La Question (Frn) [Import]

 

 

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this would have to be one of the most beautiful albums i've heard. a glorious mix of breathy french vocals from francoise combined with gorgeous brazilian guitar from tuca. gentle from start to its brilliant ending, this album never strays from its dreamy tempo yet is full of surprises. sensual, romantic, haunting and at times melancholic this album is truly a wonderful masterpiece.

There are really only two kinds of great albums in this world. The first is catchy, up front, and strikes a chord with the listener from the minute it spins. The second is albums like this - a quieter, less-assuming, almost experimental opus that grows better and more interesting every time you hear it. La Question is Françoise Hardy's 1971 "departure album" in that, for the first time in her career, she sang the type of deep, pensive, and even off-kilter ballads that had no immediate intent on commercial value so much as artistic merit. The instrumentation is sparse with guitarist and friend Tuca as her main accompaniment in addition to bass, the occasional strings, and keyboards. The only audible percussion occurs during the opening track "Viens," an appropriate attention grabber welcoming the listener to the chanteuse's personal journey, and also on the closer, the wound down, spoken-lyric groove called "Reve." In between it's mainly Tuca's flamenco style string plucking that provides the rhythmic jolt so delicately balanced by Françoise's lovely, reverb-induced voice. The title track, which follows its more rushed and immediate opener, sets the real pace for the album. It's a piano ballad replete with hushed, melancholy vocals as Françoise ponders one of her favorite themes: the pain of solitude and love lost. This theme is picked up again in "Oui Je Dis Adieu," a song whose sentiment aches as Françoise's vocal phrasings are drawn out like an extended sigh. The orchestration and Tuca's guitar punctuate the occasional silence between her words. Other album highlights include the haunting western ballad, "Si Mi Caballero," and "Bati Mon Nid," a more upbeat song (though essentially about a bird waiting for its partner) complete with a la la la refrain, standup bass, and a whimsical tone that placed it among Beck's top 10 during a recent DJ session. And because of the minimalist use of recording tracks and overdubs, what is laid down has a production quality so fresh and clear that listening to it with headphones 32 years later still gives you the impression you're in the studio as it's happening. This is simply a beautiful, understated album that sets an indescribable mood - something to do with twilight, fog, and contemplation.

Francoise Hardy distinguished herself in the sixties as the first French woman to record songs which she penned. Previously, the songs had been written and arranged by a producer. This collection from 1971 is quiet, tender accoustic music. MEME SOUS LA PLUE and BATI MON NID present pleasant, endearing melodies. The title cut, CHANSON D'O and LE MARTIEN add breathy vocals of a chanteuse to a dreamy, languid pace. LE MARTIEN is most interesting to me for its ascending theme. Hardy and Tuca, a Brazilian guitarist who helps with production, add variety to the selection by introducing different instruments, strings, flutes etc.. VIENS is exciting for its latin influence, and the happy tune whistled as the introduction to SI MI CABALLERO add to the bewitching allure. If you are interested in quiet, accoustic vocal music or in the music of one of France' greatest songwriters, this CD will interest you.

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5.0 out of 5 stars An oneiric album
This collaboration with Brazilian musician Tuca is just magnificent. It is a slower album than usual, with no pop/rock numbers, just ballads - delectable, dreamy, gossamer... Read more

Published on Jun 20 2000 by Hugo

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