Grand Jacques

History

The original album, titled Jacques Brel et ses Chansons, was released in March 1954 as a nine-song 10-inch LP by Philips Records (N 76.027 R). The original nine tracks were recorded on 15 February 1954 at Théâtre de l'Apollo in Paris. A later reissue of the album under the title Jacques Brel 1 was released by Barclay and included additional tracks from 1953, 1955, 1956, and 1961. The album was reissued on 23 September 2003 under the title Grand Jacques as part of the 16-CD box set Boîte à Bonbons by Barclay (980 816-3).

Critical reception

In her review for AllMusic, Amy Hanson called the album a "marvelous disc" and a "masterful collection of songs recorded ... at the beginning of Brel's storied career, and a glimpse into a style of chanson that he seldom returned to once he'd swept France, Europe, and then the States with his best-known classics just a couple years later". Hanson continued:

While Brel already has a strong sense of his lyric and arrangement, this kind of writing only comes once in a great while. But what is perhaps most interesting about Grand Jacques is how spare and minimal it is. These songs date to the years before Brel began working with longtime arrangers Gérard Jouannest and Françoise Rauber, and therefore, the ... songs lack the sweeping orchestration that would punctuate the singer's later work. And that is the utter joy of this set. From the title track and the stunningly sparse "Il Pleut Les Carreaux" and on to the utterly provincial "C'est Comme Ca," this is unmistakably Brel.

Track listing

All tracks written by Jacques Brel, except where noted.

All tracks written by Jacques Brel.

Personnel