gullbuy music review

Brigitte Fontaine

title

Y'a des Zazous

label

Virgin France

format
CD5

Brigitte FontaineBrigitte Fontaine again shakes up the music world - best known for her work in the 70s for the Saravah label -- working with Areski Belkacem and the Art Ensemble of Chicago - this time out she is still working with Areski Belkacem but also collaborating with many others too.

Y'a Des Zazous has two songs from her latest cd Kékéland (kéké being a word invented by Brigitte meaning anything crazy or insane - so the title refers to the insane people she lives with) including Y'a Des Zazous and God's Nightmare, and two tracks exclusive to this single including Tango Pipeau and a remix of Y'a Des Zazous by Jack Lahana.

Kékéland (the album) also has help from Sonic Youth, Bertrand Cantat (Noir Desire), Archie Shepp, Ginger Ale, Les Valentins, Matthieu Chedid (M), and Areski - but it is only actually Matthieu Chedid (on tracks 1 and 2), Areski (track 2) and Ginger Ale (track 3) who appear on this single. Y'a Des Zazous has a playful duet, Hendrix styled guitar (subtle) and stops and starts in a back and forth style.

Tango Pipeau sounds just so - a tango with accordion and piano and strings. God's Nightmare has a downtempo dubby rhythm and cinematic guitars - and sounds at first quite typically like modern French pop but Brigitte Fontaine has fun with this genre in the vocals and the scathing English lyrics.

The Jack Lahana remix of Y'a Des Zazous makes the rhythm more pronounced and reminds me of David Bowie in backing, and also removes some of the silliness.

All in all each track is interesting, but I would say 1,3, and 4 are the best.

---Patrick Rands, August 6, 2002