One record at a time: 205. Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene 7-13

In 1997 Jarre was inspired to create a follow up to his original masterwork by Mike Oldfield's successful "Tubular Bells II" project. Much like Oldfield, Jarre chose to rework some of the leitmotifs from the original album and give them a more contemporary sheen. Even Michel Granger's sleeve painting gets an update.

The original pressing of "Oxygene 7-13" is pretty rare so I will have to make do with the version included in the "Oxygene Trilogy" box set from 2016. Unlike the original, this vinyl is transparent and has the new title of "Oxygene 2".

For the first time Jarre dispenses with the "Part" monicker and this album opens with a piece simply titled "Oxygene 7". I can only describe the opening theme as being vaguely reminiscent of "Part IV" slowed to half time. The whole track is held together by a rolling bassline and analogue drums with flashes of Mellotron stings to provide colour. After about seven minutes the incessant bassline finally withdraws as the main theme is resurrected against the sound of pouring rain. For the final movement Jarre creates something that wouldn't have sounded out of place on "Equinoxe" with its ambient textures and wailing ARP 2600.

Next we segue into one of the other main melodic pieces on the album "Part 8". This song was the lead single from the album and was remixed to death by a plethora of uninspiring dance acts. Whilst I like the song, there is no doubt it was heavily influenced by dance music and not a continuation of the original "Oxygene". Part of the problem for me has always been that this album sounds too busy. In 1976 Jarre only had an eight track tape machine and a small selection of synthesizers. By 1997 he had no such restrictions and, as he acknowledged, "The lack of limitations is very dangerous."

There is a less gracious segue into "Part 9" which features the Eminent 310 Unique strings playing underneath various melodic components that finally give way to a tune played on a patch we first heard on "Oxygene Part 1". I'm not sure if we are supposed to assume the melody of this song is played on a Theremin or not. Jarre was a bit obsessed by the Theremin at this point in time and would unveil it at concerts and appearances as if he were the first to discover it. Having seen Jarre attempt to play the instrument on the tour that accompanied this album, I'm inclined to think that this more polished performance is played on a synthesiser. On the original "Oxygene" this sound was played on a ARP 2600, and having been duped by Jarre's subterfuge on so many occasions previously, I'm inclined to think there is no Theremin on this record.

The last single from the album was "Part 10" which continues to use the wail patch that may (or may not) be from a Theremin, alongside dance influenced beats and various melodic elements. Much like "Oxygene 8" this track was handed to various contemporary artists for them to remix but only "Sash!" came out of the process with any dignity.

"Oxygene 11" is an attempt to recapture the excitement of the second movement of "Oxygene Part V" but it is only partially successful. After five minutes of churning arpeggiator sequences the song peters out and "Part 12" begins. Rather than waste a good tune Jarre resurrects the melody of "Oxygene 7" and plays it as an arpeggiated sequence as the special effects sweep around us. Things slow in tempo for "Oxygene 13" which sees the Eminent strings rolled out once again in attempt to provide a successor to "Oxygene Part VI". Whilst this isn't a bad ending, it's not at the same level as the original. Which is a statement that can be applied to the whole album really. 3/5

One record at a time: 204. Jean Michel Jarre - Chronologie Pt6 Slam and Gat Dacor Remixes

This is a potentially controversial entry as the debate over how to classify this release rages amongst some Jarre fans. People on both sides of the argument are convinced they are correct, but ultimately it just comes down to personal preference.

If you wish to consider this a single (or God forbid a 'Maxi') then please do so and just think of it as having been reviewed out of turn. Personally I don't care, but as I bought the CD from the album section of the shop and it charted in the UK album chart, I'm treating it as if it were an album. I have owned the CD since it was released in 1994 but I only acquired the vinyl in 2020. I had no burning desire to hear this music from wax but I was trying assemble a more complete collection at the time I bought it. 

Whatever format we consider this record to be, it has little to recommend it. I absolutely love the original version of "Chronologie Part 6" but these mixes are not only boring but completely divorced from the source material. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy some progressive house and techno, but these tracks are devoid of ideas and go nowhere. 

The first Slam mix starts promisingly but after eleven minutes of hearing the same two bar loop going round and round it becomes a real test of endurance. The second mix abandons the techno bassline and leans more heavily on TB-303 acid squeals, but ultimately it goes down the same cul-de-sac as the first. The "Main Mix" by Gat Dacor utilises a breakbeat and the occasional vocal sample, but the closest it comes to incorporating material from the original is a few chords after about five minutes. The "Alternative Mix" is just more of the same dross. In truth, the only thing of merit on this disc is the original version.

In creating this record I think Jarre and Polydor were attempting to gain credibility in the nascent dance scene by paying newer artists for remixes. The trouble with this approach is that some people will always be content to take the cash and churn out a song of their own creation rather than rework the source material. The same issue would occur a few years later when The Orb were commissioned to remix "Oxygene Part 8", but there were slightly more spectacular consequences that time. This 'album' is definitely for completists only and even the most ardent Jarre fan can afford to ignore it. 1/5 (it would be zero if the original were not present).

One record at atime: 203. Jean MIchel Jarre - Chronologie

In 1993 many young music fans like myself were ensconced in the burgeoning dance scene where a number of artists cited Jarre as an influence. Rather than hang up his patch cables and cede to the next generation, Jean-Michel chose to jump in and create electronic dance music of his own. As a progenitor the French maestro clearly understood the genre and was able to match himself to the confections of the day. For existing fans of his work who had also felt the draw of dance music, this album was manna from heaven.

I own three copies of this record. The first I bought five years ago when the vinyl was relatively rare and I ended up paying more than I should have. I think the price was also elevated because this copy has stickers indicating it was a promotional copy, but it is essentially just the standard European release. When the vinyl was re-released in 2018, prices of the original plummeted and I bought a second copy for a few pounds simply because I couldn't stand to see it being ignored. The third copy is the re-released version which has a different back cover and Anglicised spelling.

The ten minute opus "Part 1" that begins this record is split into two movements. The first part opens with a bass drum mimicking the sound of a heartbeat and slowly develops into a magnificent theme with showers of special effects and kettle drums. The second movement begins at around six and a half minutes and blossoms into another grandiose soundscape that is full of atmosphere. 

Ticking clocks begin to permeate as we segue into "Part 2" and its rather raucous melody. Interestingly this track recycles the past by sampling one of Jarre's earlier works "Erosmachine" and using some of the effects first featured on "Fourth Rendez Vous" - this is a concept album about time after all. 

"Part 3" is a beautiful and haunting theme played over a wonderful string arrangement. The only thing that detracts from the beauty of this piece is the dreadful guitar solo that doesn't belong anywhere near a Jean Michel Jarre record.

Side two opens with one of the standout pieces "Part 4" in which a Roland "Rubber Bass" preset grinds away under a soaring melody and TR-909 dance beats. "Part 5" is split into two movements and initially allows us time to cool down before launching into a very nineties sounding dance track. 

For me "Part 6" is the best song on this album as it has a mesmerising bass sequence and a beautiful melody. In fact this track probably vies with "Magnetic Fields Part IV" as my favourite Jarre track; I highly recommend it. Once again we segue into the next track which is a more abstract soundscape which merely acts as a conduit to the final piece "Part 8". Dramatic organ sounds from the Roland JD-800 provide a strange introduction to a song that is built around a rap rhythm and a melody played out on brass. As the song ends the heartbeat returns and we have come full circle.

For many, "Chronologie" is the last great Jarre album. Some argue that he would never again create something that was so forward thinking and innovative. From this point on Jarre's work seemed to always be harking back to the past and by the time he snapped out of it and attempted something contemporary again, we ended up with the car crash that is "Téo & Téa". I went to see Jarre perform live for the first time during the tour that accompanied this album and it was a fantastic experience. I have great memories of the concert and this album will always be special to me. 5/5

One record at a time: 202. Jean MIchel Jarre - Images: The Best Of

This album was released in 1991 and provided a welcome update to the dreary "Essential". Whilst Jarre expresses a dislike of compilation albums, he was content enough to work with label engineer Bruno Mylonas to remix several tracks and segue them together with new interludes. Also included are two new recordings and a rare non-album track. By the early nineties, compilation albums had moved on and the general public now expected new material alongside the hits.

Once we have obligatory "Oxygene Part IV" and "Equinoxe Part V" introduction out of the way, Jarre delivers a new version of "Magnetic Fields Part II" based on the version recorded for the Paris La Défense concert. Personally I don't like this mix as it sounds flat and what I can only describe as 'plastic'. Both "Oxygene Part 2" and "Computer Weekend" have been edited and there is some new percussion and other minor changes to the latter.

There's a wholesale re-recording of "Equinoxe Part IV" that is based on the version played at La Défense (far be it for me to suggest it is the same recording and Jarre merely mimed at the concert). Like the re-recording of "Magnetic Fields Part II" this new version sounds pretty dreadful compared to the original and is very brief. We then move onto "Band in the Rain" and the first side finishes with "Second Rendez-Vous".

Whilst the sleeve and labels tell us the first track on the flip side is "London Kid", the track that actually plays is "Zoolookologie". I think the intention was to include different tracks for different markets but the whole thing seems to have been too complicated for someone and this UK pressing of the LP plays the European tracklisting.

There's a very short edit of the first movement of "Ethnicolor" before the abomination that is a new recording of "Orient Express". I can give an illustration of how bad this mix is by relaying a story. In 1991 I worked in the record department of a high-street shopping chain. One day, not long after this album was released, I persuaded the deputy manager to play it over the PA. Things were going well until "Orient Express" come on and suddenly the manager marched up to me saying, "Are you telling me people actually listen to this?" Despite answering in the affirmative the CD was promptly replaced by "Queen: Greatest Hits" and no more was said about it. Whilst I hated all of the managers in that store, I do have to agree that "Orient Express" probably isn't amongst M. Jarre's best moments. 

At this point of the running order you might ask yourself the question, "If some of these new versions are so bad, why are they included on a 'Best Of' compilation?" I too am mystified by this and my confusion has always been compounded by the inclusion of, what was by then, a five year old b-side. I acknowledge that not many people would have been familiar with "Moon Machine" when this album was released, but the quality of the music doesn't really warrant inclusion. The album does finish with two genuinely new compositions "Eldorado" and "Globetrotter", but to say they are mediocre is a kindness. 3/5

One record at a time: 201. Jean Michel Jare - Waiting For Cousteau

In 1990 my expectations of Jean Michel Jarre were high. His previous album had reached number two in the UK charts and his "Destination Docklands" concerts had writ his name large in the mind of music fans such as myself. 

Yet, the album Jarre delivered that year was so far removed from "Revolutions" that I was left disappointed. That's not to say "Waiting for Cousteau" is a bad album; it is more that it was a change of direction that left many of us behind.

Here I am playing an LP I bought in 2015 from eBay, but on the day this album was released, I was firmly committed to CD. As you can see form the picture, I also have a couple of promo posters for the album as I just happened to be walking out of an HMV store as one of the assistants was tearing down a giant window display. I decided to try my luck and asked if I could have a poster. The shop assistant looked at me uncertainly as if he was trying to think of reasons why he couldn't give me one. Having failed to find sufficient rationale to deny my request he searched through the jumble of torn paper and ripped album sleeves and pulled out two of the least mutilated posters. Whilst both posters have a tear in the bottom left hand corner, I managed to disguise the damage sufficiently for them to adorn my bedroom walls during my youth.

The lead single and main theme from this album is a track called "Calypso". As I'm not a massive fan of steel band or Caribbean music, this song has never been to my taste. At eight and a half minutes in length, it is also too long. The single edit comes in at under three minutes and is probably the version I find most palatable.

We find ourselves on more familiar ground with the next track "Calypso Part 2" which sounds like it could have been taken directly from "Revolutions". After around four minutes we enter a second movement that sees the steel band returning to compliment the churning synth arpeggios and haunting melodies. For me, this second movement is the standout piece on the record.

Whilst this is one of the first Jean Michel Jarre albums where the sleeve doesn't tell us which instruments were played, it is clear he used his Roland D-550 for "Calypso, Part 3 (Fin Du Siècle)". I'm not too keen on the first few minutes of this track but it comes alive after about four minutes and proves to be quite entertaining from that point on.

The biggest disappointment of this album has always been the title track. The fist time I played this album I was expecting this to be one of Jarre's extended symphonic pieces like "Second Rendez-Vous" or "Magnetic Fields Part I". As the music played I began to ask myself, "When is something going to happen?" After a few minutes I was bored enough to use the "seek" function on my shiny new CD player. I was pretty incredulous when I realised this forty minute track was nothing but an ambient dirge. I had been robbed! This wasn't music, it was just a drone with a sprinkling of piano here and there. 

The LP and cassette includes a 22 minute version of this cut with the 47 minute version reserved for the CD. I have a memory of advertising for this album mentioning the CD had 24 minutes of extra music and I ruefully reflected that I'd rather have the LP. Today, I still don't listen to "Waiting for Cousteau" and hearing it on this record is the first time I have ever sat through the whole piece (albeit the 22 minute version). I admire this track more than the petulant teenager who heard it back in 1990, but I can't pretend this is one of Jarre's best efforts. 2/5

One record at a time: 200. Jean Michel Jarre - Live

One evening in October 1989 I took a rare trip into town to go record shopping with a fiend. Things were very different back then and information about upcoming releases wasn't as easily available as it is today, so I was very surprised when I saw "Live" on the shelves of HMV that evening. 

The trouble was that I had already spent my cash on a single and didn't have the £14 required to buy the CD. My companion proved his friendship by agreeing to lend me the gargantuan sum as long as I repaid him the following day. I made good on my debt and still have that CD to this day. As we can see, I also own a copy of the vinyl which I bought sometime in 2014.

The first thing that struck me about this album when I bought it was how underwhelming it was to look at. The artwork looked rushed and the title didn't make any sense. Was it "Jarre: Live" "Jean Michel Jarre: Jarre Live" or "Jean Michel Jarre: Live"? No wonder it got a new sleeve and proper title when re-released in the nineties.

However, I have an even bigger issue with this album: I don't believe it captures a 'live' performance. To my ears most of these songs sound like the album versions with some added reverb and crowd noises. There are a few different arrangements, but I think they are still just playback. The version of "Magnetic Fields Part II" has different drums but features a suspiciously perfect recreation of the solo played during the "Concerts In China". "Oxygene Part IV" carries some additional synth and percussion, but it sounds like the mix released on the 1989 "Oxygene" single with added reverb and crowd noises. "Fourth Rendez-Vous" has some additional guitar by Hank Marvin, but I can't tell if it was recorded live or an overdub in the studio. To be honest, it doesn't make much difference if Hank was miming or not as the album lost credibility long before we reach his track.

Personally, I think this album was released to recoup the cost of the two Docklands concerts and nothing more. As a live recording it has little value and must rank as one of Jarre's least interesting works. To add insult to injury the LP has two less tracks than the CD because “London Kid” and “September” are culled. Given the nature of the rest of the album, maybe that's not such a bad thing. 2/5

One record at a time: 199. Jean Michel Jarre - Revolutions

"Revolutions" was the first album by Jean Michel Jarre that I bought when it was released. Neither of these records is my original copy as that was rather badly treated and did not survive the eighties. I bought the record on the right of the picture nine years ago from eBay as a replacement. The other copy was acquired about three years ago as I felt compelled to find a copy where the sleeve had the blue area in the upper right to match my original. Nostalgia compels us to do the strangest things. 

Nostalgia also explains why I own a Roland D-50. I think it is common knowledge that 90% of the sounds on this album are derived from a Roland D-550 which is the rack mount version of the D-50 (I also own one of those but it is in storage). Yet owning the synth that a musician used to make a record can shatter your illusions. 

My perception of Jarre was that he was a master manipulator of sound who spent hours creating new patches and textures using an arsenal of synthesisers. At some stage of his career this may have been true, but by the late eighties Jarre was happy to load up sounds other people had created and stick largely to one synthesiser.

Today you can find the data required for almost every sound used on "Revolutions" floating about on the internet. The first time you load these sounds into a D-50 it is easy to be awestruck at having the same palette as M. Jarre. Yet, it doesn't matter how much you try, you won't come up with anything as good or successful as "Revolutions". The skill Jarre exercises on this album isn't in creating sonic fireworks but as a master of melody and arrangement

The patch "Machine Run" opens the first track "Industrial Revolution: Overture" before synthesized strings begin to play a haunting theme. A D-550 'guitar' punches through with a terrific solo that thankfully sounds nothing like a guitar. The song winds down and creates a lazy start to "Industrial Revolution: Part I" before it suddenly kicks into a second movement that is something to behold. We blend seamlessly into "Part II" which features synth arpeggios and more D-550 sounds soaring up to heaven. "Part III" is a slower anthemic affair with an extended solo.

"London Kid" sees one of Jarre's heroes, Hank Marvin playing his distinctive twangy Fender. It's a memorable and upbeat tune that must have pleased both artists when it was completed.

On the flip side we hear a Turkish ney flute weaving a melody around Jarre's increasingly frenetic synth sequences before an electronic voice announces, "Revolution". Depending on which version of the album you are listening to, you might hear a different mix of this track titled, "Revolution, Revolutions". This newer recording was used after the person playing the ney sued Jarre as he didn't have permission to use the recording. I'm not a fan of the "Revolution, Revolutions" version as the drums sound weak and the orchestra seem to be playing in a different key. This original mix is much more satisfying.

"Tokyo Kid" has always fascinated me as it sounds so unconventional. Jun Miyake provides a stunning trumpet solo that perfectly compliments Jarre's brooding score. The D-550 comes to the fore again with "Computer Weekend" which is a light and airy tune played out on the "Ocean Scenario" sound from a collection of patches by a German company called EMC.

"September" is a noble effort but the vocals sound like they were recorded in a broom cupboard using the world's worst microphone. "The Emigrant" is a fitting finale but won't be making the running for any 'best of' compilations. 4/5

One record at a time: 198. Jean Michel Jarre - In Concert - Houston / Lyon with Orchestra and Choir

In my rush to get through Jarre's enormous back catalogue I skipped this album when I first began this post. This is a little ironic as "Houston/Lyon" is probably one of the records I played most in my youth. Yet when these concerts were released on VHS in the early nineties the scales were lifted from my eyes and I began to regard this record with less reverence.

Why did I not like the album so much after I saw the videos? Because it clearly showed Jarre was miming to backing tapes. There are live drums and bass on this recording but they are playing to a click from a backing tape. I had often mused why an electronic musician had to promote the fact that their album featured 'orchestra and choir' on the sleeve, but now I know it is because they are one of few live elements on these recordings.

For some reason we are only given a small snipped of the music for "Oxygene Part V" before it moves into an audio collage of TV reports regarding the Houston concert. The first movement of "Ethnicolor" is just playback before the bass, brass and percussion join for the second movement. There is a recording of a radio broadcast of the Lyon concert where someone is clearly playing the synth parts and percussion live. It's a shame nothing so authentic seems to have made the cut here.

In the transition to the next track there is another audio montage that features so many American voices it is clear the focus is firmly on the Houston concert. Whilst it is obvious there are live elements in "Magnetic Fields Part I" it is equally clear there is a great deal of playback going on too. Similarly "Equinoxe Part V" sounds like the album version with some live drumming and a few firework noises.

There's a big subterfuge right at the end of the first side when we hear a man exclaim, "The most amazing sight ever seen by the human eye!" We assume he is talking about the concert he has just witnessed, but the video shows us that the man is actually a magician entertaining people on the streets of Houston before the concert. 

We finally hear something of the Lyon concert as the pope provides an introduction to "Third Rendez-Vous" in which there is a real choir and some real miming by Jarre on the "laser harp". "Second Rendez-Vous" does feature live drumming and, as you might imagine, the choir becomes prominent. "Last Rendez-Vous" sees Kirk Whalum playing lead saxophone and it sounds better than the album version to my ears. This record goes out with a bang as "Fourth Rendez-Vous" receives some horrendous fretless bass and a sax solo laid over the top. I hate the bass playing on this song; always have. Still, the album is entertaining enough if you can forgive the fact it is a largely fabricated and sterile version of these concerts. 2.5/5

One record at a time: 197. Jean Michel Jarre - Rendez-Vous

I'm pretty sure "Rendez-Vous" was the first album I ever bought. Whilst the copy I own today is the same UK pressing, it isn't the same record I acquired in 1987. This is largely because I ruined my original through a combination of carelessness and abrasive cleaning solutions to the point where only the sleeve survives.

"First Rendez-Vous" is a highly atmospheric opening piece featuring a menacing growl that gives way to a beautiful languid melody. Wihtout further ado, we launch straight into the first movement of "Second-Rendez Vous". Bombastic horns beat out the melody as we are showered with effects derived from an AKS synthesizer. A new horn melody emerges for the second movement as Jarre cunningly develops the themes and melodies.

Part three of the "Second Rendez-Vous" sees the mighty Elka Synthex play an irresistible melody over a beat box. This is the piece Jarre will mime to with his famous Laser Harp in concerts such as Houston and Lyon. The final movement sees the opening theme restored and then elevated to a fitting crescendo. Original CD releases merely used index marks (remember those white elephants?) to differentiate between the movements but newer CDs and digital releases splice them into individual tracks.

I've mentioned before that a lot of what Jarre does is smoke and mirrors, and in my youth I was led to believe so much that turned out to be a lie. I don't care what the credits tell you; there was no "Laser Harp" involved in the recording of "Third Rendez-Vous". The reality was that Jarre pulled out his Elka Synthex, dialled up a preset and played a tune he had written 11 years before for Gérard Lenorman. As good as this track is, that is what it amounts to. No cool shades, no asbestos gloves and definitely no lasers.

The standout piece on the record is "Fourth Rendez-Vous" which has arguably the most memorable melody Jarre had produced since "Oxygene Part IV". The Casio "BRASS ENS. 1" blasts away as a heavily disguised TR-808 pounds out the beat. Until I began this post I had no idea that there were two different album mixes issued for this track. I haven't knowingly heard both versions, but I can't imagine they are vastly different. 

"Fifth Rendez-Vous" is less melody driven and moves through three movements. The fist movement is in triple time and has a stirring melody that sounds like it was played on shimmering glass. There is a cameo appearance by Jarre's son who plays a couple of themes from the album on a home keyboard as effects swirl around him. Distinctive Fairlight strings underpin the final movement which recycles the music from "Music For Supermarkets Part 3". For me this is one of the best pieces on the album. I'm not a fan of "Last Rendez-Vous" as it is overly long and I don't like the sound of saxophones. Despite the drab ending this is generally a good album that remains entertaining. 4/5