A
forefather of modern chanson, Jacques Brel is a Belgian icon who played a
crucial role in expanding francophone music to a worldwide audience. Indeed,
Brel’s literate and theatrical approach to singing and songwriting would prove
highly influential on followers such as Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, David Bowie,
Scott Walker and many others.
Although
I am fairly familiar with Brel’s discography and own several of his records, Les Bourgeois is the one that I
repeatedly return to with great pleasure. The title song is a jovial tale of
three unruly youngsters who grow old and conservative, accompanied by cabaret
music that aptly captures their coming of age. The cabaret music continues with
“Les Paumés du Petit Matin”, where Brel portrays the life of such early morning
misfits. Brel pays a mournful tribute to his homeland in “Le Plat Pays”, where
cathedrals are the only mountains. Les
Bourgeois is moreover filled with many other gems, with “Madeleine”,
“Bruxelles” and “Le Caporal Casse-Pompon” being personal favorites of mine.
Once again, I highlight the closing track of the record, “Rosa”, a tango in which Brel sings about carefree youth while teaching Latin 101:
Once again, I highlight the closing track of the record, “Rosa”, a tango in which Brel sings about carefree youth while teaching Latin 101:
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