The interesting part about the anniversary edition of Gainsbourg’s Intégrale box, is that it the title Intégrale is nowhere to be found. Only if you want to order it, you see the title. And then you can read the quite unfavourable reviews. The critique focusses on the omittance of songs like La Noyée and Le sable & le soldat, and the umpteenth rehashing of old material that every SG-fan already has on their treasured albums and earlier compilations. Understandable. How many SG-novices will buy a 160 euro box with 20 cds? Why omit songs that were on earlier compilations? Why is the personnel of later albums mentioned, but not the players on Serge’s first EPs? I got my box yesterday and I have to say I’m quite pleased with it. I think it looks good, I like the pictures and it has several songs I’d never heard: like the Les Papillons Noirs-duet with Bijou, some instrumentals and full version of Je suis venu te dire. Now, just who is that at the very end of the song? (It’s Jane Birkin, saying ‘Ah bien là, je peux pas faire plus que ça’, or ‘Hold it, I can’t go on anymore’) (Thanks Pierre)

There’s no obligation to buy. The stuff that you don’t have, will no doubt turn up on the internet. But the feeling to open up this box, see 20 cd’s, see the photos, flip through the booklet (all text in French, another mistake), I like how that makes me feel.

Serge Gainsbourg – Je suis venu te dire que je m’en vais (full version)
Serge Gainsbourg – Je ne t’aime plus moi aussi (instrumental) (Is it me, or does this one sound more like Je suis venu te dire?)

In other news, I made a podcast for KX Radio with all kinds of Serge-tracks. Go HERE

Written by guuzbourg

French girls, singing. No, sighing. Making me sigh. Ah.

This article has 3 comments

  1. Sky

    Finally, the explanation for Kahimi’s tune “Serieux comme le plaisir”, which is credited to Gainsbourg 😉 That could have been a nice post. Merci à Dennis aussi!

  2. Dennislamenace

    beste Guuzbourg,
    heb je dit al gezien op Cobra.be: een onuitgegeven fragment uit Premiere Magazine (toenmalig BRT film programma met de onnavolgbare Roland Lommé) met beelden die gedraaid werden op de set van “Serieux comme le plaisir” van Robert Benayoun met Jane Birkin EN Serge Gainsbourg
    misschien een nuttige link voor fillessourires?
    zie: http://www.cobra.be/cm/cobra/cobra-mediaplayer/film/1.974613
    en: http://www.cobra.be/cm/cobra/muziek/110302-sa-gainsbourg_20jaar_dood
    veel kijk, klik en linkplezier
    groeten van Dennis