Not a real Brel knower, but I have heard all the albums and love a great many songs. My French is good enough to understand, especially when reading, but not good enough to really appreciate 'in real time'. But as you say, the music and performance is (usually) good enough anyway to get it.
Songs like J'arrive or Amsterdam (live '64) are genuinely frightening (and electrifying) experiences, the likes of which I don't know of from the rock/pop world. Other favourites are Quand on n'a que l'amour, J'en appelle (that sweep!), Ces gens-là, Mon père disait, Jaurès of the last album... well a great many really, now that I'm looking over the whole track lists.
This one was never actually one of my favourites. I think I'm more partial to the French than the German tradition, as you outline them. And anyway, though this need not hinder appreciation, I actually don't recognise or share in the sentiments (guess I'm too comfortably conformist). But I do recognise the artistry.
Maybe one day I'll return to this territory and write about one of the more romantic numbers, for contrast (one that's less worn out than Ne me quitte pas, at least). As of now though, it's the "mad Brel" that resonates louder with me, for reasons that can be understood. "Un jour je me ferai cul-de-jatte ou bonne sœur ou pendu" crops up in my head more often than I'd like to.
Haha, this was out of the blue, wasn't expecting a little detour to Brel -- much less to a song i've somehow never heard, or simply not remembered. I was a moderate fan of his for years after seeing his live version of "Ne Me Quitte Pas", and then more wide-open musical songs like Valse à Mille Temps. As you say, very Brechtian, love the version by Alex Harvey & his band. Léo Férré did this sort of thing rather well too (e.g. C'est l'Homme), and both of them presumably influenced Serge Gainsbourg years later. Thanks for going down this little (aposite) Easter rabbit hole!
Love to see it!
Not a real Brel knower, but I have heard all the albums and love a great many songs. My French is good enough to understand, especially when reading, but not good enough to really appreciate 'in real time'. But as you say, the music and performance is (usually) good enough anyway to get it.
Songs like J'arrive or Amsterdam (live '64) are genuinely frightening (and electrifying) experiences, the likes of which I don't know of from the rock/pop world. Other favourites are Quand on n'a que l'amour, J'en appelle (that sweep!), Ces gens-là, Mon père disait, Jaurès of the last album... well a great many really, now that I'm looking over the whole track lists.
This one was never actually one of my favourites. I think I'm more partial to the French than the German tradition, as you outline them. And anyway, though this need not hinder appreciation, I actually don't recognise or share in the sentiments (guess I'm too comfortably conformist). But I do recognise the artistry.
Maybe one day I'll return to this territory and write about one of the more romantic numbers, for contrast (one that's less worn out than Ne me quitte pas, at least). As of now though, it's the "mad Brel" that resonates louder with me, for reasons that can be understood. "Un jour je me ferai cul-de-jatte ou bonne sœur ou pendu" crops up in my head more often than I'd like to.
Haha, this was out of the blue, wasn't expecting a little detour to Brel -- much less to a song i've somehow never heard, or simply not remembered. I was a moderate fan of his for years after seeing his live version of "Ne Me Quitte Pas", and then more wide-open musical songs like Valse à Mille Temps. As you say, very Brechtian, love the version by Alex Harvey & his band. Léo Férré did this sort of thing rather well too (e.g. C'est l'Homme), and both of them presumably influenced Serge Gainsbourg years later. Thanks for going down this little (aposite) Easter rabbit hole!