Listening Project: Week 7: Music From a Painted Cave by Robert Mirabal

[Peter Reum]

The Music From a Painted Cave cd and dvd were developed to help young Indigenous children get in touch with their traditions and language. There are over 350 Indigenous North American  languages, many of which are spoken only by very old tribal members. The idea behind Mirabal's work on this cd was to get tribal youth excited about their traditions and languages. English is the common language of most of the US and Canadian tribes, even though their own languages are also spoken. To this end, the actual performance of Music From a Painted Cave was done as a theater performance, which is highly visual, not just auditory. There are a few snippets of the production on youtube.  Having attended Taos Pueblo dances open to the public since I was a small child, as well as other pueblo's dances, I was especially excited to see that Mirabal was helping other tribe's children to values and investigate their ancient languages and traditions. As I have grown older I have been lucky to witness more dances, like the Hopi Snakedance, the Lakota and Cheyenne Sundances, and The Mescalero Apache dances.  I am including a link to a couple of the visual presentations from the dvd of Music From a Painted Cave....    the first is a story about the Old Ones, a race of ancient giants... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6SqqeF9Do4      The second is called The Dance.... which explores the ties of sacred dancing to their culture:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_znb0MlHTY&list=PL1304B7C7EC96BE58

[the captain]

As a Minnesotan, I've been fortunate to see several Lakota dances, storytelling, and other cultural events. I've enjoyed many of them. And the mission behind this sounds admirable.

My main critique of this album wasn't the actual non-pop content, but rather that it felt artificially shoehorned together. It reminded me of Christian rock, or a schoolteacher encouraging students to rap to complete some project: just sort of forced. Cheesy.

But I'm glad your choice--as has been the trend throughout actually--wasn't a dull, play-it-safe one.

[alf wiedersehen]

I'm sorry no one seems to be enjoying your pick so far, Peter, but you seem to be handling it well.

I also was not a fan of Music from a Painted Cave. It feels very strange to me. It reminds me of something I might see in school as a child, where we take a field trip to a local museum and watch this. It also sounds very early-2000ish, which is not a pleasant sound for me. I understand why you might want to choose something more accessible, but I think I would enjoy it more if you chose something with music that that more resembled the culture and was a bit more... tribal, I guess.

[Peter Reum]

I don't often promote my Reuminations blog here, but in response to your post, I will refer participants from this week to my critical overview of Robert Mirabal's recorded work. That entry may be found here...  https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6248747975825036896#editor/target=post;postID=8270279716704084553;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=10;src=postname   

For those of you who don't want to slog through the whole piece, I would suggest Taos Tales or Indian Indian, which are more personal recordings to his tribe and family. For traditional Indigenous flute, I will suggest his work recorded under the name Of Johnny Whitehorse, which is very authentic to Pueblo music. The Taos drum heard on these albums is a revelation in itself. Most of these albums may be heard on Spotify or Rdio. Mirabal is a two time Grammy winner, and a much honored artist who has played in over 40 countries around the world.

[feelsflow]

http://peternreum.blogspot.com/2014/08/robert-mirabal-voices-in-indigenous.html

I read Reuminations.  Believe this is the article Peter was linking to.  When I tried his link it didn't work on my browser, but this does.  I'd also suggest you look into Robert's site.  I don't have the link handy, but I think it's just http://www.robertmirabal.com  He did a nice Thanksgiving post.  A point of view worth your time.

It's Sunday, so I don't think I'll be able to post my review until tomorrow.  Three really great football games today in my area.  My eyes are on a different screen.

I will say, if you read this article you will find out why this music is so important to him.  That's what all the picks have been so far.  A personal connection.

[Dudd]

Ack - I'm with Mr. Waves and the captain here, unfortunately.

My main critique of this album wasn't the actual non-pop content, but rather that it felt artificially shoehorned together. It reminded me of Christian rock, or a schoolteacher encouraging students to rap to complete some project: just sort of forced. Cheesy.

Yeah, this nailed it. There was something all too thin about the sound - very little energy or authenticity. Just couldn't get into it.
The performances on video were very entertaining, though.

[Peter Reum]

Thanks to feelsflow for correcting the link. I have a connection to the pueblos through my sister who was adopted at birth from Picuris and San Ildefonso Pueblos. The pueblos are very insular and secretive. Mirabal provides an important bridge to their way of looking at the world, which is similar to the Hopi. The blog that is referenced in feelflows' post by Mirabal is an excellent insight into his art and way of looking at the world. The music is another way of expressing that viewpoint. Taos Pueblo has been the way it is for close to 1000 years...they have a way of living that I personally feel is worth learning about, simply because they will be here long after other civilizations are gone. 

[feelsflow]

It would be impossible for me to describe Mirabal's music and life better than Peter did in his article.  I won't even try.  He has lived with it, and will forever.

Neil Young musically and visually was probably my first connection, with his references to the Native American culture beyond the fake movies and tv portrayals.  In the late 60's/early70's spiritual music was much more accepted by young folks.  Hey, we even listened to Humpback Whales records.  There was a world wide connection to cultural music.  Not just Ravi or what your friends were meditating to in the back garden or their living room while playing finger cymbals.  Spiritual music was very popular.  If you listen to music by rockers like Morrison (Shamanic tie-in) or Townshend's championing of Meher Baba, they were influenced by it.  Paul Simon's career owes to it.  Celtic music is not so different.  My personal favorite is Brazilian, which has some influence on Mirabal's music.  Not bossa nova, but certainly samba and the deeper inland music of the Amazon's indigenous tribes.

In the seventies most of my friends were majoring in psychology, citing groups like the Moody Blues as direct inspiration to study the inner-workings of the mind.  Many of them had to go back later to get real degrees to get real careers.  I had a heavy arts background.  Me, my brother and his girlfriend formed a company in 1973 in the Santa Cruz mountains.  We called it Bearpath.  We made all sorts of Native American handcrafts - jewelry, wall hangings, barrettes and hair clips, art using natural materials (silver, turquoise, deer antler, suede, feathers, glass beads, shells, lapis, jade, amber, ect.).  Inspired by an indigenous group doing sand painting demonstrations (which they let blow away in the wind when they were finished!), I even tried my hand at that after we moved the company down to the desert north of Tucson in 1975.  I put mine on wood, so they still exist.  I don't know where to find it now, but then you could buy natural colored sand in Arizona and New Mexico - not the crap you see them pouring into bottles at county fairs.  It had to be natural man.  We mostly did wholesale, so visited Taos shops on a regular basis.  I explored the area where Mirabal grew up.  Maybe he was there playing with his friends when I went to Pueblo de Taos.  So this culture was a part of my life through the seventies.  When I lived in San Francisco, I would often go to cultural events, like what Robert is presenting, in Chinatown and Japan Town.  Robert is simply carrying on a tradition.

I have listened to a few artists that continue to embrace Native American music.  Robbie Robertson has done some interesting things.  And Rita Coolidge with her family, Walela.  Laura Shatterfield, Priscilla's daughter has sung on one track I played on a Mirabal record.  I was not familiar with Mirabal's music, but I did like it.

Music From a Painted Cave       Robert Mirabal

I played the album straight through later, but the first thing I tried to find was as much of the PBS special I could:

"The Dance" - Robert has a pleasant voice and this is powerful music.  My foot was tappin'!  An extraordinary Tribal-Rock track and performance by all.  The visuals really help to get this music across.

"Ee-You-Oo" - originally from Taos Tales (1999), he is using an old Taos melody - which I presume has his own lyrics.  I like it.  Bet Peter Gabriel does too.  Very similar in feel to his track "San Jacinto."  Forgot to name-check him in my opening.  He has done so much for World Music.

"Medicine Man" - also from Taos Tales.  I love the way he incorporates strings (heavy use of cello), guitars and a drum kit with native flutes, rattles and other ancient instruments into the music.  If you checked his site, you know he also makes flutes.

"Little Indians" - not one of his stronger tunes, but I do like the message.

"Courtship Song" - beautiful.  Just two flutes, with cello coming in towards the end.

"Stiltwalker" - a very moving piece.  I watched this first, and again at the end.  If the album order is the way the show went, I think it would be better as the opener.

The rest I could only find on spotify.  I'm going to look into seeing if I can find the DVD at the library.

"Skinwalker's Moon" - another Tribal-Rock number, not so different than Los Lobos.  Even a bit of Heart in the closing female vocals.  Possibly influenced by his work with Mark Andes.

"Shield Dance" - sets an eerie mood.  I want to see the visual for this.  Young braves readying for war.  Every track so far, I like.

"Runner's Dreamtime" - hypnotic South American beat.  Mostly drums and shakers, then...a didgeridoo.  Very nice.  From what I see didgeridoos come in many sizes.

"Hope" - sounds like 60's Canned Heat.  This track is different from any so far.  More traditional American Rock.  Sure he heard plenty of it on his travels.

"Painted Caves" - another track pulled from Taos Tales.  Some of these tracks sound like they were made for consideration on movie soundtracks.  This one for sure.  Another very moving track.  I will check that album out soon.

Then the album falls apart for the next five tracks.  "1000 Miles" is more contemporary rock.  "Drum Battle"  is an uninteresting drum solo - something I don't enjoy by anyone.  "Navajo Fires" "An Kah Na" "Sisters" - this whole stretch of tracks doesn't seem to fit in.  Maybe with visuals it worked, but not as album tracks.  That is why I thought "Stiltwalker" seems out of place coming after these very contemporary numbers.  If I was the producer, I would have put "Stiltwalker as the opener, and closed with "Painted Caves."  He's told his story.  Or put in more tracks from his other albums.  Peter, are all sixteen tracks in the performance piece?

Overall this is very good.  I don't need repeat listens to say that.  I was surprised so many commenters didn't like it.  It could be that by living through the 70's matters with this one.

     

[alf wiedersehen]

So... are we gonna move on to the next album at some point?

[the captain]

Unreleased Backgrounds is up next. Schedule probably just a little off, as we started last week late, holiday, etc. but I'm curious about what's next.

[Please delete my account]

Yes, I'm happy to name an album whenever we're ready

[feelsflow]

I'm ready.  We should try to get back to picks on Sunday now that the holiday is over.  I want to give every pick enough time to sink in.  So far most have been new to me.

Sorry my last one was late.  Been trying to get them posted by Friday.  Football consumes my week-ends.  College ball on Saturday has pretty much ended til the play-offs, and my teams didn't make it this year anyway.
So.  unreleased backgrounds?

[Please delete my account]

Very well I choose "Marieke" (1961) by Jacques Brel



http://open.spotify.com/album/0aDtrIiTp743UXccAuHcng

The album has nine songs, any after that on Spotify are bonus tracks.
A rough English translation of the lyrics to follow.

[Please delete my account]

Rough English translations (done by me over the years, sometimes with help from other people's translations online). Not too much confidence is to be placed in them.

Marieke

Ay, Marieke, Marieke, I loved you so
between the towers of Bruges and Ghent.
Ay, Marieke, Marieke, a long time ago,
between the towers of Bruges and Ghent.

[in Flemish:] Without love, warm love,
the wind blows, the dry wind
without love, warm love
the sea weeps, the grey sea ,
Without love, warm love
dim light flickers, the dark light
and blows sand across my land,
my flat land, my Flanders land

Ay, Marieke, Marieke, the Flemish sky
colours the towers of Bruges and Ghent.
Ay, Marieke, Marieke, the Flemish sky
cries with me from Bruges to Ghent.
[in Flemish:] Without love, warm love,
the wind blows, (it's over)
without love, warm love
the sea weeps, (it's over already)
Without love, warm love
dim light flickers, (all is over)
and blows sand across my land,
my flat land, my Flanders land

Ay, Marieke, Marieke, the Flemish sky
hangs too heavy from Bruges to Ghent
Ay, Marieke, Marieke, over your twenty years
that I loved so from Bruges to Ghent

[in Flemish:] Without love, warm love,
the Devil laughs, the black Devil
without love, warm love
my heart burns, my old heart
Without love, warm love
the summer dies, the sad summer
and blows sand across my land,
my flat land, my Flanders land

Ay, Marieke, Marieke, bring back the times
bring back the times of Bruges and Ghent.
Ay, Marieke, Marieke, bring back the times
when you loved me from Bruges to Ghent.

Ay, Marieke, Marieke, often the nights
between the towers of Bruges and Ghent.
Ay, Marieke, Marieke, all the pools
open their arms to me from Bruges to Ghent.
From Bruges to Ghent!

Le moribond
(The dying man)

Goodbye Emile, I liked you well
Goodbye Emile, I liked you well, you know.
We sang of the same wines,
We sang of the same girls,
We sang of the same miseries.
Goodbye Emile, I'm going to die.
It's hard, dying in the Spring, you know.
But I leave the peace in my soul to the flowers.
And since you're the salt of the earth,
I know you'll take care of my wife.
I want them to laugh,
I want them to dance,
I want them to rave like madmen
when they put me down that hole.

Goodbye my priest, I liked you well
Goodbye my priest, I liked you well, you know.
We weren't on the same side,
we went on different paths
but we were both looking for the same harbour.
Goodbye my priest, I'm going to die.
It's hard, dying in the Spring, you know.
But I leave the peace in my soul to the flowers
And as you were her confessor,
I know you'll take care of my wife.
I want them to laugh,
I want them to dance,
I want them to rave like madmen
when they put me down that hole.

Goodbye Antoine, I didn't like you much
Goodbye Antoine, I didn't like you much, you know.
I'm dying of dying today.
And look at you, full of life!
and twice as heavy as ennui.
Goodbye Antoine, I'm going to die.
It's hard, dying in the Spring, you know.
But I leave the peace in my soul to the flowers
And as you were her lover,
I know you'll take care of my wife.
I want them to laugh,
I want them to dance,
I want them to rave like madmen
when they put me down that hole.

Goodbye my wife, I loved you well
Goodbye my wife, I loved you well, you know.
But I'm taking the train to the Good Lord.
I'm just taking an earlier train than you.
But one takes whatever train one can.
Goodbye my wife, I'm going to die.
It's hard, dying in the Spring, you know.
But I leave my closed eyes to the flowers
And as you kept them closed so often,
I know you'll take care of my soul.
I want them to laugh,
I want them to dance,
I want them to rave like madmen
when they put me down that hole.

Vivre debout
(To live upright)

Here we hide ,
When the wind rises,
Afraid that it pushes us
towards too fierce battles
Here we hide,
with each new love,
which each in turn tell us,
“I am the true one”
Here we hide
so that our shadow is for a moment,
a child's shadow,
better to run from anxiety
The shadow that habit planted on us
When we were young
Is it impossible to live upright?

Here we kneel,
half capsized,
Under the incredible weight,
Of our imaginary crosses,
Here we kneel,
already fallen,
For having been tall
Within the confines of a mirror,
Here we kneel,
Although our hope,
Is reduced to praying,
Although it's too late,
We can no longer win
At all these rendezvous
That we have missed,
Is it impossible to live upright?

Here we lie
For the slightest affair
For the slightest flower
To whom we say always,
Here we lie
The better to lose our mind,
The better to burn the boredom,
To some remembrances of love,
Here we lie,
From desire which ends
from prolonging the day,
To better make our way,
To Death who prepares
To be at the end,
Our own fate
Is it impossible to live upright?

On n'oublie rien
(You Forget Nothing)

You forget nothing, nothing, you forget nothing at all.
You forget nothing of anything, you just get used to it- that's all.

Not those departures, not those arrivals, nor those voyages which capsize us
from landscapes to landscapes and from faces to faces.
Not those ports, not those bars, not those cockroach-traps
where you wait for the grey morning at the cinema with your whisky.
Not any of this, nor anything in the world can ever make us forget, as sure as the world is round.

You forget nothing, nothing, you forget nothing at all.
You forget nothing of anything, you just get used to it- that's all.
not those nevers, not those alwayses, not those I love you's, nor those affairs
that you pursue across hearts from grey to grey, from tears to tears.
Not those white arms of a one night stand, that woman's necklace for our ennui,
unfastened in the early morning as a promise of return.
Not any of this, nor anything in the world can ever make us forget, as sure as the world is round.

You forget nothing, nothing, you forget nothing at all.
You forget nothing of anything, you just get used to it- that's all.

not even the times when I would have written a thousand songs of my regrets,
nor even the times when my memories take my wrinkles for a smile,
nor the bed where my remorse has a date with death,
that I some days wish for, such as on holidays.
Not any of this, nor anything in the world can ever make us forget, as sure as the world is round.

You forget nothing, nothing, you forget nothing at all.
You forget nothing of anything, you just get used to it- that's all.

Clara

I love you so Clara
I love you so
Carnival at Rio
You can always dance
you can change nothing
I died in Paris
a long time ago already
I died of boredom
a long way from you

Carnival at Rio
You can always sing
you can change nothing
Fallen in the battlefield of love
for a girl's name
which always said to me...

Carnival at Rio
You can always turn
you can change nothing
I died in Paris
from fooling myself
from killing myself
from giving myself away

Carnival at Rio
You can always dance
you can change nothing
I died in Paris
pierced by a flower
at the pole of its bed
of twelve laughs in the heart

Carnival at Rio
you can always shout
you can change nothing
I died in Paris
a thousand days ago
a thousand nights ago
there is no longer any hope

Carnival at Rio
you can get me drunk
you can change nothing
I died in Paris
Where I've been buried
for a thousand nights
at the bottom of my glass

Carnival at Rio
you can carnival
I died in Paris
So Death could console me
Death is over here
Death is Spanish.

Le prochain amour
(The next love)

It's been well noted, it's been oft-quoted
That a forewarned man is worth two
It's been well noted, it's been oft-quoted
That it's well and good to be in love

I know, I know that this next love
Will be for me the next defeat
I already know, upon starting the feast
The dead leaf that will be the morning after
I know, I know, without knowing your name
That I will be your next captive
I know already that it's with a whisper
That a pool imprisons a stream

I know, I know that this next love
Won't live to the next summer
I know already that when two roads kiss
It only lasts for the length of a crossroads
I know, I know that this next happiness
Will be for me the next time of war
I know already the awful prayer
that one must cry when the other has won

I know, I know that this next love
Will be for us a new reign
Where we'll both think we're carrying the ball and chain
Where we'll both think that the other is on velvet
I know, I know that my tender weakness
Will make us into enemy ships
But my heart knows that enemy ships
Leave together to fish for tenderness

For it's been well noted,
That a forewarned man is worth two
It's been well noted, it's been oft-quoted
That it's good for us to be in love

L'ivrogne
(The Drunk)

Friend, fill up my glass.
Just once more and I'm gone, just once more and I'll go.
No, I'm not crying.
I'm laughing! I'm happy! But I'm sick of being me.
Friend, fill up my glass.
Friend, fill up my glass.

Let's drink to your health, you who have so strongly said
that all will work out fine, that she'll come back.
Too bad you're a liar, heartless bartender.
I'll be drunk in an hour, I'll be without misery.
Let's drink to the health of laughing friends,
who I'll find again, who'll come back to me.
Too bad those Lords abandoned me on the ground.
I'll be drunk in an hour, I'll be without anger.

Let's drink to my health, so they'll drink with me,
so they'll come dance with me and share my joy.
Too bad that the dancers left me beneath the moon.
I'll be drunk in an hour, I'll be without rancour.
Let's drink to the girls I still have left to love,
let's drink already to the girls I'm going to make cry.
And too bad about the flowers they refuse from me.
I'll be drunk in an hour, I'll be without passion.

Let's drink to the whore who twisted my heart.
Let's drink amidst misery, let's drink amidst tears.
And too bad about the tears that are crying me tonight.
I'll be drunk in an hour, I'll be without memory.
Let's drink night after night, since I'm too ugly
for the slightest girl, for the slightest regret.
Let's drink just because, let's drink for drinking's sake,
I'll be fine in an hour, I'll be without hope.

Friend, fill up my glass.
Just once more and I'm off, just once more and I'll go.
No, I'm not crying.
I'm laughing, I'm happy, it's all worked out fine!
Friend, fill up my glass! Friend, fill up my glass!

Les Prénoms de Paris
Names for Paris

The sun which rises and caresses the roofs, that's Paris the Day.
The Seine which walks and takes me by the hand, that's Paris Always.
And my heart which stops upon meeting your smiling heart, that's Paris Hello.
And your hand in my hand, which has already said “yes”, that's Paris Love.
The first date at Ile Saint-Louis, that's Paris Beginning.
And the first kiss stolen at the Tuileries, that's Paris Good Luck.
And the first kiss received under an archway, that's Paris Romance.
And two heads which turn and look at Versailles, that's Paris France.

The days we forget that forget to watch us, that's Paris Hope.
The hours when our gazes are but one gaze alone, that's Paris Mirror.
Nothing but the nights to separate our songs, that's Paris Goodnight.
And finally that day when you no longer say no, that's Paris Tonight.
A sad little bedroom, where the world stops turning, that's Paris Us.
A look which recalls all the tenderness in the world, that's Paris Your Eyes.
An oath that I cry rather than say, that's Paris If You Want.
And to know that tomorrow will be like today, that's Paris Miraculous!

But the end of the journey, the end of the song, that's Paris Grey.
The last day, the last hour, also the first tear, that's Paris Rain.
These gardens dug up that have lost their beauty, that's Paris Ennui.
The train station that achieves the final rupture, that's Paris Over.
Far from the eyes and the heart that we hunted in Paradise, that's Paris Misery.
-But one letter from you, a letter that says “yes”, that's Paris Tomorrow!
The towns and villages, the wheels trembling with luck, that's Paris On The Road.
And you awaiting me there and all that recommences... that's Paris I'm Returning!

Les Singes
(The Monkeys)

Before them, before the bare-bottomed ones, the flower, the bird and us were free.
But they came and the flower's in a pot, the bird's in a cage and we all have numbers.
For they invented prisons and the condemned, courts and keyholes, and tongues cut off at the first offence.
And it's all since they were civilised, the monkeys in my neighbourhood

Before them, there was no problem growing bananas even during Lent.
But they came full of intolerance to hunt the apostles of other intolerances.
For they invented the hunt of the Albigensians, the infidels and whoever else.
They hunt wiser monkeys who don't like to hunt.
And it's all since they were civilised, the monkeys in my neighbourhood.

Before them, a man was a prince; a woman a princess; love a province.
But they came along and the prince is a beggar, the province is dead and the princess a whore.
For they invented the love that is a sin, the love that is an affair,
the marketplace for virgins, the rule of the pimp and the procuress,
and it's all since they were civilised, the monkeys in my neighbourhood.

Before them, there was peace on earth, just one soldier per ten elephants.
But they came and it's to the blows of the baton
That the state finds reason after reason to fight.
For they've invented the impaling spike
and the gas chamber and the electric chair
and the napalm bomb and the atomic bomb
and it's all since they were civilised, the monkeys in my neighbourhood.

[alf wiedersehen]

Well, I really like Scott Walker, so I look forward to listening to this.
I've seen Brel do "Amsterdam" live on YouTube, which was pretty great.

[Please delete my account]

For Youtube users:

Marieke https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csNdJOaRpVQ
Le moribond https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKPH9u56GjQ
Vivre debout https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH9GSEyflKI
On n'oublie rien https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXv0NMhyMyQ
Clara https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlVpZbkshZs
Le prochain amour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EA0wQQ4u3U
L'ivrognehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x-l1-APTOg
Les prénoms de Paris https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCSIGNBGjIo
Les singes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcGsiyJcNGQ

[alf wiedersehen]

On first listen, I liked it. I can certainly get a feeling for a lot of where Scott Walker drew inspiration (especially the title track). I think the backing tracks were good, although some seemed very French. "On N'Oubile Rien" seems like something I can picture playing during a montage of someone doing some French stuff in France. However, while I thought he was a good singer, I think the fact that it was in an entirely different language held me back a bit from actually becoming immersed in it.

I think he's a pretty good lyric writer, as well. I particularly like the lines "Not those ports, not those bars, not those cockroach-traps/where you wait for the grey morning at the cinema with your whisky." The last song doesn't seem like a shining moment for Brel, although he does deliver the song with a good measure of conviction. Maybe that's a case of not understanding the lyrics being in my favor.

Anyway, I did like it. I'll have to listen a few more times to see if Brel is someone I would like to explore further.

[feelsflow]

Very well I choose "Marieke" (1961) by Jacques Brel

Very well chosen it is!

Marieke           Jacques Brel

This is the first time I've listened to Brel sing Brel.  I have no problem with music sung in languages I can't completely understand.  I own nearly all of Antonio Carlos Jobim's catalogue.  So for over twenty-five years I have tried to learn Portuguese.  I've learned to write it okay, but not speak it beyond singing along.  I think you've done a fine job translating the lyrics.  And Brel's lyrics are stunning.  That's where I started.  I read all the lyrics first, then referred back to them, going back and forth to the youtube links.  Thanks for going to the trouble of doing both.  It really helped me understand his music better.

We've all heard his songs done by others.  I guess the first was "Alabama Song" by the Doors.  This was an interesting listen.

"Marieke" - I love this song.  Judy Collins did a wonderful version in 1970 using Brel's original lyrics.  I couldn't resist watching her do it with the Boston Pops Orchestra in 1976 when I noticed the link while listening to Brel's take.  His backing track is gorgeous.  Maybe better than Judy's arrangement, but he sings in a much more aggressive way.  Perhaps to get the emotion over.  In any case I like this very much.

"Le moribund" - Again the backing track is a thrill.  But also again, his singing is almost a marching tempo.  I love it though.  It's hard to give something I've never heard before the attention needed to sink in.  Not on a couple of listens, and that's all the time I have.  These first two turned out to be two of my three favorites on the album.  What can one say about such lyrics?  A story not often told.  The kind of thoughts Cohen might come up with.

"Vivre de bout" - I think I've heard this before, but not by Brel.  They often did this kind of music on the variety shows in the 60's and 70's.  Brel must have come to America.  Any further research will have to wait til later.  We've got to go back to picks on Sunday.  I had a bit of a hard time understanding what he is trying to say with this song.  What does he mean by "to live upright?"

"On n'oublie rien" - I sure understand the feeling he's going for on this one.  Dark.  Not about to forget all the wrongs he lives with.  Bubbly's right on target quoting that line, but all the lines hit targets.  This guy's been up all night on a date with a bottle.  A very powerful song.  I will try to search this out sung in English.

"Clara" - the backing track beat rocks.  Great use of stereo.  Aah, looking back to the lyrics - it's about Carnival in Rio.  No wonder I like the beat.

""Le prochain amour" and "L 'ivrogne" - you can't fault his lyrics, but I didn't like the melody on either.  Which led to me not liking the songs much.  If I can, I'll listen to some more of his stuff and comment later.  He is an artist that should be given a deeper look.  time, time...if we only had more.

"Les pre'noms de Paris" - Is there a special key on your keypad that allows you to make the comma above the letter?  This track needs time to set in, to live with the mood of the lyrics.  I don't grasp the repeated use of marching tempo in his singing.  Do you understand what he's singing/saying while listening?  Maybe that would make a difference.

"Les singes" - this is my #3 favorite.  Love the Brazilian touches.  The lyrics are top notch and must have influenced Colin's (xtc) lyrics to "The Smartest Monkeys."

This was another great pick.  Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

[Please delete my account]

Thanks for the responses! Feelsflow, "Alabama Song" was Brecht and Weill, though I agree its a similar style.

What does he mean by "to live upright?"

He said it meant living and preserving your dignity. I saw it translated by someone online as "to live standing up"  but I thought "upright" sounded more poetic.

"Les pre'noms de Paris" - Is there a special key on your keypad that allows you to make the comma above the letter? 

On my keyboard, hold down alt while typing 130 (on the number keys on the right)

I'll post my thoughts in a moment.

[Please delete my account]

So, Jacques Brel, along with Jonathan Richman, is my favourite singer-songwriter. I have all fifteen of his albums in a box set and listen to them all the time. So its possible that I have got to the point that I've lost objectivity. I love the music he produced (with a lot of help from his pianist, his orchestra director, and others) with its drama, its poetry and passion. And what are, to me, amazing tunes.

It was hard to choose which album, I ended up going for this one because of the Beach Boys connection, the fact it's short, accessible ( I hope) and there aren't any awful songs on it, and although it's not maybe his very best it's up there amongst the best.

"Marieke" is probably my favourite song on it. I named one of my cats after this song, who was sat on my lap until a moment ago.

"Le moribond", in case you didn't make the connection, is the original of "Seasons in the Sun" before Rod McKuen got his hands on it. This is still my favourite version. I love the lyrics. I like the ambiguity, how you can read it as sarcastic and bitter or take it at face value as the words of a man who realises that we all have to die, it's his turn now and he has made his peace and is saying a tender farewell to those close to him.

"Vivre debout" is one of two songs I always skip. It's OK but with so many great Brel songs to listen to I get choosy. It sounds sort of Spanish to me. Very moody and tense.
His singing sounds quite bad here. Maybe when I like his songs more, that automatically makes his voice sound better to me, but I do think the quality of his singing varies hugely across his output.

"On n'oublie rien" is another favourite. The song that years ago convinced me I had to get all his albums, as it wasn't on the double-disc compilation I'd been content with up to that point.

"Clara" is too jazzy and repetitive for me. Another one to skip. By the way, its the one that the English translation I posted is most likely to be wrong as I did it relatively hastily, having never bothered to read the words before.

"Le prochain amour" is a really beautiful song, despite the rather negative and pessimistic view of love and women. Brel's biggest fault for me is his misogyny. But I love the tune.

"L'ivrogne" is another masterpiece. I prefer a live version but that might be just because hearing the audience response adds to the drama. Brel was fascinated by this kind of character.

"Les prénoms" is another favourite. The marching rhythm Will mentions I find really exciting. It feels like riding through the song on horseback, a little too fast. My favourite part is the quick change in mood in the final verse from despair to elation.

"Les singes" sounds really modern and advanced to me for 1961. I think it really rocks. I love the lyrics and the righteous anger. A brilliant closer and a song that ought to be much better known.

This songs on this album, more than any other Brel album I think, exist in different versions. Three of the songs were done in Flemish for an EP, then five of them appear on a live album (Olympia 1961- much better version of "prénoms") and five of them were rerecorded for a album of reimaginings for a different label in 1972 ("Marieke", a radically reinvented "Le moribond", and arguably improved versions of "On n'oublie rien", "prénoms", and "le prochain amour"). So some of you might prefer some of those versions. Though I often listen to the other versions myself, I still like to hear such a great cluster of songs (except two!) as they originally appeared together.

Some of my other favourite Brel songs:
Ne me quitte pas
Au suivant
La chanson de Jacky
Jef
Les bourgeois
La bière
Mathilde
Les vieux
Le gaz
J'arrive
La statue
Les Marquises
Quand on n'a que l'amour

The list goes on and on!

[the captain]

As a fan of "traditional" (loosely defined for these purposes as pre-rock western/popular) songs, I found Brel an enjoyable assignment. Unfamiliar with Brel, I quickly heard echoes of, similarities to, and precursors of Weill/Brecht, Leonard Cohen, Randy Newman, Tom Waits. Arrangements and performances felt like a theater piece, which is for me a good thing. The arrangements were well designed to showcase and further the vocal and/or lyric, as is the case in a musical: tempo changes, volume changes (to the point of dropping out entirely), etc. The instrumentation was great, if almost feeling like a parody of French song on occasion.

Like Bubbly Waves, the language barrier was a challenge. My approach was to listen a couple of times without the translation in hopes of experiencing the songs. Brel's voice at turns desperate, angry, playful, and sweet, I felt able to absorb and enjoy them. Once I had a feel for the album, then I listened while consulting the lyrics. And those lyrics are really good. I wish I understood more than the tiniest bit of French that the Spanish and Latin I took a couple decades ago allow me so I could read them as written and sung rather than in translation. (Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate the translations, Unreleased Backgrounds! I just mean there is always a nuance or spirit that can't be translated.)

The obvious standout is the obvious standout, the one that has become a standard, "Le Moribond," which I only knew in its American incarnations. I was also really fond of the title song, "Les Singes," and maybe most of all, "L'ivrogne," to which I've listened half a dozen or more times this morning. That romantic drunk is an image that lends itself beautifully to art, where it is more sympathetic than in reality (as you're tugging him from a fight, paying for the damage, or avoiding the vomit).

Great selection, thanks for the introduction to Brel.

[the captain]

Are we reverting to the initial Sundays schedule? Or giving Brel a little longer since it was a late pick? Any thoughts?

MugginsXO, are you still around / interested in managing the thread?

Bubbly Waves, you're next (whenever we are moving on--I don't mind either way, whether we get back to Sundays or let this one ride a bit).

[alf wiedersehen]

Are we reverting to the initial Sundays schedule? Or giving Brel a little longer since it was a late pick? Any thoughts?

MugginsXO, are you still around / interested in managing the thread?

Bubbly Waves, you're next (whenever we are moving on--I don't mind either way, whether we get back to Sundays or let this one ride a bit).

Yeah, I figured I would just wait until next Sunday, considering we haven't had Brel for that long, not a lot of people have chimed in, and MugginsXO hasn't even changed the thread title. I'm in no rush, but I'm open to hearing what other people think we should do.

[the captain]

That works for me.

[Peter Reum]

I love the music of Jacques Brel, and this is no exception. Thanks for reminding me of an old favorite. I first encountered his work at Colorado College, as an undergraduate. I heard some of Rod McKuen and Glenn Yarborough's recordings of Brel's music, which led me to Brel;s own recordings.