Serge Gainsbourg

[Jason]

Guys, what do you all think of Serge's jazz material?

[I. Spaceman]

CHEZ COOL!

[Jason]

I feel two ways about it. I love the fact that his later work is so decadent and disgusting, the jazz sides just seem more restrained.

BTW, what instrument is Serge playing for these jazz sides? AMG says he played guitar and piano.

[I. Spaceman]

Yeah, the French trip is always comparatively restrained, that's part of their coolness. Over on this continent, we tend to see jazz as more of a let-it-all-hang-out thing. But Serge did that genre in the same way as his other work, in a detached and tongue-in-cheek manner. In some ways, I see him as a French Mose Allison. Not my favorite stuff, but damn groovy. I see him playing piano on that stuff, but mainly just digging and directing the scene.

[Jason]

It's very interesting jazz, Ian, a little bit of cabaret and lots of French-ness. Good dinner music (provided you're at a good restaurant).

Gainsbourg Percussions is an awesome album.

[I. Spaceman]

Yep, that's my favorite album from that period, as well. He was pretty ahead of his time, incorporating African rhythms like that, into a cool world-beat daddy-o stew.

[Jason]

That's something I notice that's been underrated about Serge and his use of rhythms. Especially on his reggae albums, he had a keen sense of rhythm. Lyrics aside, the man was a consumate musician. Lots of clever touches in his music.

[I. Spaceman]

YES! That's why Portishead-type musicians and hip-hop people get into him. Have you ever noticed the similarities between him and Isaac Hayes? They are scarily numerous.

[Jason]

YES! That's why Portishead-type musicians and hip-hop people get into him. Have you ever noticed the similarities between him and Isaac Hayes? They are scarily numerous.

EXACTLY! I agree wholeheartedly. I see the Isaac Hayes comparison, especially as far as the rhythms are concerned. I wonder if Serge was a taskmaster, considering how tight his music is rhythmically and instrumentally.

[I. Spaceman]

I think he was probably pretty harsh on stodgy studio musicians, but the circles he ran in were pretty stoned, from jazz cats to psych musicians to reggae mons. I think that's where Serge's head was at naturally, so he sought those people out, because they were on the same hypnotised wavelength.

[Jason]

I always thought that was so amazing about Serge, he was born in 1928 and in the late 50s, early 60s he was doing his jazz music. That fit in with his age group. I'm sure there were other people around his age, early 30s, playing jazz around that time. Then in the late 60s, nearing his forties, he gets a little more rock 'n roll and R&B. Most of the rock 'n rollers around that era, even in France, were in their mid to late 20s. Either it was trendy or there was a method to the madness. Then of course in the 70s and early 80s he went reggae in his early 50s. Then nearing 60 he did 80s pop better than most. The fact that his music always evolved and changed with the times just seems to add to his hipness. He was a hip jazz man, awesome popster, one of a kind reggae maestro, and synth funk genius. That's just awesome, man.

[I. Spaceman]

I know, man. The wild thing is that we can, and do, draw strong comparisons between Serge and such seemingly disparate musicians as Isaac Hayes, Scott Walker, Bryan Ferry, Frank Zappa and, yes, Jan Berry (another incredible arranger-artist-genre-stomper, and Jill Gibson was his Bardot-Birkin), and still remain on the mark. The 'Bourg encompasses all that and more. His status as a formerly fad-popular zany French dude is criminal. It's language-prejudice, plain and simple. He belongs in the top echelon, period.

[Jason]

I don't see what there is to dislike about Serge. There's something for everybody in his music. The language barrier never bothered me with him, nor did the fact that he rapped a good portion of his later material (I wonder how many packs a day Serge went through). Great music transcends languages and cultures. There's something to like about Serge if you're 18 or 80.

[I. Spaceman]

I don't see that anyone dislikes Serge, they just ignore and pigeonhole him, which is a far more sinister and insulting fate.

[Jason]

Well I guess it takes a certain hipness to discover artists of the quality (and country) of Serge, especially for us who don't speak the language. I found Serge on the All Music Guide because I was looking up foreign language rockers, having gone through Os Mutantes (a band you MUST check out, Ian) and expressing interest in We All Together. His styles listed were "Cabaret", "French Pop", "Foreign Language Rock", "Baroque Pop", "French Rock", and "Jazz-Pop". Just by reading those styles I got an idea how diverse the man's music was, even before any serious listening. The omission of a reggae tag was baffling when I began listening to all this reggae music bearing Serge's name.

Serge most likely is a highly revered cult figure here in the States, but as our French friends here can attest, he must be of a god-like stature in France and French-speaking territories. I know I will do my part to turn as many people onto Serge as I can.

[I. Spaceman]

We should invite that elusive goddess Daniele in to add to this thread, on the French-status score.
Daniele...come to us.

[Jason]

I think you and I are the only ones who care about this thread anymore, man.

Listening to No. 2 now. Enjoying every second of it.

[I. Spaceman]

We'll bring 'em in, sooner or later!
2 is great, too! I'm gonna listen now, too.

[Jason]

Ian, can you PM me a copy of Evguenie Sokolov? My copy is corrupted for some reason.

[I. Spaceman]

Definitely. I'll rip it.

[Jason]

Definitely. I'll rip it.

Your copy has the fart noises, right?

[Jason]

On a related note, his daughter Charlotte is hot.

[I. Spaceman]

Hell yes. Lemon Incest, indeed.

[Jason]

No. 4 is spinning now. More cool jazz from a cool cat.

[Jason]

What about Serge's reggae material, Ian? What do you think of that?