One for the
hipsters. In depth re-issue of Serge's greatest LP.
You have to hand it to
the French. As a nation they know how to “do cool”. And Serge
Gainsbourg did it better than most. With a genre-straddling career
over 4 decades, his status as a national treasure was assured via his
genuinely controversial and provocative lyrics and music. It's
difficult to imagine a UK artist generating a similar amount of
admiration and love were they to release records dealing with incest,
under-age sex, nazis, along with dub-reggae versions of the national
anthem. His funeral in 1991 brought a shocked Paris to a standstill.
It's a shame then that the world's most famous Gauloises smoker is
almost as well known over here for what he said to Whitney Houston on
a French chat show. Doubtless though the quality of his music which
will win out over time, and where better to start than what's often
cited as his greatest album, Histoire de Melody Nelson, now
being re-issued with added bonus material 40 years after it's initial
release.
Click over the jump for more on Histoire De Melody Nelson.
