Is that new Jane Birkin album any good?

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You know, the one called Arabesque or something, which features (among other things) Arabised versions of some Serge classics.

I was very annoyed when I learned that Birkin was playing a concert in Beirut barely a month after I left there.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 19:13 (twenty years ago) link

it's all right but nothing special. we bought it in france around christmas and listened to it once on the way back to germany. it sounded quite interesting on first listen but i haven't listened to it since. i don't know if this says more about the album or me. anyways i am a little tired of jane singing those old gainsbourg songs. can't she sing something else or stop singing altogether?

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 19:20 (twenty years ago) link

one year passes...

but what about how she sings the songs with an Arabian orchestral accompaniment? does this not make everything more interesting, kind of in the way there should be more lush Arabian music in the world?

the question is on my mind as she is playing here next Sunday.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Monday, 22 November 2004 21:17 (nineteen years ago) link

I caught this last Sat. here in New York. Birkin is delightful, but I did find myself aching for the popppy Gainsbourgian orchestrations. I was open to the Arabic backing concept, but its execution, to me, left a bit to be desired. Could have something to with her vocalizing (not the strongest, of course), as well? She tells little tales about Serge and weighs about 80 pounds and wears a red gown and goes barefoot though, all of which has much to recommend it.

― Mary (Mary), Monday, 22 November 2004 23:46 (nineteen years ago) link

oooh.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 20:08 (nineteen years ago) link

I like Arabsque. I think it's a consistently good listen, if not always succesful in its adaptations of Gainsbourg's songs. If anything, only Birkin and Mick Harvey should be allowed to adapt/cover SG, I think. They're the only ones who seem to do him right.

no pun intended

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 20:26 (nineteen years ago) link

seven months pass...

I've been listening to this a lot recently and think its fantastic - the arrangements work very well in my opinion.

― Robin Goad (rgoad), Friday, 24 June 2005 06:38 (eighteen years ago) link

what does anyone think of the next one - with the placebo guy and others?

― mullygrubbr (bulbs), Friday, 24 June 2005 07:36 (eighteen years ago) link

which one did Gonzales do? Arabesque?

― kit brash (kit brash), Friday, 24 June 2005 12:43 (eighteen years ago) link

nah the next one. i think. you a gonzales fan kit?

― mullygrubbr (bulbs), Friday, 24 June 2005 12:44 (eighteen years ago) link

what does anyone think of the next one - with the placebo guy and others?

is this like marianne faithful working with jarvis cocker and pj harvey? is this the british female vocalist equivalent of getting the "rick rubin treatment"?

― kyle (akmonday), Friday, 24 June 2005 12:50 (eighteen years ago) link

nine months pass...

Has anyone heard Fictons yet? A ton of special guests; Gonzales, Beth Gibbons, Johnny Marr, Neil Hannon, Dominique A and Rufus Wainwright among others. She does songs by Tom Waits, Neil Young and Kate Bush.

This is the kind of album that probably looks better on paper than it actually sounds ( like the Faithful LP mentioned above)

― Jeff K (jeff k), Saturday, 8 April 2006 00:29 (eighteen years ago) link

one month passes...

It's pretty good. The cover of "mother stands for comfort" is pretty awesome, so is "alice"

― kyle (akmonday), Saturday, 3 June 2006 16:05 (seventeen years ago) link

Whenever this (Arabesque) comes up on shuffle, I skip it. But somehow I can't bring myself to delete it from my HD...

― pleased to mitya (mitya), Saturday, 3 June 2006 17:32 (seventeen years ago) link

Fictions isn't as good as Rendez-Vous. But it has some high points -- the Gonzales composition "Living In Limbo" is probably the best original.

― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Saturday, 3 June 2006 18:26 (seventeen years ago) link

twelve years pass...

Fictions is great! Alice, Waterloo Station, Harvest Moon my faves so far... but loving the simple, lush production, the lightness of her singing. Very confident.

― niels, Thursday, 2 August 2018 10:16 (five years ago) link

The only musician best known for a purse

― Lee626, Thursday, 2 August 2018 10:27 (five years ago) link

two years pass...

To answer the thread's question in 2021: yes, yes it is! Oh! Pardon tu dormais... is her latest, released in December, and it's very good. Wistful, melancholy, with dark and sad lyrics that deal with the death of her daughter Kate Barry, for one. But her music is never hermetic, you find yourself engaged near instantly.

― A Scampo Darkly (Le Bateau Ivre), Wednesday, 13 January 2021 14:00 (three years ago) link

I haven't listened to it but it was produced by Etienne Daho. I've watched an interview of them two recently and they seemed very proud and happy of their work together. Since I like them both a lot I guess I should give this a try !

― AlXTC from Paris, Wednesday, 13 January 2021 14:08 (three years ago) link

You should!

― A Scampo Darkly (Le Bateau Ivre), Wednesday, 13 January 2021 14:28 (three years ago) link

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