Serge Gainsbourg [Universal]

• Artist: Serge Gainsbourg
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1999
• Type: Compilation (best of)
• Genre: Rock

Review

It's difficult to rate any collection of Serge Gainsbourg's music as less than classic, since there is scarcely a thing, in all the years he recorded, that is less than stellar, depending on your point of view. Many might feel this double set from Universal deserves a higher -- perhaps even perfect -- grade for its impeccable selection of 36 tracks from gamut of Gainsbourg's career. And while no one can argue with track selection, this reviewer can take (minor) issue with the manner in which the tracks are sequenced and their complete lack of documentation and context. To begin any two-CD set with "Marilou Reggae" is surely not the best place to start, particularly when followed by the ultra-camp "L'Ami Caquette." It would have been better if the set had begun with "Couleur Café" or even "Comic Strip" and eased into the more obscure material. Also, placing the years these tracks were released might have helped the uninitiated listener understand better what it was Gainsbourg was trying to put across. Still, the tracks themselves are well-chosen: "69 Annee Erotique," "La Fille au Rasoir," "Cargo Culte," "Ballade de Melody Nelson," "La Javanaise," "Nazi Rock," "Pamela Popo," "Good Bye Emmanuelle," and of course, "Je T'aime...Moi Non Plus," among others. There are tracks from every period and almost every album, with the curious omission of tracks from Love on the Beat. There are so many fine, decadent dance tracks here, so many libidinal excesses reflected inside catchy rhythms and over-the-top lyrics, that the collection is impossible to ignore despite its flaws. And, given what exists in terms of Gainsbourg's retrospectives out there, this is simply the best two-CD collection available. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

Tracks

CD 1

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Marilou Reggae	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(2:09)
L' Ami Caouette	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(3:07)
Pauvre Lola	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(2:26)
Couleur Cafe	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(2:11)
Marilou Sous la Neige	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(2:23)
Pamela Pop	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(2:20)
Comic Strip	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(2:10)
Rock Around the Bunker	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(3:22)
Nazi Rock	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(3:07)
Annee Erotique	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(3:18)
La Fille au Rasoir	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(1:41)
L' Hotel Particulier	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(4:03)
Je Suis Venu Te Dire Que Je M'En Vais	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(3:21)
L' Homme À Tête de Chou	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(2:59)
Le Cadavre Exquis	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(2:54)
Initials B.B.	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(3:34)
L' Anamour	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(2:16)
Cargo Culte	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(7:38)

CD 2

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Ballade de Melody Nelson	Serge Gainsbourg, Jean-Claude Vannier	Serge Gainsbourg	(2:01)
Chez Max Coiffeur Pour Hommes	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(1:57)
Sensuelle et Sans Suite	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(3:01)
Premiers Symptomes	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(1:14)
Qui Est "In" Qui Est "Out"	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(2:11)
Meurtre À l'Extincteur	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(:48)
Je T'Aime... Moi Non Plus	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(4:22)
Par Hasard et Pas Rasé	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(2:26)
Sous le Soleil Exactement	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(2:50)
New York USA	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(2:15)
Ma Lou Marilou	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(2:40)
My Lady Heroïne	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(3:11)
Elisa	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(2:29)
La Javanaise	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(2:29)
Vu de l'Exterieur	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(3:39)
Valse de Melody	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(1:33)
Good Bye Emmanuelle	Serge Gainsbourg, Jean-Pierre Sabar	Serge Gainsbourg	(3:19)
Aeroplanes	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg	(2:34)

Credits

Serge Gainsbourg (Main Performer), Alain Goraguer (Conductor), Arthur Greenslade (Arranger), Arthur Greenslade (Orchestra), Jean-Claude Vannier (Arranger), Jacques Aubert (Photography)