rfg #34 - "Des plus brillants exploits"

Salut, mes amis! Comment faites-vous? Qu'est-ce qui passe? Allons-y!

That'll be the extent of my conversational French this week, so for the true Francophone experience, you'll have to listen to the songs.

Nevertheless, it's funny being able to quantify the sheer amount of French music in my collection so that I could explore much further if I wanted to in future shows. Part of the inspiration behind this was the main feature, taking Serge Gainsbourg's work behind his concept album Histoire de Melody Nelson along with his orchestral collaborator Jean-Claude Vannier and his ambitiously insane L'enfant assassin des mouches, both recently re-released and powerful examples of muse-chasing. I found Vannier's album at a local record store, with the sticker overtop stating "HOLY SHIT". The first track you heard was what turned me onto the album and sadly, I had to leave the one epic track I wanted to spin off the playlist, since time was short after the show prior to me went into deep overtime.

Incidentally, I left part of the preceding show near the beginning, since Henry (and guest Steve) played another French track I was saving for next week: part of Justice's proggy electro song Planisphère for Dior Homme's Summer 2009 Fashion show.

I've played Gainsbourg in the past, but it was a delight to dig up some of the earlier songs he wrote for the pop market, which provided the first major feature on the show: yé-yé. I wanted to go with the 1970's disco versions, which are epic tales of heartbreak, but I couldn't find my collection of songs, so I settled on the light soul numbers from the sixties. It's not all candy gloss as the guitars squeal at times and the rhythm can veer towards something sinister, but the sweet French girls sing their words with little detectable irony about life whilst young. (Though the territory marked by Jordy enters another depth that dooms us all.)

And I can't believe I'll say this, but I'm floored how good (or not craptacular) Carla Bruni's album is. Perhaps it's the usual mesmerizing charm of the French language (though she definitely looks like someone you don't kick out of bed), but the lyricism inherent in the words along with that perfect level of detachment towards passion always appeals.

I have to admit that another reason I wanted to try to tackle a French show was to aim for some programming diversity, since there's seem to be less variety in music on the radio and there's currently no French show on CITR (our compatriots in arms at CJSF up the hill and CFUV across the strait do provide, though). Not that I could tackle such a show on a regular basis; besides, I'm not Jodie Foster with her perfect Parisian accent – if I ever get close to a proper Parisian accent, my Finnish kicks in and I sound Niçoise with un accent Marseillais, or so I've been told. Not Québecois at the very least.

I'll find more production music from France in the 70's and 80's the next time I try this, along with some actual prog music to offset any future sugary confections.

Et maintenant, le playlist: