When I was a teenager, Renaud was at his absolute peak of popularity on the French rock scene. I became a fan somewhere in the late 80's. In fact, the French family almost took my brother and I to see him perform a free concert in Paris during the French Revolution Bicentennial celebrations back in 1989. A part of me still remembers hanging out there, and them deciding that it was too crowded and that we would be there too long. But I knew who he was, had some familiarity with his music (but not as much as I would over the years, when I actually obtained his albums, slowly but surely), and looked forward to seeing him. No arguments from me about going, but a part of me was saddened.
Some years later, when a friend of mine and I took an autumn weekend trip to Quebec back in October of 1996, I got two of his compilations: The Meilleur Of Renaud...1975-1985 and The Meilleur Of Renaud...1975 - 1985. Those are Franglish, and basically mean his best hits from 1975 - 1985, and then from 1985 - 1995. One of my strongest memories from that trip was feeling happy to have found those two albums for such a low price (they were on sale, and had been quite cheap), and then listening to those two albums a few times for the duration of that trip and, obviously, many, many times since. Still have those original cd's after all of these years have passed, and still enjoy listening to them, and to his music overall.
So ironically, when I listen to Renaud, it evokes memories of both France and Canada, specifically Quebec City. It brings me back to the days of the autumn of 1996, driving to and from Quebec City, and feeling excited at having found such an amazing collection of Renaud music for a relatively cheap price (it was on sale). Remember, these were the days before the internet, so it was far more difficult to find foreign music at that time, and trips to French Canada were one of the relatively rare times when this could be done. And so yes, listening to Renaud - particularly those two greatest hits "albums," if you will, evokes those mostly pleasant memories, and takes me back to a good time in my life. That alone makes it pleasant to listen to him. Plus, he is a good musician, with solid music and often intelligent lyrics. Indeed, he is a pleasure to listen to.
It almost seemed as if Renaud was forgotten for a while. He had his own issues, or demons, including a battle with alcoholism, and some health concerns. At the bottom of his particular blog entry is an article in which, at the very beginning, this is discussed. Evidently, one of the leading inquiries on Google when you search Renaud is the question as to if he is even still alive. Well, he is still alive as I write and publish this. In fact, this album is an attempt to get back a bit more on the radar of French popular culture, particularly the music scene.
In the early 2000's, he released Boucan d'enfer, and it became popular within our family. It was a gift from either my father or brother (I have to admit to not remembering anymore), and again, it is a solid album, which I still enjoy listening to.
Renaud's latest album, Métèque, was actually initially released early in May of this year. But I obtained my copy while searching for something to get my brother for Christmas. There were two copies left of this available on Amazon (surprisingly), and I decided to go ahead and obtain both. With this album, Renaud does covers of other famous French musicians (something that I admittedly also did not know before obtaining this album). But it is solid enough, in any case. It seems unfair to assume that Renaud simply took these songs and made an album, as he lends his own distinctive style and feel for each track on this album of covers.
So without further ado, what follows below is my own assessment of this album, track by track. Here goes:
1. Le Métèque 3:19 - This album opens with a cover of a famous song by Georges Moustaki. I knew that it sounded familiar, even after the first listen, but was not able to immediately connect it. This is a solid track, with a different take on what may be a familiar tune, depending on how familiar the listener is with some well-known French musicians. This is Renaud's interpretation of this song, and again, it is solid. Just different enough from the original not to be mere plagiarism, but lending this familiar tune a very different feel.
2 L’amitié 2:33 - A cover of the sixties track by Françoise Hardy. A calmer tune, with the accompanying singing by Renaud matching the softer tone. To me, it is a nice, calming track, showing another side of Renaud.
3 Ça va ça vient 2:07 - A cover of the original tune of the same name by Boby Lapointe. This one has what many would associate as French music, particularly with the accordion playing prominently in the background. It also has a cheery feel to it. A solid song tha harkens back to Renaud's own use of the accordion earlier in his career.
4 Le temps des cerises 2:55 - Renaud's cover of a very famous French song of the 19th century. The literal meaning of the title is "Time of Cherries," and it was written back in 1866, with words by Jean-Baptiste Clément and music by Antoine Renard, and which had been covered by many prominent French musicians, including Yves Montand and Nana Mouskouri, among others. Renaud gives it his own spin here, and it comes out beautifully.
5 Nuit et brouillard 3:12 - This is Renaud's interpretation of a 1963 song by fellow French musician Jean Ferrat. This one almost feels like it has a medieval sound to it at first, particularly with the style of drumming. It grows more melodic and romantic sounding as it goes along. Renaud shows that he still can hit some of the high notes, as he did earlier in his career. A solid and enjoyable tune.
6 Si tu me payes un verre 2:44 - Originally a beautiful Serge Reggiani song that itself almost reminds me of another famous song by another prominent French musician named Serge (Malade by Serge Lama) which came out a few years later. Even their voices sound somewhat similar (to my ears, anyway). Renaud, on the other hand, lends this particular song a very different feeling, both musically, as well as with his gravelly voice. But he adds something to his own unique version, making it his own, and not merely a copycat cover. A solid and enjoyable tune.
7 La tendresse 3:05 - A cover of a song originally done by Bourvil, a French musician who I was admittedly not really familiar with before listening to this particular track by Renaud, and then doing some research. Bourvil has a wonderful voice in his own right, and the original tune here is quite beautiful. Renaud - again, with his raspy voice - lends this particular track a very different feel. Yet, it is also one of the most enjoyable tracks on this album. Give it a listen!
8 Hollywood 4:04 - Renaud covers a song about Hollywood, originally by David McNeil and covered by numerous other French artists, including Maxime Le Forestier, Alain Souchon, and Robert Charlebois, among others. Renaud gives it a cheerier and more melodic feel in this one. This is actually not the first time that he has covered this song, either.
9 Bonhomme 3:01 - Renaud's cover by one of France's most legendary artists of the 20th century, Georges Brassens, who was one of the major French musicians that my late father very much appreciated, along with Léo Ferré and Jacques Brel. Brassens relied mostly on his acoustic guitar and his voice for much of his music, including this particular track. By contrast, Renaud adds much more instrumentals to this version, and once again, his vocals lend this familiar song a very different feel. His version is a bit more upbeat than the original. Good, overall.
10 La folle complainte 2:21 - This one is a cover of a famous Charles Trénet song. Much like with the Moustaki cover on the opening track, I did not immediately recognize where I had heard this one before. But it definitely had a familiar sound to it. Again, Renaud also makes this one different enough to give a familiar song a whole new feel, and it is a solid track.
11 Le jour où le bateau viendra 3:44 - This is a reprisal of French cover of a Bob Dylan song, "When the Ship Comes In." This was redone in French by Hugues Aufray and Pierre Delanoë, and Renaud covers that French version here in this one. It is a very different version than either of those two earlier versions, with a more poppy feel, if you will. An enjoyable track.
12 La complainte de Mandrin 3:42 - A cover of Yves Montand's song of the same name, which itself was an interpretation of an 18th century song about the death of Louis Mandrin, who was a smuggler, who sometimes has been compared to a French Robin Hood. According to Wikipedia, this "is excerpted from an opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau, composed in 1733 : Hippolyte et Aricie." Montand's version became the definitive modern version of it, and Renaud's version here sounds quite distinct from either of those two earlier versions. Towards the end of the song, it feels like Renaud almost pauses the music to speak to the listener about his thoughts on France. This is entirely in keeping with what Renaud is best known for, as he was always a strong and often harsh critic of France and it's political landscape.
13 Je suis mort qui, qui dit mieux 5:28 - A cover of a song done by Jacques Higelin, but one which sounds very different than the original. Higelin almost sounds a bit like Dylan at times in his version, while Renaud adds a bit more musicality and, it feels, as if he again is almost talking to the listener, at times, much like in the previous song. He even seems to single out the young, the newer generations. Again, this one definitely feels like Renaud put his stamp on it, making it less a cover, and almost a completely different song. A solid closing song for this album.
Notre critique de Métèque, de Renaud: massacre en règle de la chanson française Par François Aubel Publié le 11/05/2022 à 17:30, mis à jour le 13/05/2022:
https://www.lefigaro.fr/musique/avec-meteques-le-disque-de-ses-70-ans-renaud-s-offre-un-massacre-en-regle-de-la-chanson-francaise-20220511
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