this product.   Nevertheless an enjoyable listen, and all the words are from Vian’s classic book of poetry Je Voudrais Pas Crever.  I know nothing of Claude Vence, but his music is lively, tuneful and the arrangements are tasteful and very textured, which I imagine would mix well with Vian’s words.

Boris Vian - "Rock n' Roll: Naissance d'un Nouveau Rythme en France" Vinyl Lp

Boris Vian - Rock n’ Roll: Naissance D’un Nouveau Rythme en France

Vinyl, LP Compilation, France, 1976

Disques Jacques Canetti

Boris Vian, in his last decade, focused on the world of making music.  Both in the studio as well as being an A&R man for Phillips and other labels.  Vian became a mover and shaker in the French music industry, which is incredibly fascinating when you look at his whole career of being an icon, writer and then a music industry figure. 

Vian was a hardcore jazzier, so I think he had mixed-thoughts regarding the world of commercial Rock n’ Roll.  Yet, ironically enough, he probably recorded the first French rock n’ roll record.  This is a fascinating compilation of Vian’s strongest ties to two artists:  The actress and singer Magali Noel and the great over-all everything talent of Henri Salvador.   Vian wrote songs with Henri, that were mostly humorous and sort of a piss-take on the rock n’ roll medium.  Yet, they’re a joy to listen to.  Noel is sort of a muse for Vian in the recording studio.  She reminds me of a teenage Lottie Lenya (although she was an adult) due that she’s all character, and Vian had her voice in mind with such songs like “Fais-Moi Mai Johnny (a duet with Boris on top of that).  Also Vian shared her talents with another great artist - Fellini!

Henri Salvador is probably looked upon as a humorist singer, but the fact is he was a great guitarist, and a wonderful singer.  He had a long career in the French world, and is often treasured as a gem of an artist. 

This collection is a good introduction to Vian’s world of the 1950’s.  Also all the great arrangers worked on these recordings such as Alain Goraguer, Claude Bolling, and Michel Legrand.

Boris Vian - "Inédits Radio" CD Compilation

Boris Vian - Inédits Radio

CD, Compilation, France, 2003

INA

For the Boris Vian fan, this is very much the holly grail of listening pleasure.  Among other talents by the Jacques-of-all-trades Vian also had DJ skills, which makes perfect sense because he was such a vinyl addict of his time.  I’ve read in a biography on Simone De Beauvoir that he helped purchase a sound system for her apartment, and also chose the recordings to go with that system.  A music lover, especially a jazz fanatic, is part of a small world.  Here Vian shares that world with listeners over the medium of the radio.

Vian had a thing for Duke Ellington, like he should of course, and the entire radio broadcast or the ‘best’ of his shows, he clearly has an understanding to what makes this music so cool.  Also included is Vian playing music with the Le Tabou orchestra.  And his priceless commentary (in French of course) on the music plus him interviewing Ellington. 

Boris Vian - "Chansons possibles et impossibles" CD album

Boris Vian - Chansons Possibles et Impossibles

Vinyl Album, Reissue

Phillips

My life for the past twenty years can be two words.  Boris.  Vian.   I devote my press TamTam Books to  this Jacques-of-all-trades, and slowly and surely been collecting his books, his recordings, and like Chick in “Foam of the Daze” would also collect his nail clippings.   On the other hand it is probably best and more sane just to focus on his work - which is his writings and of course, his music.  

This album originally came out as two 7” EP’s.  Chansons Possibles and Chansons Impossibles, and then eventually as a 10” vinyl LP, and what I have is the CD version of the vinyl album.  I want to get the originals of course, but the inner-Chick in me has to wait.  Nevertheless I do have the songs and they’re quite remarkable.  Half of the songs were co-written by Alain Goraguer and the other half with Jimmy Walter.  Think of it as Morrissey working with Johnny Marr, Alain White or Boz.   Different melodies but all with the unique witty Vian lyric and voice.  

For a man who over a hundred songs, this is his only solo singing album that he released or made.  The record wasn’t successful in the sales department, but like they say about the first Velvets album, this album is still around, and many many French singers, including from America -  Peter, Paul & Mary have recorded his tunes. 

It is a shame that Vian’s singing career didn’t take off, and from all accounts it seems he was uncomfortable to be on the stage.  Chansons Possibles et Impossibles is a classic piece of pop-music making.  Its not the music itself (although wonderful) but his lyrics that set them apart from the rest of the pack.  A major influence on Serge Gainsbourg, Vian had the right combination of outrage and humor in his songs.  “Je Suis Snob” can be easily covered by an older Iggy Pop.   He brings the role of the snob as the ultimate aesthetic figure.  And how true is that!

Chansons Impossibles

Chansons possibles