Rufus sings Serge

Rufus Wainwright sings Serge Gainsbourg’s Je suis venu te dire que je m’en vais on the album by Serge’s son Lulu. Not the first time Rufus sings in French, and not the first time he sings a song that relates to Serge. It’s one of the few highlights on the From Gainsbourg to Lulu album. The music and arrangements are okay (love the Brazilian touch of l’Eau a la bouche), but having Iggy Pop singing in French has never been a good idea (remember?), Shane McGowan in French is godawful and the less that’s said about Lulu’s singing voice, the better. The Ballade de Melody Nelson-duet between Vanessa Paradis and Johnny Depp is so-so (I will do a post on Melody Nelson-related samples and covers later) and  Scarlett Johansson can act, but she sure can’t sing. Marianne Faithfull is an acquired taste, yes, but ‘Manon’ fits her quite good, I’d say. Still, it’s a disappointment. You can save up for Charlotte’s double-album, to be released in December.

Rufus Wainwright – Je suis venu te dire que je m’en vais