 |
| ||
- Original Release Date: 19 Jun 1985
- Format - Music: MP3
- Compatible with MP3 Players (including with iPod®), iTunes, Windows Media Player
- Also available in CD Format
Buy this MP3 album with any other MP3 album under £8 and pay no more than £10 for both (terms and conditions apply). Just look for any album with this message, put it in your basket with another eligible title and the discount will be applied at checkout. |
MP3 Songs
Previous
Play all
Next
Play all samples
MP3
Paused
Loading ...
Unavailable
Loading ...
Volume slider
Mute/Unmute
To view this content, download Flash player (version 9.0.0 or higher)
| Song Title | Time | Price | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Ethnicolor | 11:47 | Not Available | |||
| 2. Diva | 7:20 | Not Available | |||
| 3. Zoolook | 3:58 | Not Available | |||
| 4. Wooloomooloo | 3:17 | Not Available | |||
| 5. Zoolookologie | 4:14 | Not Available | |||
| 6. Blah Blah Café | 3:25 | Not Available | |||
| 7. Ethnicolor II | 3:55 | Not Available |
Sold by By placing your order, you agree to our Terms of Use.
Product details
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Together with Oxygene and Equinoxe, this is one of the three Jean Michel Jarre albums that any serious music fan should own.
Putting this album on today makes you realise just what an amazing and overlooked piece of work this was. The first thing you notice is the epic production, with an almost unbelievable dynamic range. Played loudly enough this album shakes windows and floors in some places with chest-thumping bass.
The centrepiece is the sprawling Ethnicolor, lasting nearly twelve minutes. For the first seven minutes or so, the pace is almost stately, reminiscent of whalesong with a keening quality. The second section of the piece however is much more driven, with some thumping drumming, fliud, organic basslines and an ending which sounds pretty damn near to orgasmic. This, I think, is possibly the single greatest piece of music JMJ has ever (or will ever have) written.
Of the rest, both Zoolook and Zoolookolgie are interestingly dancey variants, definitely influenced by working in New York, with the electro culture there growing as it was. Blah Blah Cafe is fun and bouncy, while Wooloomooloo and Ethnicolor II are short, minor pieces, verging on filler.
It is also interesting to note that Blah Blah cafe, Diva (without the Laurie Anderson vocal) and much of the soundscape of Ethnicolor II appeared on Jarre's now infamous Music For Supermarkets album recorded the previous year, at about the same time as artists like Yello, Peter Gabriel and the Art Of Noise were also beginning to use the same technology. This makes this album not only musically experimental but technologically pioneering too. Perhaps that's why it performed so unusually poorly on release in the UK on release, barely scraping the Top 50. Looking back from here however, it's possible to see this work as maybe Jean Michel Jarre's greatest achievement of all.
Putting this album on today makes you realise just what an amazing and overlooked piece of work this was. The first thing you notice is the epic production, with an almost unbelievable dynamic range. Played loudly enough this album shakes windows and floors in some places with chest-thumping bass.
The centrepiece is the sprawling Ethnicolor, lasting nearly twelve minutes. For the first seven minutes or so, the pace is almost stately, reminiscent of whalesong with a keening quality. The second section of the piece however is much more driven, with some thumping drumming, fliud, organic basslines and an ending which sounds pretty damn near to orgasmic. This, I think, is possibly the single greatest piece of music JMJ has ever (or will ever have) written.
Of the rest, both Zoolook and Zoolookolgie are interestingly dancey variants, definitely influenced by working in New York, with the electro culture there growing as it was. Blah Blah Cafe is fun and bouncy, while Wooloomooloo and Ethnicolor II are short, minor pieces, verging on filler.
It is also interesting to note that Blah Blah cafe, Diva (without the Laurie Anderson vocal) and much of the soundscape of Ethnicolor II appeared on Jarre's now infamous Music For Supermarkets album recorded the previous year, at about the same time as artists like Yello, Peter Gabriel and the Art Of Noise were also beginning to use the same technology. This makes this album not only musically experimental but technologically pioneering too. Perhaps that's why it performed so unusually poorly on release in the UK on release, barely scraping the Top 50. Looking back from here however, it's possible to see this work as maybe Jean Michel Jarre's greatest achievement of all.
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I first heard Zoolook way back in March 1987. Two years after it was originally released. I was 15 years old and unsure of what to expect. It totally changed my taste in music for the rest of my life. From then on I became a dedicated fan of Jean-Michel Jarre and deciple to synthesizers and electronic music.
As soon as you play Zoolook you notice the quality of the production. It is astounding for 1985 and still sounds fresh two decades later. Jean-Michel travelled the world recording samples of the human voice spoken in various languages. He then manipulated these voices to great effect and used them throughout the CD. They can act as instruments in their own right, as backing sequences or as atmospheric effects.
Ethnicolor Part 1 is without doubt the best track on the CD. It is an epic peice of music. It begins with erie like whale song that rises and rises until it breaks into a fairlight driven choir sequence. As it progresses voices and effects fade in and out, and can invoke a mixed bag of emotions. The piece transforms from erie to orchestral, to amazingly emotional and then eventually breaks into a powerful finale thanks to simple, yet beefy, drums and prominent bass line courtesy of the fine talents of Marcus Miller.
Laurie Anderson's vocals also help to add a unique feel to Diva, the second track on the CD, which again conjures an erie atmosphere, and in some places can make you feel quite cold. Once again the finale of the track is more upbeat and Andersons vocals bring you back from a strange sense of lonliness.
The shorter tracks Zoolook, Zoolookologie are upbeat tracks, both good in their own right, but feeling rather like cheesy Europop. However the quality of the effects and production do make up for this. Wooloomooloo is a wonderful haunting track. Even Blah Blah Cafe has appeal. Finally we come to Ethnicolor Part 2, no way near the emotional rollercoaster as Part 1, but nicely concludes a great CD.
Even if you are not a fan of electronic music this could still be a great listen, thanks to the mix of synthesizers, vocals, acoustic drums, guitars and bass. I dont think I have ever experienced such a wide range of emotions in just one track, let alone the entire CD. Despite the countless releases in the electronic music arena since 1985 this CD still is my favourite because of its innovative production, fantastic music and originality.
Its worth the money 1000 times over, purely for Ethnicolor Part 1. Definately a MUST have.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I remembering listening to this for the first time and being blown away (admittedly this was almost 19 years ago...!). That said, this album holds up as one of Jarre's more interesting pieces of work in that it is genuinely innovative through the sampling of various human voices and somehow turning them into some decent songs with the backing of more traditional instruments than on previous albums. It also strikes me that this album has dated quite well.
"Ethnicolor" builds up to a crushing climax while tracks like "Zoolook" and "Zoolookologie" are infectious synth pop tracks without being too naff. "Ethnicolor II" is a good track to end the album - rather eery and quite poignant.
If you only bought one album by Jarre you would not be disappointed with this one.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Zoolook
i like jean michel jarre and this album is great the recording is excellent. One of is best work a+++
Published 3 months ago by Mr. P. J. Edwards
Unique
When I first bought the album (vinyl), I seemed to be the only one that liked it at all. Even my friends who liked the music of Jarre looked at me if I had just arrived from... Read more
Published 4 months ago by E. Van Den Bosch
I hated this album for so long... Now, listening to it again, I asked...
When you listen to Jarre's music, you can't help but get lost in his thought of imagination and diligence when you listen to his music. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Chad Bronson
Aaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrghh!
I'm aware I'm going against the flow here, but one has to be honest, doesn't one, and all of this stuff is subjective, isn't it? (etc.). Read more
Published 10 months ago by Matt Wills
Sonic Euphoria
Zoolook is probably the most surreal, and yet in my opinion, perhaps the most masterful musical creation from Jarre. Read more
Published 10 months ago by David Brant
JMJ at his ultimate best
Will keep this brief as I am listening to this album as I write and find concentrating on any other task difficult! Read more
Published 11 months ago by If you ask them - they will come
Musical innovation at it's electronic best!
I have been wanting to hear this album on CD for what seems like aeons, having bought the vinyl many years ago. Read more
Published 23 months ago by J. Field
brilliant as always
this is another brilliant album from jmj . ethnicolor is really haunting . other standout tracks are "diva" and "blah blah cafe" .compares favourable with his previous albums. Read more
Published on 6 Oct 2009 by Mr. R. Farrow
Brilliant
After listening to Ethnicolor on youtube I was a little cautious of buying this since Ethnicolor disturbed me a bit, but after a couple of listens I love all the tracks on this... Read more
Published on 7 April 2009 by J. Rosen
phantasmagorical
I love this album, having bought the original in 1985, I still play this loud and proud.
I love Ethinicolor, its full version is a truly overlooked track, as it was... Read more
I love Ethinicolor, its full version is a truly overlooked track, as it was... Read more
Published on 31 May 2007 by smart
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Look for similar items by category
