- Audio CD (9 Nov 2009)
- Number of Discs: 2
- Format: CD+DVD
- Label: Republic of Music
- ASIN: B002R5MPRC
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 81,513 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
Amazon.co.uk allows you to pay for your items in your local currency. Restrictions apply. Learn More. |
Product details |
Track Listings
| Disc: 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. La Foule | |||
| 2. Adieu Mon C'ur | |||
| 3. Une Enfant | |||
| 4. L'Accordéoniste | |||
| 5. Le Brun et le Blond | |||
| 6. Les Grognards | |||
| 7. C'est Toujours la Même Histoire | |||
| 8. Hudsonia | |||
| 9. C'est à Hambourg | |||
| 10. Non, La Vie N'est Pas Triste | |||
See all 15 tracks on this disc
| |||
| Disc: 2 | |||
| 1. Le Chant D'Amour (Live) Bonus DVD | |||
| 2. La Foule (Live) Bonus DVD | |||
| 3. Non, La Vie N'est Pas Triste (Live) Bonus DVD | |||
| 4. Adieu Mon C'ur (Live)Bonus DVD | |||
Product Description
Review
Nearly 50 years after her early death, the belly-deep, raspy bellow of Édith Piaf has swooped and soared through the 21st century. Marion Cotillard's Oscar-winning performance as Piaf in La Vie En Rose has deepened her mythology, while three recent box sets have broadened her legacy. Now Martha Wainwright's album of Piaf obscurities remind us how very few modern vocalists sing so boldly and brazenly – a style Wainwright has loved since she was a child, growing up in French-Canadian Quebec.
On paper, Wainwright is perfect for this project. Ever since her startling eponymous debut in 2006, Wainwright has been a showy performer – her first single a rant to her father called Bloody Mother F****** A******, and her second album telling us her "heart was made for bleeding all over you". Nevertheless, Wainwright's soft, smoky tones can also handle tenderness and vulnerability gorgeously, so apart from Amy Winehouse – a woman who has followed the Piaf self-destruction programme too closely – no one could be better placed deliver these chansons, which couple feistiness and frailty movingly.
But as this album plays, something gets unstuck. Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, A Paris is undoubtedly an impressive achievement – producer Hal Willner putting together an authentic orchestra of strings, pianos and accordions, while Wainwright blusters and breezes beautifully over the top – but it sounds strangely sanitised. This has little to do with the song choices, which include little-known tracks like Marie Trottoir, a song about the unseemly life of a streetwalker, and Une Enfant, written by Charles Aznavour, about a romantic teenager who ends up dead. It has everything to do with the syrupy arrangements, and a hunch that Wainwright is offering us some brilliant theatre, rather than inhabiting these emotions directly. There is also no menace here – a quality that was always present in Piaf's rough alto – and misty melisma replaces it.
The album should be welcomed for some things, however: bringing the terrifying stomp of Les Grognards (The Old Soldiers) back into currency, and reminding us of the mesmerising loveliness of Adieu Mon Coeur, for starters. Wainwright can also be proud of an adept performance, but she should move on from cover versions quickly. When she is being herself, she is ten times as powerful. --Jude Rogers
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I downloaded this on Monday in preparation for last night's exhilarating concert at the Barbican, and even on the thin speakers on my PC, from the very first track it was abundantly clear this entire project was a triumph. Wainwright inhabits each song completely, without ever descending into pastiche. She obviously has a heartfelt affinity with the songs of the period, and yet is also able to draw on modern influences at times. Everything about this album is beautifully judged and will no doubt have a completely new generation taking Piaf's songs to heart. I cannot wait to see/hear what Martha will do next. Buy Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, and I promise, you won't regret a thing.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
What more can be said other than Martha does an excellent effort on Edith Paif. I love Martha's voice at the best of times (check out her 1st two solo albums) but here the songs just seem so suited for her.
Excellent performances performed with such sensitivity and emotion in her voice. Maybe not to everyones taste if you are not a Piaf fan, but if you love Martha's voice defo worth considering to add to your Martha collection.
Excellent performances performed with such sensitivity and emotion in her voice. Maybe not to everyones taste if you are not a Piaf fan, but if you love Martha's voice defo worth considering to add to your Martha collection.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I happened to hear an interview with the artist on Simon Mayo's Radio 5 programme. After hearing a couple of tracks I bought the CD. I was not disappointed.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
c'est magnifique
This is my first Martha Wainwright music purchase.
I bought it after hearing her on Simon Mayo's radio programme on BBC 5live.
This is a revelation. Read more
I bought it after hearing her on Simon Mayo's radio programme on BBC 5live.
This is a revelation. Read more
Published on 28 Jan 2010 by digifool
wonderful
I am from Montreal and had the opportunity to see Martha sing Piaf in August 2009. Was an incredible show and have been waiting for the CD since that time. Read more
Published on 9 Jan 2010 by B. Cameron
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192198663_.gif){kind=small}
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
