Last time one of Thomas Bohnet’s French pop-compilations was reviewed on this blog, the atmosphere in the comments turned a little sour. Alas. So let’s what happens now. First off, one has to applaud Bohnet’s tenacity. It’s his 6th survey of new(-ish) French pop in a time where compilations aren’t top sellers any more and where the non-French excitement about French pop has worn down. His French parties are still running, from 2000 on. A big hand, if you please!
Second, though Bohnet certainly isn’t deaf for new sounds, you know you’ll find reggae-fied and balkanised chansons on his compilations. Because they’re good to dance too, because it’s Thomas’ taste. Though I love (roots-)reggae and ska, I find songs who inject Jamaican influences hardly exciting. Maybe I’ve been listening to too much Spanish rock mestizo in the late 90s and balkan beats in the early 2000s. That means I’m aloof to the songs by Romain Latelin, Acorps de Rue and Nôze. The latter, also present on one of my Filles Fragiles-comps (with a far better song), lean to electro-swing, a genre that’s very popular in France but to me it is an overused mould, tending to banality.
But wait! No! This isn’t another grilling of a Le Tour compilation! Where T. and a disagree on the use of Jamaican and Balkan rhythms, we share a passion for strong females, who sometimes sound like they’re little girls. Lisa Portelli‘s on Le Tour #6, Ariane Brunet, Maryse Letarte, Vanessa Chassaigne, Elsa Kopf – girls who appeared on this very blog and pretty words were used to describe them. And their songs. Also on #6 is my good friend Pierre Faa, with a very, very good song. But German funkateers The Mighty Mocambos do take the biscuit. Fronted by French singer Caroline Lacaze, ‘Physique’ is in the immortal words of George Clinton, The BOMB!
When you visit this blog, you know what you’re gonna get: soft sighing girls, the occassional guy and lots and lots of Gainsbourg-covers. When you buy Le Tour #6, you’d expect danceable French tunes, some girls and new artists that only Thomas knows about – I consider myself ‘in the know’ about French music, but Thomas always manages to surprise me by digging up talented debutants, like Erwan Pinard and Raspail, for instance. So there. Le Tour #6 doesn’t disappoint! Oh, and another thing Thomas, where the HELL do you find the gorgeous girls who pose for your cd-covers?
More on Le Tour and Thomas, go HERE and/or HERE
Vanessa Chassaigne – Le même que moi
Remember Dave? The Dutch-born, blue-eyed singer had a massive hit in the 70s with a discofied version of Glenn Miller’s Moonlight Serenade (watch!). In France, he was major star, but as it goes with names from the past, they fade away. Somebody made the connection of his blue eyes and soul, called in the team behind Ben L’Oncle Soul and the album Blue-Eyed Soul! was born. Is it good? No. Music-wise it’s okay. Rehashing Del Shannon’s Runaway or Rubettes’ Sugar Baby Love in French, wearing a very thin soul-jacket is far from okay. But a re-recorded version of Dave’s ballad Il ‘y a pas de honte à être heureux with Françoise Hardy is worthy of a post on this blog.
