One record at a time: 213. Jean Michel Jarre - Welcome to the Other Side

I'll be honest, this record is unopened and unloved. When I first watched the virtual reality 'concert-event' this music is taken from I had no idea what was gong on. 

This 'event' occurred on New Years Eve 2020 in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and seemed to involve Jarre performing with IMU sensors attached so that a virtual reality performer could be animated. For some unknown reason Notre-Dame cathedral was chosen as the backdrop for both the real images and the VR representation. 

The music was even more puzzling as Jarre seemed to want to recreate a rave by playing a series of EDM influenced tracks and remixes. The fake applause and audience noise was ridiculous and it didn't take Einstein to work out nothing was being played live.

As a Jarre fan of 35 years I was pretty disappointed by the whole thing. I guess the concept for this event must have passed me by as I just thought it looked and sounded second rate. This record is basically a Armin van Buuren DJ set dressed up with some Jarre tunes. I'm off to listen to "Equinoxe". 2/5

One reord at a time: 212. Jean Michel Jarre - Equinoxe Infinity

In 2018 Jarre decided that revisiting "Oxygene" wasn't enough and it was about time he set about creating a sequel to his other seventies masterpiece "Equinoxe". Rather than rework the themes and ideas of the original, Jarre set out to create a new work which had little musical connection to the original album. 

Whilst "The Watchers (Movement 1)" features a small echo of the Eminent strings from "Equinoxe Part I" it is nothing more than a cursory reference. Tracks like "Flying Totems (Movement 2)" are in the old tradition of uplifting and anthemic pieces, but there is no doubt this is a new approach. This track is also the closest Jarre has ever come to sounding like his contemporary Vangelis. 

"All That You Leave Behind (Movement 4)" is a darker, brooding piece that has some very seventies touches harking back to the earliest material Jarre recorded on "Deserted Palace" and "Les Granges Brûlées". "Infinity" is another strong and jaunty theme that sounds almost like the classic Jarre of forty years ago. Another favourite of mine is the atmospheric "Don't Look Back" which sounds like it was recorded by a string quartet that has been wired up to the mains. Weird but good.

When I first heard this album I have to admit I dismissed it as being rather disappointing and haven't listened to it much. When I posted my initial thoughts on this blog, I went as far as describing some tracks as "cheesy" and "less than convincing". As I sit listening to these tracks today, I can see I was too hasty in my evaluation. 

I think I rushed to a conclusion due to the sheer volume of music I have access to. I am only limited by the amount of time I can spend listening to music and it feels like everyone is vying for my attention. Back in 1985 when I bought the original "Equinoxe", I only owned a few LPs and tapes. These four or five albums were my world and I listened to them over and over until I almost lived within them. In 2023,  I don't seem to be able to devote time to albums that might need repeated listens to make an impression. Going back to this record today has certainly made me appreciate it more and I now intend to listen to it far more often. 3/5

One record at a time: 211. Jean Michel Jarre - Planet Jarre

I knew I had a lot of Jean Michel Jarre records, but I'm beginning to think I might never reach the end of them. This feeling is caused, in part, by the fact that I' don't enjoy his more recent material. I've posted before about the inexorable decline in the quality of Jarre's output and with every step away from his eighties pomp, things move further away from the things I enjoy. 

Happily this "50 years of music" compilation box set brings together the cream of Jarre's output and might serve to remind me why I was such a fan in the first place. 

This is a four disc set where the tracks are divided into "Soundscapes", "Themes", "Sequences" and "Explorations and Early Works". 

"Soundscapes" presents a largely predictable selection of nine of Jarre's more minimalist tracks from albums such as "Waiting For Cousteau", "Equinoxe" and two selections from "Oxygene 3". There are a few edits and tweaks but this material is largely faithful to that heard on the parent albums.

To my eternal surprise the "Themes" disc doesn't start with "Oxygene Part IV" but rather goes for the second part of "Industrial Revolution". Whilst all of the familiar tracks are contained on this disc, there are some surprises as "Zoolookologie", "Magnetic Fields 2", "Rendez-Vous 4" and "Chronology 4" are all presented as new remixed versions. The mastering on the beginning of "Equinoxe Part IV" is very strange to my ears as it is over compressed and sounds like it is in mono, but this seems to resolve when the main theme begins.

"Sequences" kicks off with a new track called "Coachella Opening" that would go on to be included on the "Equinoxe Infinity" album later in the same year as "The Opening (Movement 8)". The fantastic "Arpegiator", new track "Hebalizer" and "Equinoxe Part VII" are the standout tracks on this disc with "Oxygene 8" also given a new mix for the occasion. Less satisfactory is the Edward Snowden collaboration "Exit" and the mix of "Revolution, Revolutions" is pretty dire compared to the original album mix from 1988.

Collectors and Jarre fanatics would probably have been most pleased to see a "Explorations and Early Works" disc that saw the first release of "AOR Bleu" and a "demo" of "Music For Supermarkets Part 1". The remainder of the disc was taken up with material already released on the "Rarities" compilation (which probably explains why the "Essentials and Rarities" collection hasn't been repressed).4/5

One record at a time: 210. Jean MIchel Jarre - Oxygene 3

Jarre was inspired to revisit "Oxygene" in 1997 by Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells II". Just like Oldfield, Jarre went back for a third bite of the cherry and ended up creating an album that was so far removed from the original it doesn't live up to its name.

Unlike its predecessors, this album isn't driven by melodies or themes; it is largely based on a series of grooves. In itself this approach isn't a bad idea, but the title of the album sets a different expectation that the record can never fulfil.

Opening track "Part 14" is a good piece of electronic music, but doesn't really catch the ear in any meaningful way. The iconic Eminent Strings introduce "Part 15" but even the resurrected Korg Mini Pops 7 sounds a bit flat and lifeless. "Part 16" is more of the same with a sequenced bassline and a four-on-the-floor kick drum, but there's not much else here in terms of ideas.

My favourite piece is "Part 17" as it is the first time we hear a lead line and a tune. "Part 18" has a dreamlike quality but isn't given enough time to expand and breathe. So many tracks on this album are overly long and it seems a real shame that an interesting idea isn't afforded the same space. "Part 19" is a bit like a trance song without a rhythm track and doesn't really hit the mark. The finale is "Part 20" which tries to be epic with its building chord progression and eight minute runtime, but in truth the time would have been better spent on "Part 18".  As an album of electronic music, this is a good effort, but ultimately it can't live up to its name. 2.5/5

One record at a time: 209. Jean Michel Jarre - Electronica 2 - The Heart of Noise

The second volume of the "Electronica" project was titled "The Heart of Noise" and featured a further fifteen collaborations and three new solo compositions. By far the best track on this album is "Brick England" which is a collaboration with the Pet Shop Boys. In my youth I would often wonder what would happen if my favourite artists were locked up in a studio together and here we have the answer. This song is magic and I wish there were more.

"Here for You" with Gary Numan is another highlight along with the Siriusmo collaboration "Circus" which both have strong melodies and a distinctive sound. Equally distinctive is the voice of Dieter Meier which means "Why this, and why that" sounds just like a Yello record (this is a good thing).

Jarre's stated his aim was to create something new by merging his sound to that of the artists he worked with, but in the case of Primal Scream, all we ended up with was a remix of a twenty five year old single. Predictably The Orb have just layered a load of speech over a track in an attempt to make it sound "ambient" and the collaboration with Edward Snowden sounds like someone is preaching to you at a bad rave. Like the first instalment, this record is a mixed bag with some gems in amongst a whole pile of mediocrity. 3/5

One record at a time: 208. Jean Michel Jarre - Electronica 1 - The Time Machine

I posted about this album when it was released in 2015 so I have rehashed the post rather than reinvent the wheel.

For this collaboration album, Jarre stated he chose artists that have influenced him and who have helped shape the face of electronic music. On examining the list of collaborators my first thought was "Vangelis turned him down", closely followed by "I bet he didn't even bother asking Kraftwerk".

Only a handful of the tracks actually succeed in conveying the styles of the contributing parties and remain entertaining. "A Question of Blood" sounds like classic Carpenter and you can spot the aural DNA of Vince Clarke all over "Automatic". "Zero Gravity" is exactly what you would expect of a Jarre / Tangerine Dream collaboration and "Stardust" with Armin van Buuren is an undoubted success. For me the standout track has to be "If...!" with Little Boots; a truly sublime slice of pop electronica.

Less successful tracks are those recorded with people whose links with electronic music are more tenuous (or dare I even say none existent).  "Train and the River", a collaboration with the pianist Lang Lang is dull beyond belief. I can't even begin to describe how bad Pete Townshend's vocals are on the track "Travelator Part 2". Everything else on the album is just middling. 3/5

One record at a time: 207. Jean Michel Jarre - Rarities

For about thirteen years Jean Michel Jarre didn't release any of his new albums on vinyl. The cycle was only broken in 2011 by a compilation called "Rarities" which mirrored the content of the second CD of the "Essential and Rarities" compilation of the same year. 

I didn't buy this record when it was released as I already owned a bootleg CD of the same name and I had no burning desire to hear the music from vinyl. I own the record today because I included it on an 'wishlist' I made in the run up to Christmas 2011. At the time I was a bit fed up of being asked what I would like as a present, so I absent mindedly created a list of records I wasn't prepared to buy myself, but I would be happy to receive as gifts. When I opened this on Christmas day I was very pleased as it filled a hole in my collection and didn't cost me a penny. 

I don't know how many copies of this record were pressed but it now seems to be relatively difficult to find at a reasonable price. Even the afore mentioned double CD seems to be priced ridiculously high by sellers, so I feel fortunate to own both today.

Fittingly this compilation begins with Jarre's first recorded work "Happiness is a Sad Song" which is a musique concrète piece recorded in 1968. As an example of the genre this song is acceptable, but it won't ever be mistaken for one of his masterworks. "Hypnose" is a single released with magician and hypnotist Dominique Webb but the version included here is "Part 2", the instrumental b-side created by Jarre alone. Compared to the first track, this song is positively commercial and has a charming chintzy seventies style. Jarre's first 7" single  "La Cage / Erosmachine" from 1971 is another musique concrète affair that is probably only enjoyed by dedicated fans.

The remainder of this album is taken up by songs culled from a disc of library music Jarre titled "Deserted Palace" and the soundtrack to the film "Les Granges Brûlées". Both of these records were originally released in 1973 when Jarre was carving a living as a jobbing musician rather than as a recording artist. These early efforts were recorded using rudimentary equipment and sound very naive to modern ears. Whilst this album is a great archive of Jarre's less commercial work, it remains of interest only to collectors and the casual fan need not trouble themselves. 2/5

One record at a time: 206. Jean Michel Jarre - Odyssey Through O2

I'm not sure if we can consider this an album proper as this sampler only has four tracks compared to the seventeen featured on the CD. However, there's little point having a protracted discourse on the subject as I think the review will be quite short.

The first Jean Michel Jarre remix album was 1995's "Jarremix" which was only released on CD and was so bad I don't think it was even formally released outside of France. Despite the failure of "Jarremix" someone thought it would be a good idea to release a remix album based upon "Oxygene 7-13" three years later. 

My memory of this record is one of extreme disappointment. The mixes were pretty boring and the only thing of interest on the CD was the JArKaos visualiser software that could make pretty patterns on the screen when placed in the optical drive of a PC.

The Trancegenics mix of "Oxygene 10" isolates the melody and pizzicato strings and lays them over some tabla percussion and a tanpura drone. Whilst the mix is as dull as can be, it does at least retain something of the original. DJ Cam offers us a downtempo/trip hop remix of "Oxygene 7" replete with scratches and syncopated breakbeat. I'm sure some will find this interpretation interesting but it is just too repetitive for me. 

On the flip side there is a "Trans" mix of "Oxygene 8". Personally I have never heard of an artist called Boodjie & Veronica and their only other credit on Discogs seems to be for an album with Bugs Bunny on the cover. It remains a mystery why they were chosen for the project. Things finish off with the Claude Monnet remix of "Oxygene 12" which also appears on the "Complete Oxygene" double CD set as "Oxygene in Moscow". This last mix is probably the best of the bunch but it let's face it, the competition is weak. 1/5