teners of the Beatles ’ debt to the Architect of Rock and Roll – not to mention his barrelhouse piano . Every track is a highlight in its own way , with hits by Roy Milton , Percy Mayfield , and more . Other favorites include the beautifully sung Sam Cooke crooner “ I ’ ll Come Running Back to You .” Jimmy Liggins ’ comical and floor-stomping “ Drunk ” warns of the allure and consequences of “ whiskey , gin , and wine .” Joe Liggins knocks back one of his own with the mellow and bluesy “ Pink Champagne ” and its stellar saxophone section . “ Dream Girl ” by Jesse & Marvin draws on the glory days of doo-wop . Larry Williams ’ raucous “ Bony Moronie ” can send any roomful of dancers into The Twist . Rip It Up is a great party platter at its essence , but it also provides a primer on a vital corner of pop music history courtesy of Billy Vera ’ s new essay for the liner notes . ( craftrecordings . com )
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– Jeff Elbel while Cocker sings of being able to live without anything but loving tenderness . Nino Ferrer ’ s moody “ Amour , Je Te Cherche ” finds Tip-Top once again on a restless search for love . The song is notable for having been originally sung in English but translated back into French with Sadier ’ s assistance . Jacques Dultronc ’ s “ Les Gens Sont Fous , Le Temps Sont Flous ” is delivered as a glam-pop stomper not dissimilar to David Bowie ’ s “ The Jean Genie .” The title translates roughly to “ people are crazy , times are hazy .” Gainsbourg ’ s space-age single for Brigitte Bardot “ Contact ” is included , replete with psych-pop flourishes like sitar , delayed vocal , satellite bleeps , and hypnotic , twee keyboard chirps . Gainsbourg reappears with Tip-Top ’ s version of the sneering and poison-penned “ Requiem Pour Un Con .” The song ’ s edgy tension borrows the soulful approach of soundtrack fare by Isaac Hayes and Marvin Gaye . Françoise Hardy ’ s melancholy “ Mon Ami La Rose ” is a moving duet with Serafina Steer . The lovelorn Tip-Top performance of Christophe ’ s 1965 hit “ Aline ” builds from an intimately hushed vocal to the song ’ s gloriously emotive peak . The song is featured in The French Dispatch film , and also appears on the proper soundtrack album . For many English-speaking listeners , Chansons d ’ Ennui offers an open door into the intoxicating and elegantly cool world of classic French pop .
– Jeff Elbel
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TIP-TOP Chansons d ' Ennui ( Abkco )
For this companion album to Wes Anderson ’ s soundtrack for 2021 film The French Dispatch , former Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker takes on the character of mid-20th century French singer Tip-Top . Tip-Top is the jukebox mainstay , and favorite pop star of the youth of the fictional town of Ennui , France . The material here will appeal to devotees of chanson and yé-yé star Serge Gainsbourg , France Gall , Françoise Hardy , and contemporary chanteuses including Françoiz Breut . All of the songs are French pop classics sung in the French language . The album opens with a sweeping orchestral version of French sensation Dalida ’ s “ Dans Ma Chambre ” that borrows from Bach ’ s “ Toccata and Fugue in D minor .” With Cocker ’ s dramatic and half-whispered spoken delivery balanced against Stereolab member Laetitia Sadier ’ s plainsung French vocal , the tone of songs like Dalida and Alain Delon ’ s bossa nova “ Paroles , Paroles ” is both playfully tongue-in-cheek and wholly affectionate . Marie Laforêt ’ s “ La Tendresse ” sparkles with violin and harp accompaniment ,
VARIOUS ARTIST Take Me To The River New Orleans Soundtrack ( Petaluma )
A follow-up to his similarly titled 2014 documentary on the American musical influences spawned by Memphis , director Martin Shore turns his attention to New Orleans and ( in his words ) “ a story of how world music was created .” While the completed film ’ s release is yet to be determined , the arrival the dual CD and deluxe vinyl soundtracks offer intriguing insight to both those familiar and unfamiliar with the city ’ s musical legacy by ingeniously melding recent solo and collaborative recordings of legendary artists and rising stars performing signature classic and contemporary songs that underscore the its breadth and reach . And so are balanced reigning queen of New Orleans soul Irma Thomas with current