Ces Gens-L¿¿

by Jacques Brel

Overview

Take two 1964 EPs, Brel and L'Age Idiot, and what do you get? Ces Gens-La, a full-length album that brings the two together. This straightforward reissue retains the original set list, yet adds no bonus material, which is a shame. On the upside, though, it's a nifty little package that collects Jacques Brel's mid-decade nuggets. Although the layman will be most familiar with "Jef," "Chanson de Jacky," and "Mathilde," there are other songs that are equally, if not more so, as strong as the "hits." "Ces Gens-La" is a perfect example. Accompanied at first by the merest beat of keys on a piano, the song brings Brel's voice completely to the front as it starts a slow stroke before building to pure passion, backed by both strings and brass. It's a beautiful composition in which, in true style, the singer skewers both the family and the Church. And it's moments like these that only enforce the realization that there would only ever be one chansonnier of Brel's caliber. "Grand'mere" and "Fernand," meanwhile, bring a lighthearted touch to the proceedings. So much emphasis in the English-speaking world has been placed on Brel's core "classic songs" that everything else pretty much falls away. And until the reissue push of the late '90s and early 2000s, much that had only been released on vinyl was all but lost. This compilation then, is a vital, vibrant reminder that Brel was far more than just a handful of hits. ~ Amy Hanson

Product Details

Release Date:	09/25/2006
Label:	Barclay / Def Jam / Island / Umvd / Universal
UPC:	0602498081723
Rank:	220718

Tracks

1. Ces Gens-L¿¿
2. Jef
3. La Chanson de Jacky
4. Les Bergers
5. Le Tango Fun¿¿bre
6. Fernand
7. Mathilde
8. L' Age Idiot
9. Grand-M¿¿re
10. Les D¿¿sesp¿¿r¿¿s
11. Mijn Vlakke Land (Le Plat Pays)
12. Rosa
13. Burgerij (Les Bourgeois)
14. Nuttelozen Van de Nacht (Les Paumes du Petit Matin)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Jacques Brel   Primary Artist
Francois Rauber   Primary Artist,Conductor
Gerard Jouannest Ensemble   Orchestra
Orchestre De L'olympia   Orchestra

Technical Credits

Francois Rauber   Composer
Jacques Brel   Composer
Mort Shuman   Composer
Gerard Jouannest   Composer
Jean Corti   Composer