An innovator with a cheeky streak (Serge Gainsbourg)

Member Name: paulie1975

Product:	Serge Gainsbourg
Date:	07/04/09 (1 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Musically brilliant, arrogant, creative and ground breaking

Disadvantages: Nothing

An absolute legend of world music, for me Serge Gainsbourg is one of the most innovative musicians of all time, his attitude was to confront and experiment and he did so with style, passion and an incredible talent which infuses many of his wonderfully eclectic albums. Famous to many for telling Whitney Houston he wanted to make love to her, on a chat show, he is so much more than this and yet in many ways that episode perfectly sums up this intoxicating character.

He made interesting albums such as Love on the Beat, Histoire de Melodie Nelson and Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg, as well known for his love of women as for his love of music the guy was an incredible innovator and easily the most influential French Musician for me, he used pop, reggae, he was the architect of modern sounds, from Air to David Holmes, he created big beats and chill out music, he was a wonderfully arrogant and laissez-faire character who used his muse to deliver his music.

He worked with Bridget Bardot, Jane Birkin, his daughter Charlotte. In 2005 the Album 'Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited' was released with bands from Portishead and Franz Ferdinand to Jarvis Cocker and Placebo recreating classic Gainsbourg songs, it was a fitting tribute to an artist who has influenced so many styles of music.

Gainsbourg died in 1991 and was more known in his later years for his drunken behaviour, but go through his back catalogue and listen to the pop, jazz, mambo, reggae and enjoy his legacy.

I would really pick out Histoire de Melodie Nelson, arranged by his friend and collaborator Jean Claude Vannier (Who is also superb and did an amazing set at the Barbican a few years ago), it is a breathy beautiful album created with jane Birkin, the beats are heavy the strings utterly gorgeous and his vocals are amazingly calm and musical, it is as relevant today as it was on release and is effortlessly cool and profound.

Serge Gainsbourg was an amazing artist and his influence remains on music today, he was an innovator and a ground breaking artist and I salute the man.

Summary: Cheeky Genus who liked to confuse society