JEAN-MICHEL JARRE
Band Rating:
Album Year Rating Oxygene Equinoxe
Introduction
Jean-Michel Jarre is the King of Synthesizers, an artsy French dude who has nothing to do with rock'n'roll. So far, I imagine him as this electronic guru sitting alone in a revolving chair in a room surrounded by dozens of machines, and playing them all at the same time. For now, having listened to only two of his albums, that's all I can come up with. If that sounds like crap, read my Oxygene review to be persuaded otherwise. Please send me your opinions about Jean-Michel Jarre or about my opinions about Jean-Michel Jarre! Or, click here to return to my main page.
Oxygene
Rating:
Track listing
1) Oxygene (Part I); 2) Oxygene (Part II); 3) Oxygene (Part III); 4) Oxygene (Part IV); 5) Oxygene (Part V); 6) Oxygene (Part VI).
Best song: Part VI
Now we're talking obscure. This record is one of my oldest - I listened to it a lot as a kid, and it is perhaps a big reason why I now like good art- and prog-rock more than just good plain rock. But wait: Oxygene isn't even rock, it has nothing to do with rock! It's early electronica, with one guy playing all these high-tech devices himself and overlaying like dozens of synthesizers at the same time; no other instruments seem to participate. What am I talking about then, it made me appreciate art-rock? Well, turns out this kind of stuff is not that far from some forms of rock. It's actually a lot like progressive rock, except without the mandatory "rock" part. Let's face it: the primary aim of many prog bands is to create an interesting atmosphere with their music that builds a sort of imaginary world around the listener (e.g. Yes' "Close to the Edge"), but for some reason they often feel the need to "rock out", whether it's necessary or unnecessary, in order to not stray too far from the tastes of the general rock-loving public. And sometimes, that kind of mundane turn of events spoils the whole thing. Here, on the other hand, there's none of that: Jean-Michel Jarre is primarily out to take your mind to very interesting places, and he doesn't try to cover it up. For this reason, and also because there's no singing, his endeavors turn out much more evocative than most prog rock. No singing? No problem - the musical collages this guy paints tell me a hell of a lot more than Jon Anderson's lyrical ramblings. | |
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