Bad Reputation: Pierre De Gaillande Sings Georges Brassens

by Pierre de Gaillande

Overview

Georges Brassens was a French singer/songwriter, sort of Jacques Brel before there was Brel, Serge Gainsbourg before Gainsbourg existed. Anarchic, and blessed with a devastating, deflating wit, his music never traveled like the others. Pierre de Gaillande is a former American indie kid, half French, who rediscovered his passion for Brassens and has made this labor of love, with new translations and new arrangements of the material. It's delightful stuff, and de Gaillande has brought everything perfectly alive, airing Brassens' moral sketches with real joy, and exposing listeners to a remarkable composer. Mixing instruments like guitar, charango, clarinet, and lap steel is inspired, since it doesn't root the music in any special tradition. There are touches of jazz, and it's undoubtedly French chanson at its root. It's all delightfully cynical and world-weary, with plenty of wit. Most of all, it makes you hope that there are more Brassens songs that de Gaillande can record. ~ Chris Nickson

Product Details

Release Date:	06/08/2010
Label:	Barbes Records
UPC:	0723721470258
Rank:	105907

Tracks

1. The Princess and the Troubadour [La Princesse Et Le Croque-Notes]
2. To Die For Your Ideas [Mourir Pour Des Id¿¿es]
3. Penelope [P¿¿n¿¿lope]
4. Don Juan [Don Juan]
5. Song For the Countryman [Chanson Pour I'auvergnat]
6. Ninety-Five Percent [Quatre-Vingt-Quinze Pour Cent]
7. I Made Myself Small [Je Me Suis Fait Tour Petit]
8. Philistines [Les Philistins]
9. Trumpets of Fortune and Fame [Les Trompettes De La Renomm¿¿e]
10. Public Benches [Les Amoureux Des Bancs Publics]
11. Absolutely Nothing [Rien ¿¿ Jeter]
12. The Pornographer [Le Porngraphe]
13. Bad Reputation [La Mauvalse R¿¿putation]

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Pierre de Gaillande   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Daniel Weintraub   Harmonium,Vocals (Background)
Christian Bongers   Bass
Keren Ann   Vocals
Dan Menke   Drums
Tony Jarvis   Guitar,Clarinet (Bass),Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
David Spinley   Clarinet,Sax (Tenor)
Quentin Jennings   Piano,Shaker,Vocals,Autoharp,Charango,Wurlitzer,Xylophone,Vocals (Background)
Lucas Van Lenten   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Daniel Weintraub   Engineer,Mixing
Juan Antonio   Illustrations
Randy Merrill   Mastering
Pierre de Gaillande   Liner Notes,Translation
Lissi Erwin   Cover Design
Rachel Salomon   Illustrations
Beowulf Sheehan   Photography
Danielle Skorzanka   Illustrations
Benjamin Clarke   Illustrations
Chelsea Lewyta   Illustrations
Didier Agid   Liner Notes
Hannah Cole   Illustrations
Peter Kellers   Illustrations
Philippe De Gailande   Translation Assistant
Quentin Jennings   Mixing,Engineer,Translation Assistant
Georges Brassens   Composer