Musique 365: Day 365: Zoolook – Jean-Michel Jarre

For one of the most innovative albums of the last 40 years, Jarre took samples of speech and song from 25 different languages, then sampled and looped them, weaving them in, so that they become an integral part of the music and rhythm (try the opening of ‘Zoolook’). The only recognised vocalist to appear is Laurie Anderson, whose enigmatic, unmistakeable tones dominate ‘Diva’. But the masterpiece is the monumental opening track which is hard to characterise as it moves from a calm and gentle opening section, through to a hi-energy peak, always with speech and song samples to the fore. An epic 12 minute journey.

Stand-Out Track: Ethnicolor

Musique 365: Day 341: Waiting For Cousteau – Jean-Michel Jarre

An album that promised so much, with an intriguing and well-devised trio of tracks called ‘Calypso’ to start with. This is followed though by a title track of nearly 47 minutes which consists of electronic noodling and doodling where little of note happens. For me, the album is notable for the first 22 minutes, but nothing thereafter.

Stand-Out Track: Calypso

 

Musique 365: Day 261: Revolutions – Jean-Michel Jarre

With an industrial symphony, a tribute to a murdered ANC activist (Dulcie September), a collaboration with legendary Shadows guitarist Hank Marvin, you would be right to label this as a mixed bag. Not one of his best as a whole, but strangely enough it’s ‘London Kid’ with Marvin’s iconic guitar work rising above the pounding electronic drums and general synth layers which captures one’s attention most.

Stand-Out Track: London Kid

Musique 365: Day 259: Rendez-Vous – Jean-Michel Jarre

This was the the main component of huge cityscape concerts which attracted hundreds of thousands in Houston and Lyon in the late 80’s. It’s extravagant, verbose (if you can say that about music with no lyrics) and pulls no electronic punches at all (try the opening of Second Rendez-Vous, if you need convincing). However, there is more than a little poignancy when you reach the conclusion (Sixth Rendez-Vous) knowing that the saxaphone part should have been recorded in space by the ill-fated Challenger Space Shuttle astronaut Ron McNair. Quite fittingly, it is a slow and thoughtful piece with sax to the fore and a bass line of heart beats throughout.

Stand-Out Track: Sixth Rendez-Vous

Musique 365: Day 231: Oxygène – Jean-Michel Jarre

The original, frontier-breaking electronic album. Quite hard to imagine that it is nearly 40 years old now and yet, still sounds fresh. It was one of my first JMJ albums and remains a great collection of beautifully-crafted soundscapes, finishing with the waves crashing and the seagulls plaintively calling ….

Stand-Out Track: Oxygène 6

Musique 365: Day 195: Metamorphoses – Jean-Michel Jarre

Late Jarre, but good Jarre. Appropriate for ‘le quatorze juillet’ too!

Something of a departure from his previous work as there are songs (gasp!) with lyrics (faints!!). Laurie Anderson (appears on Zoolook, but you’ll have to wait till 31st December for that one!) returns on ‘Je me souviens’.

This is an interesting package of material with (for example) the chorus of ‘Tout Est Bleu’ bursting through the somewhat overcast verses.

Stand-Out Track: Tout Est Bleu

Musique 365: Day 184: Magnetic Fields – Jean-Michel Jarre

The pioneer of electronic music, here trying out sampling (which would only really come to the fore in ‘Zoolook’ but you’ll have to wait till New Year’s Eve for that one). Magnetic Fields 2 piles on relentlessly through high-frequency drum-clacking and part 5 is the (rather odd) Last Rumba. Part 1 is 18 minutes of experiments containing 3 different phases. For something moodier and more effecting (particularly after it hits its stride in the second half) try …

Stand-Out Track: Magnetic Fields 4

 

 

Musique 365: Day 127: Hong Kong – Jean-Michel Jarre

I did like Jarre! (and still do …)

Electronic synth atmospheres with an eye for  melody. Large-scale concerts were his thing in the late 80’s and early 90’s. This one (apparently with only some of the tracks actually recorded in Hong Kong) trots out many of the current works of the time (focusing on Chronologie ) but has some moments that conjure up the flavour of the Far East….

Stand-Out Track: Souvenir of China

Musique 365: Day 88: Equinoxe – Jean-Michel Jarre

The follow-up to Oxygene. In the 80’s you could get both albums on one cassette. The only problem was that the tape it was on was as thin as Kate Moss on a diet, with the result that sound quality was poor. Only with the advent of CD did we get to hear the full range of the great Frenchman’s electronic noodlings.

Stand-Out Track: Equinoxe 7

Musique 365: Day 63: Concerts in China – Jean-Michel Jarre

Ground-breaking at the time (1982) for a Western artist to play in China. With the use of soundbytes from around China (radio shows, interviews) interspersed throughout the recording as well as the polite audience applause (sometimes at rather strange places), this is a piece of musical history with many items composed especially.

Stand-Out Track: Night in Shanghai