C'Était Ici

• Artist: Yann Tiersen
• Rating:
• Release Date: May 20, 2003
• Type: Live
• Genre: Soundtrack

Review

The double-disc set C'Était Ici presents Yann Tiersen live in concert, performing highlights from his five studio albums and his score for the French film Amélie, the work for which he may be most widely known. While "La Valse d'Amélie" and "L'Autre Valse d'Amélie" sound just as sparkling and magical here as they did in the movie and on its soundtrack, and songs such as "C'Était Ici" and "Rue des Cascades" follow suit, the album gives equal time to the other sides of Tiersen's music. The pieces with vocals are particularly striking, especially "La Rupture," a winding epic that is as eerie as it is beautiful. The mellow, romantic "La Terrasse," meanwhile, highlights the undercurrents of French pop and rock that influence his work. Hints of French folk can be heard on tracks like "Déjà Loin" and the modern-day gypsy fiddling of "Sur le Fil," emphasizing the fact that while Tiersen blends elements of classical, pop, rock, and folk into his music, all of it is quintessentially French. The live format especially suits some of his more energetic songs, such as "Le Jour d'Avant" and "Le Banquet," both of which feature explosive, rock-oriented drumming. Then again, the beautifully intimate renditions of Serge Gainsbourg's "La Noyée" and Tiersen's own "Le Moulin" are just as powerful in a quiet way. The second disc digs deeper into Tiersen's discography, offering more of his longer, more involved compositions such as the swooning "Bagatelle," a collaboration with Dominique Ané, and the 12-minute "Fevrier," which conjures images of the grayest, longest-seeming month with ticking percussion and jittery, atonal pianos, guitars, and brass. Other highlights include the dreamy "Le Méridien" and "La Parade," which feature appropriately somnolent vocals from Lisa Germano, another of Tiersen's frequent collaborators, and the gorgeous "Monochrome," a paradoxically vivid description of day-to-day tedium sung by Ané. C'Était Ici functions almost like a greatest-hits collection of Tiersen's work: a welcome reminder for fans of his diverse talent, and an introduction to the rest of his work for those charmed by Amélie. While most two-hour live albums don't necessarily make a good introduction to an artist's work, C'Était Ici is a very happy exception to that rule. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide

Tracks

CD 1

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Intro		Yann Tiersen	(0:25)
La Valse d'Amélie	Yann Tiersen	Yann Tiersen	(2:05)
C'Était Ici	Yann Tiersen	Yann Tiersen	(1:53)
Rue des Cascades	Yann Tiersen	Yann Tiersen	(5:41)
La Rupture	Yann Tiersen	Yann Tiersen	(2:43)
La Terrasse	Yann Tiersen	Yann Tiersen	(3:57)
Déjà Loin	Yann Tiersen	Yann Tiersen	(3:02)
Sur le Fil	Yann Tiersen	Yann Tiersen	(3:38)
Le Jour d'Avant	Yann Tiersen	Yann Tiersen	(4:19)
Le Banquet	Yann Tiersen	Yann Tiersen	(2:55)
Les Jours Tristes	Neil Hannon, Yann Tiersen	Yann Tiersen	(3:41)
La Noyée	Serge Gainsbourg	Yann Tiersen	(3:24)
Le Moulin	Yann Tiersen	Yann Tiersen	(4:03)
Le Fromveur	Yann Tiersen	Yann Tiersen	(2:11)
L' Homme aux Bras Ballants	Yann Tiersen	Yann Tiersen	(6:04)
L' Autre Valse d'Amélie	Yann Tiersen	Yann Tiersen	(2:50)

CD 2

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Bagatelle	Yann Tiersen	Yann Tiersen	(4:17)
Le Méridien	Yann Tiersen	Yann Tiersen	(3:58)
L' Absente	Yann Tiersen	Yann Tiersen	(3:25)
La Parade	Yann Tiersen	Yann Tiersen	(3:34)
La Noyée II	Yann Tiersen	Yann Tiersen	(2:39)
Monochrome	Yann Tiersen	Yann Tiersen	(3:46)
Plus au Sud	Yann Tiersen	Yann Tiersen	(2:53)
Les Bras de Mer		Yann Tiersen	(4:03)
Comptine d'un Autre Été l'Après Midi	Yann Tiersen	Yann Tiersen	(2:24)
Le Quartier	Yann Tiersen	Yann Tiersen	(1:45)
La Crise	Yann Tiersen	Yann Tiersen	(3:05)
Février	Yann Tiersen, Christine Ott, Marc Sens, Christian Quermalet	Yann Tiersen	(12:57)
La Valse des Monstres	Yann Tiersen	Yann Tiersen	(7:15)

Credits

Lisa Germano (Chant), Lisa Germano (Guest Appearance), Lulu (Percussion), Lulu (Drums), Lulu (Metallophone), Edith (Trombone), Yann Tiersen (Guitar), Yann Tiersen (Piano), Yann Tiersen (Accordion), Yann Tiersen (Arranger), Yann Tiersen (Melodica), Yann Tiersen (Violone), Yann Tiersen (Chant), Yann Tiersen (Carillon), Yann Tiersen (Vibraphone), Yann Tiersen (Toy Piano), Yann Tiersen (Basse), I.S.O. (Ocarina), I.S.O. (Saxophone), I.S.O. (Baryton), Quatuor à Cordes (Melodica), Dominique A. (Guitar), Dominique A. (Arranger), Dominique A. (Chant), Dominique A. (Guest Appearance), Stephane Kraemer (Mixing), Christine Ott (Arranger), Christine Ott (Ondes Martenot), Marc Sens (Guitar), Marc Sens (Arranger), Marc Sens (E-Bow), Christian Quermalet (Drums), Jesse Hamilton (Violone), Irène Nazarian (Violone), Érikc "Boke" Nogue (Technical Director), Isabelle Penet (Violoncello), Sylvie Pinsello (Violone), Lionel Soulard (Technician), Nicolas Stevens (Violone), Olivier Tilkin (Violin), Fabrice Tison (Sonorisation Salle), Pascale Verne (Violone), Emmanuel Villemaux (Violone), Tom Vuerstack (Technician), Jean François Assy (Violoncello), Julian Beaufils (Sound Assistant), Julian Beaufils (Transportation), Emmanuel Adnert (Flute), Grégoire Alexandre (Photography), Mathieu Calonne (Transportation), Bruno Bouloux (Backline Technician), Guillaume Bourgogne (Direction), Marie Elsa Bretagne (Alto), Florentino Calvo (Mandolin), Valérie Cardoze (Violone), Pierre Cathelain (Bassoon), Daniel Chambard (Tuba), Muriel Charbonnier (Violone), D'Adrien Chobaut (Assistant), Elisabeth Cottam (Violone), Sylvie Dalmais (Violone), Amélie Darnis (Photography), David Darricarrère (?), David Darricarrère (Merchandising)