I'm listening to some horrendously terrible music today, thanks to a secret society of terrible music lovers.
And by terrible I mean kitschy goodness that ranges from the just plain awfulness of Sharon Tandy destroying an indistinguishable melody to the poppy, angry goodness of The Gore Gore Girls to, well "MacArthur Park". Oh, and a hilariously terrible Peggy Lee song about getting drunk and partying after a maudlin narrative of a childhood home burning down. It's odd. After the narrative about the circus, I was pretty sure the song would end with Peggy Lee, a bottle of pills and a fifth of bourbon. And her vocal sounds like she's already started hitting the bourbon.
I feel my walls turning to velvet and my rug shagging beneath my feet. Which is kind of gross. Plus I have a strange new fascination with France Gall, an American Idol of sorts in France in 1965. The song I'm enjoying is pure French pop. Yet, knowing her connection to Serge Gainsbourg, I picture her sweet as pie picture from 1965 transforming into . . . well . . . Nico wandering around New York, confused, drugged up and violated, in 1968.
I think Serge Gainsbourg negates your French comment. He, in and of himself, is a joke and cruelty rolled into one. And yet, so oddly inviting in his drunken disgustingness.
ReplyDeleteWhat I find funny is that France Gall is essentially named after her country and what her country once was under the Romans (Gaul).
Therefore, I've changed my name to America New-World.
I suppose,technically, my name should be:
ReplyDeleteAmerica Neu-Werld
I mean, you know, if I'm following the theme.
your name could be Gary Nu-Man
ReplyDeletedavid in cars
France Gall has a four-CD box set. I don't know if it's still available; it came out in France (natch) in the mid-90s. It's an amazingly consistent batch of songs.
ReplyDeleteOuch. Amazon has it for $102. Maybe one of the better importers will have it cheaper. Django's had it for $82, but they are out of stock . . . Sigh.
ReplyDeleteThough, they have L'Anthologie, which has a none too subtle photo of her and a lollipop, which probably had Serge going nuts.
My next CD purchase, however, will be tonight. (The Real) Tuesday Weld's I, Lucifer is finally out in the US. Which, oddly enough, has some very Gainsbourg moments.
The funny thing is that France Gall apparently had no idea - when she sang them as a teen, anyway - about the deeper meanings/double entendres of Serge's songs.
ReplyDeleteMomus has tried to pull the same act off with several female singers now (Kahimi Karie, etc.), but he's no Serge Gainsbourg.
It would take a lot to out Gainsbourg Gainsbourg. Momus is trying to be a dirty man. Gainsbourg actually was a dirty man. He didn't need to try.
ReplyDeleteKhami Kari needs to do more work with Cornelius. In fact, Cornelius needs to just do more work.