Georges Brassens IMPORT Pierre Nicolas Joel Favreau LP

Universal Records (France) ( November 01, 2006 ), Genre: International

From the 1950s through the late 70s, Georges Brassensredefined French chanson. He was an anarchist bardwhose songs were sometimes raunchy, sometimespolemic, often poignant, and always steeped in classicFrench poetry. His songs, unlike those of Jacques Brelor Serge Gainsbourg, never became known outside ofFrance, mostly because of the language barrier.Now, Franco-American singer and composer Pierre deGaillande has taken on the impossible task of translatingBrassens songbook, to astonishing results. He has stuckto the rhyming scheme and verse length of the originalsongs, thus matching the melodies perfectly. He hasre-arranged the music with a cinematic sensibility, using acombination of guitars, clarinets, lap steel, and charango.The best way to describe the record is to compare it tothe perfect film adaptation of a literary classic sung bythe offspring of Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen.

Georges Brassens was one of France's most respected singers and songwriters from his breakthrough in 1952 to his death in 1981; his work reflected a romantic lyricism and the sensibility of an accomplished poet, and while he often wrote of matters of the heart, he also dealt with social and political issues in a manner that reflected his anti-authoritarian nature and compassion for life's underdogs. Georges Brassens is a three-disc anthology that collects 45 of his best songs, all written or co-written by the celebrated singer himself. ~ Mark Deming

From the 1950s through the late 70s, Georges Brassensredefined French chanson. He was an anarchist bardwhose songs were sometimes raunchy, sometimespolemic, often poignant, and always steeped in classicFrench poetry. His songs, unlike those of Jacques Brelor Serge Gainsbourg, never became known outside ofFrance, mostly because of the language barrier.Now, Franco-American singer and composer Pierre deGaillande has taken on the impossible task of translatingBrassens songbook, to astonishing results. He has stuckto the rhyming scheme and verse length of the originalsongs, thus matching the melodies perfectly. He hasre-arranged the music with a cinematic sensibility, using acombination of guitars, clarinets, lap steel, and charango.The best way to describe the record is to compare it tothe perfect film adaptation of a literary classic sung bythe offspring of Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen.

For Melody Line, Lyrics & Chords. Music Sales America. World. 48 pages. Music Sales #EMF100053. Published by Music Sales

Ángel Parra was born in Chile, but has lived in Paris since 1976. He is the son of Luis Cereceda and Violeta Parra, the Chilean folklorist of the Nueva Canción movement. Currently, he lives on the same street that famed French poet and singer Georges Brassens once lived on, so of course he had to meet his songs sooner or later. And here is the result!

Director: Armand Isnard; Release Date: May 20, 2008

Release Date: February 13, 2006

The 1950s and 1960s were the golden era of French popular song, known as chanson français, and Georges Brassens and Jacques Brel epitomized both the music and the era. Their fame was worldwide, with writers and artists such as David Bowie and Gabriel García Márquez citing them as key influences.In Georges Brassens and Jacques Brel, Chris Tinker sheds new light on the pair and their work by moving beyond the biographical and linguistic approaches that tend to dominate the study of French song. Instead, Tinker focuses on the social and cultural impact of the music—and public personas—of Brassens and Brel. He explores the fascinating mix of the personal and the general in their lyrics and the way those often opposing impulses played out in their songs and through their careers. Tinker also is careful to give the musical aspects of the songs their proper attention, considering the ways in which they alternately support or undermine the personas developed in the singers' lyrics.Georges Brassens and Jacques Brel will be the definitive look at the work—and the world—of the two greatest figures of chanson français.

Audiophile Records, Genre: Pop Vocal