Françoise Hardy - La question (1971)

Of course, when talking about French pop music, Serge Gainsbourg's Histoire de Melody Nelson is unquestionably the best offering from the genre; the next best is La question by Françoise Hardy. I consider Hardy the preeminent of all French female vocalists; sadly, she never earned the respect she deserved on this side of the pond. Let's change all that.

Where Gainsbourg's Melody Nelson was a raunchy and lecherous romp through dirty Parisian alleyways- its seven tracks clock in just under 28-minutes; La question is a mellow affair, like a beckoning fireplace and bearskin rug after schussing down Courchevel all day. Sparely arranged (most tracks just feature Françoise and an acoustic guitar) it could have as easily fallen into the chanson category, the all-encompassing term used to describe most Francophone music that fell outside of standard pop/rock fare; think of Jacques Brel as the torch carrier. Although I would argue that this is a pop/rock album in the same vein that Carole King or Joni Mitchell could be considered her American counterparts. 

At the end of the day, Hardy could've made her career alone on her stunning good looks and her status as a fashion icon, but her voice and personality carry the music beyond that; this is really a wonderful album.

Françoise Hardy - La question (1971; Sonopresse Records)

Jacques Brel - Infiniment (2003)

I was introduced to the work of Jacques Brel by none other than Scott Walker (through his nine cover versions of Brel songs sprinkled throughout his first three albums). Brel was maybe the first "pop" superstar from across the pond, and once you get an earful of his plaintive melodies and his sad sack ne'er-do-well overtones; it's like being transported to some smoky club in Paris in the late 1950s. Never mind the fact that I can't speak a lick of French, it's his delivery that breaks your heart.

He's a misanthrope that you root for; you want him to get the girl he's pining after. Instead, later that night you're both sharing a bottle of Merlot, smoking from his pack of Gitanes and weeping about your collective misfortunes. Ah, Brel.

Anyway, I'm not a huge fan of greatest hits-slash-career retrospective compilations, but this one from 2003 is pretty awesome. It's Jacques in his infinite Jacques-ness; tracing the arc of his entire musical output from 1953 to his death from lung cancer in 1978.

Jacques Brel - Infiniment (2003; Barclay Records)