Blah Blah Cafe, the Jean-Michel Jarre forum

[Jarreshair]

Seeing I'm new here, and nothing much new is happening I will give my thoughts about Jarre's albums, and maybe have a debate.
I will not include the first two albums, or S2000, GOL, or Aero, but I will include China Concerts as I think that has some important new tracks.

So in order of importance.

1. Equinoxe - Jarre's best work imo.
2. Oxygene - Groundbreaking.
3. Zoolook - His most innovate.
4. China Concerts - Some excellent new tracks, and better version of Magnetic Fields tracks.
5. Rendez-vous - Tracks 1 to 4 are epic, still love it.
6. Oxygene 7-13 - Some really strong tracks.
7. Chronologie - As above
8. Revolutions - Love the first three tracks, then goes downhill.
9. Waiting for Cousteau - The title track is beautiful and Track 2 excellent. The other 2..Meh.
10. Magnetic Fields - 2 and 4 are brilliant. Shame about that bloody Rumba.
11. Metamorphoses - I know some love it, but for me 2 good tracks (with Anderson and Corr)
12. Teo and Tea - Not really Jarre is it?

As for Electronica Vol.1, Difficult to rate as not a solo album, if it was mainly Jarre's work with guest vocalists I would rate it just below China, but above Rendez-vous. I really like it.

[jarrepaul]

Why did you not include The 3 said albums?

[jarrepaul]

1. Equinoxe - Jarre's best work imo. (Number 2 for me)
2. Oxygene - Groundbreaking. (Number 1)
3. Zoolook - His most innovate. (Love it)
4. China Concerts - Some excellent new tracks, and better version of Magnetic Fields tracks.(Agree)

5. Rendez-vous - Tracks 1 to 4 are epic, still love it. (Agree)
6. Oxygene 7-13 - Some really strong tracks. (Agree)
7. Chronologie - As above (Just picked it up on Vinyl. Awesome)
8. Revolutions - Love the first three tracks, then goes downhill. (Overture to Revolutions then Tokyo Kid)
9. Waiting for Cousteau - The title track is beautiful and Track 2 excellent. The other 2..Meh.( Just picked it up on Vinyl. Love it)
10. Magnetic Fields - 2 and 4 are brilliant. Shame about that bloody Rumba.
11. Metamorphoses - I know some love it, but for me 2 good tracks (with Anderson and Corr) (Love Metamorphoses)
12. Teo and Tea - Not really Jarre is it? (Some good tracks)

As for Electronica Vol.1, Difficult to rate as not a solo album, if it was mainly Jarre's work with guest vocalists I would rate it just below China, but above Rendez-vous. I really like it. (listened to it for 2 weeks not listened since)

Geometry of Love is awesome
S2000 experimental but like it
Aero new tracks are good

[VinylScratch]

My most favourite Jarre Albums in order of awesomeness...

1.) Magnetic Fields (parts 1-4 are so brilliant I can even forgive the silly rumba at the end)
2.) In Concert - Houston/Lyon (Saint JP2 - 'nuff said )
3.) The Concerts in China (great variations of the Magnetic Fields tracks, though the laser harp appeared to be broken on this one )
4.) Waiting for Cousteau (only Calypso part 3 is a bit of a let-down, the rest - especially the title track - is amazing)
5.) Equinoxe (just a tiny bit better than Oxygene)
6.) Oxygene (part 5 - not 4 - happens to be my favourite)
7.) Zoolook (probably his most experimental work aside from the Waiting for Cousteau title track - Ethnicolor I is my favourite on this one, I also like the quirky Laurie Anderson track "Diva")
8.) Chronologie (almost a toss-up between this and Zoolook - btw. I'm still amazed how this remake of Chronologie 4 was even possible)
9.) Oxygene 7-13 (not quite on par with the original, but there have been far worse sequels to be sure)
10.) Rendez-vous (I kinda prefer the live rendition, especially of "Ron's Piece")
11.) Revolutions (a bit of a mixed bag after Industrial Revolution)

I haven't gotten the new one yet and considering its nature, I'm not quite sure how to fit it in here. I really hope once Electronica 2 is out the door we will also get a new Jarre solo album a few years down the road.

Oh, and if the Flexible Arts remake of Music for Supermarkets is reasonably close to the original, I'd rank that one at 11.

P.S.
Teo and Tea - the album that shall not be named

[Black Bird]

Where are "Aero" and "Geometry of Love" ?
My favorites !

[Jarreshair]

For me S2000 and GOL are just Jarre trying to fulfill his record contract and not major releases.
Apart from the excellent Velvet Road, I do no think there is anything of note on them.

As for Aero, it's basically a re-recorded best of album with a poor track selections.
I like the track Aero, and the reworking of Souvenir Of China but most of the other tracks are far inferior to the originals.

[Dr_Jones]

For me S2000 and GOL are just Jarre trying to fulfill his record contract and not major releases.

GoL was Jarre's first for Warner. How is that fulfilling a contract, he could have chosen NOT to release it on a label because he was not attached to one at that time.

[Violator]

Magnetic Fields (parts 1-4 are so brilliant I can even forgive the silly rumba at the end)

If say that then you cannot be called a JMJ fan, because without the last track the album will lose its conception, and after that you call this thrack a silly. Same I can say about RV album and its last track.

I kinda prefer the live rendition, especially of "Ron's Piece"

"Ron's Piece" from the Houston/Lyon album isn't the same version as 2 versions from the Houston and Lyon radio broadcasts.

[Jarreshair]

Sorry I was wrong about GoL contract wise then.

But am I right in thinking that at first this was a limited edition release?

I just find it odd that an artist like Jarre had major releases for 20 years then the record company allows him to release a couple of mood/lounge music albums that will only appeal to hardcore Jarre fans.
Together with the Teo and Tea debacle, the release of these albums must have done nothing but alienate some Jarre fans.
I'm sure to some people Jarre had basically taken an 18 year break before releasing Electronica.

BTW, slightly off topic, but I bought GoL/S2000 from ebay years back.
Both albums but on only one CD, with the GoL cover.
Was this an official release, or did I buy a bootleg?

[Dr_Jones]

Sorry I was wrong about GoL contract wise then.

But am I right in thinking that at first this was a limited edition release?

True. It was also a low-profile release.

BTW, slightly off topic, but I bought GoL/S2000 from ebay years back.
Both albums but on only one CD, with the GoL cover.
Was this an official release, or did I buy a bootleg?

Yes, that's a bootleg.

[Finaero]

This post more or less covers my "thinking process" for how I got into my list of favorite albums.

Instead of taking a time to think and rate these albums based on their merits and whatnot (I can never form lasting opinions in that regard ), I'll just "rate" the album based on the tracks that I most like listening to, singling out the tracks that I more or less solely listen to only when I'm playing through the entire album.

Oxygene - 66.67%:
4/6 - Parts 3 and 6 singled out
Equinoxe - 71.43%:
5/7 - Parts 2, 6 and 8 singled out
Magnetic Fields - 40%:
2/5 - Parts 2, 3 and 5 singled out
Concerts in China - 85.71%:
12/14 - No, there's not a track called Magnetic Fields 1 on this album. Band in the Rain and Magnetic Fields 3 singled out (yes, even Harpe Laser occasionaslly warrants a listen ).
Zoolook - 71.43%:
5/7 - Diva and Ethnicolor II singled out.
Rendez-Vous - 83.33%:
5/6 - I never listen to Rendez-Vous 1 without 2
Revolutions - 70%:
7/10 - Tokyo Kdi, Computer Weekend and September singled out.
Waiting for Cousteau - 75%:
3/4 - WFC singled out.
Chronologie - 87.5%:
7/8 - Part 7 singled out.
Oxygene 7-13 - 85.71%:
6/7 - Part 11 singled out.
Metamorphoses - 58.33%:
7/12 - Hey Gagarin, Tout Est Bleu, Love Love Love, Miss Moon and Silhouette singled out.
Sessions 2000 - 0%:
I haven't listened to this album at all since 2003. However, I don't hate the live version of that one track that was retitled as "Solidarnosc" in the 2005 concert in Poland.
Geometry of Love - 12.5%:
1/8 - While in practice I NEVER listen to this album, the first track (Pleasure Principle) remains the one I've listened the most on the album.
Teo & Tea - 15.38%:
2/13 - OK, Do It Fast and Vintage are the only tracks I listen to on this album every now and then. I've only played through the entire album once in 2007 and that was quite enough for me (no idea if I'll ever repeat this process), and the title track is better live (without the voiceovers), but I never listen to it separately anyway.

In fact, the only instances when I tend to listen to the title track is via my remix of it.
Electronica Part I - 62.5%:
10/16 - If, Conquistador, Zero Gravity, Rely on Me, Watching You and The Train & The River singled out. Out of these tracks, I do often listen to the JMJ Remix of Conquistador, the Above & Beyond remix of Zero Gravity and the JMJ Remix of Watching You, but they're not included on the album.

So this way my list of "favorite albums" would come down to:

Chronologie - 87.5%
Concerts in China - 85.71%
Oxygene 7-13 - 85.71%
Rendez-Vous - 83.33%
Waiting for Cousteau - 75%
Equinoxe - 71.43%
Zoolook - 71.43%
Revolutions - 70%
Oxygene - 66.67%
Electronica Part I - 62.5%
Metamorphoses - 58.33%
Magnetic Fields - 40%
Teo & Tea - 15.38%
Geometry of Love - 12.5%
Sessions 2000 - 0%

I wouldn't say it's a definite list of favorite JMJ albums in order from most to least favorite, though. I guess different lists could be made on grounds like "JMJ albums in order of artistic integrity" etc.

I prefer Images over Aero when it comes to compilations (I don't have or care for the rest) and while I tend to listen to Cities in Concert more often than the others, Hong Kong is actually a far better live album.

[Finaero]

And thus, by resorting to gut feeling, I made some changes to my list above and came up with my November 30th List of Favorite JMJ Albums in descending order:

Equinoxe
Zoolook
Chronologie
Concerts in China
Oxygene
Rendez-Vous
Oxygene 7-13
Waiting for Cousteau
Revolutions
Electronica Part I
Metamorphoses
Magnetic Fields
Teo & Tea
Geometry of Love
Sessions 2000

[ReallyGouda]

My ranking of Jarre's albums (excluding Electronica 1 and the releases before Oxygene):
1. Equinoxe - A truly remarkable album that succeeds in every way. I can barely explain it in words. (Parts 3, 4, and 7 are my favorites, even though the rest are still really good.)
2. Oxygene - Nearly as fantastic as Equinoxe. (I like Pts. 2, 4, and 5 the most.)
3. Zoolook - An interesting and well-crafted album, as well as a welcome change in Jarre's musical style. (Ethnicolor I is especially impressive.)
4. Magnetic Fields - Love it, and "The Last Rumba" doesn't bother me too much. (Pts. 1 and 4 are most memorable to me).
5. Oxygene 7-13 - I haven't listened to this one as much as the others, but I'd say that it has its strengths and has been growing on me quite recently. (Pts. 10 and 11 are the ones I enjoy most at the moment.)
6. Waiting for Cousteau - A neat return to the iconic ambient style we all know Jarre for. (Pts. 2 and Waiting for Cousteau are my favorites on this album.)
7. Rendezvous - Love the classical and retrofuturistic tones of this one. (Pts. 2 and 5 are where it truly shines. Oh yeah, and that grandiose sound in Pt. 1 always reminds me of the "BWONG" noise from the Inception trailer, heheh.).
8. The Concerts In China - I like listening to this one from time to time. (Arpeggiator, Souvenir of China, and Night in Shanghai are my favorites here.)
9. Metamorphoses - In spite of being at times completely different from Jarre's previous works, it really works and is indeed a great listen. (Je Me Souviens, Rendez-Vous a Paris, and Hey Gagarin are the best.)
10. Chronologie - Pretty good for the most part. (Favorites: Part 2 and 4)
11. Revolutions - This album just feels too generic and dated for me at times. (Industrial Revolution and Computer Weekend are fine, though.)
12. Sessions 2000 - It's alright.
13. Geometry of Love - It's alright.
14. Teo and Tea - I'd just like to pretend this doesn't exist...

[plate of chips]

For those who wish JmJ had done more Oxygene Equinoxe:
Equinoxe 8 repeating Equinoxe 5 showed JmJ had done as much as he could do. There was nothing left in the tank.
Astounding subtleness of synthesis of Oxygene Equinoxe unique even now, reached journeys destination.

MF1 part1 confirmed this.
To take two years to just come up with a basic sequence and pads to open an album is poor. Really poor. Real lack of ideas.
MF1 part2 should have been the showpiece twenty minutes : would have gained respect from classical circles, avant garde circles.

China revitalised JmJ as so evident in China Concerts album.

Fairlight sampler brought JmJ new lease of life. Energising JmJ.
Resulting in JmJs most avant garde experimental. No one even now has got close to JmJ manipulation vocal sampling.

Challenger, Houston, Synthex moved JmJ to make emotive Rendezvous.

Roland D50 inspired JmJ to break new ground again . Taking electronica way beyond pads sequences.
Taking eletronica beyond Tangerine Dream, Vangelis.



Thereafter there was no new ground.
Everything JmJ had to say was said.
JmJ once said in 1977ish newspaper interview he only wants to compose six albums.

A musician is inspired if breaking new ground just once.
JmJ broke new ground in Electronic Music three times : Oxygene, Zoolook, Revolutions.

[Dr_Jones]

JmJ once said he only wanted to do six albums.

Eh... No. In an 1989 interview from Dutch Newspaper "Eindhovens Dagblad" he said: "I've barely even started".