Customer Reviews

Ainsi Soit Je

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Yes that's exactly what AINSI SOIT-JE was, when it first appeared, in 1988, though no one knew at the time. Farmer's second CD seemed then so dark, so universally sad, so frightening even at its most peaceful ("Jardin de Vienne") and so alienated from the present : I mean, who in 1988 was reciting Baudelaire ("L'horloge," whose music became the source of Enigma's works), or doing a female transvestist version of Peter Pan ("Sans contrefacon," which translates as "No counterfeit")? And who, 10 years before Alanis Morrisette, turned such a dark eye to love-making ("Pourvu qu'elles soient douces") as Mylene, with her female rebellion? The oddly disco-fied blues ("Allan," "Sans logique") and the ballads, too, made no sense, 4 - 6 years before "Goth" became a recognized idiom (largely because this CD helped spawn it). Today, when Farmer has become the world's most influential female pop star (sorry, Mr. Proud of America -- I'm not proud of you, by the way -- but it's true), this early CD sounds incomplete, a first step on a very profound road : yet even in its searching but not yet finding way, it offers plenty of flashes of the quizzical, darkish, sexually heated, pensive intelligence that singles Farmer out from the teen-mainstream, cliche pop that befuddles FM radio in the US. I still play this CD from time to time and still discover new insights in it, though most of my Farmer time is devoted to her newer works.

This is one of Mylene's best CDs, along with L'Autre and Anamorphosee. Mylene Farmer's music is a unique combination of space new age (Vangelis, Mike Oldfield) with a twist of Euro dance and very interesting and original other arrangements. The lyrics are critical to enjoying the songs. She also, on occasion mixes French with English to great effect. Mylene Farmer creates a musical poetry of her own and, for those who acquire the taste, she is a universe of fun and wonder. Her videos are even better. Not for everyone, but you'll know whether she is your type as soon as you are acquainted.

this is another great album of mylene's. what i love about her is how she has so many different styles in all her albums so you are sure to see something different each time. although she does always mainatain that girly voice of hers, i think that is what makes her stand out. that she can sing about such things and still look all "innocent" with her little angel voice and face... i first heard "sans contrefacon" when i was very young, about 4 or 5 years old, and i immediately loved the song. as she sings about being somewhat of a tomboy, i immediately identified w/the song, i even felt it was written for me... anyways, no doubt "sans contrefacon" and "sans logique" are my favs on this album. another standout track is "jardin de vienne"... it's a really sad song, but it has this typical medieval french feel to it and is a different kind of song...
this is a great album and a must for true fans :)

This album is one of the first of Mylene,and also the first one i bought from her. I am from Europe myself,and found out about Mylene from my friend in Paris who took me to one of Mylene's concert at 'Bain Douce'nightclub. She makes a statement when on stage,and the song 'Sans Contrefacon',translated as without a doubdt that i am a boy,was very entertaining to listen to. Mylene is not for everyone,but she has a very different genre than most French artist. All by all this album is a keeper!

from ALTEREGO in Tulsa OK

This is the best Mylene's albu

I was in high school in Paris when this album came out. I "discovered" Mylene Farmer - a petite red haired Canadian with a pouty gamine face- on posters plastered throughout the subway...Then her video for Sans Logique came out, and the song was a hit. She is an interesting singer, even if her work isn't very consistent, and she seems to take the dark side of her image and work a bit too seriously. Nevertheless, there is something very otherworldly about many of her songs. L'horloge is Baudelaire's poem which is arranged in a surreal song, and performed in an ethereal way. Allan has the same mood, while Sans contrefacon is more playful. Deshabillez-moi isn't as clever, but it is "naughty" and fun. I don't think she crosses over very well to different audiences- part of the enjoyment of the album comes from understanding the lyrics-at least that's the way it was for me. Jardin de Vienne was a dull song which I always skipped and the Farmer's Conclusion was nonsensical and silly in an ungraceful way. Although her voice isn't anything too remarkable, it can be very angelical and charming. It's worth having in your collection if you don't mind skipping over a few songs.

In the late '80s, there was a remarkable interest in French music in Germany. France Gall reached #1 with her comeback single "Ella elle l'a", a homage to jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald. Just so did 'enfant terrible' Guesch Patti with the aggressive song "Etienne" and its highly controversial video clip. Even old chanson singers like Francois Hardy experienced recurring commercial success. Still, Mylene is quite different to all the aforementioned artists, because her music always has been designed for the international music market. "Ainsi.." is a improvement over her debut, featuring better songs and more intriguing lyrics. A mix of compelling dance rhythms, orchestral arrangements, and superb melodies, the hit singles "Sans contrefacon", "Douces", "Allan", and "Sans logique" sound timeless and are among Mylene's best songs ever. The engaging atmosphere of "Sans contrefacon" is somehow similar to The Cure's "Lullaby". It's like eating a deadly nightshade. Unfortunately, there's also a couple of badly developed and trite songs. Overall, I think the subsequent album "L'autre" is Mylene's best effort. If you are only looking for the singles, I recommend to buy "Dance Remixes".

That's the beauty of it - 'Ainsi Soit-je' is far from blowing anyone's brains, yet it successfully does exactly that - frightening, restless, chilling, nightmarish pop music that consumes one's solitude to shreds. Personally, I don't understand the lowest ratings of this album here but I'll stick to the fact people rating this album below 3 stars are either not that much into Mylene, expect too much from a decent 1988 album or simply spam it for Mylene CD's (not to mention second-hand items) are infamously way too expensive to buy on regular basis.

As for the contents, it's a bit confusing rather than consistent story to tell - however, it is a fine summary of Mylene's career earlier on. In terms of being 80's pop, Mylene's musical stylings always leaned towards alternative pop more than just satisfying mainstream's expectations on the verge of commercial appeal.

Intellectual ('L'horloge' or 'Pour'vu Quelles Soient Douces') just as it is clumsy ('Deshabillez-moi' and 'The Farmer's Conclusion' seem to break the seriousness of the material here), 'Ainsi' offers adorable hits - 'Sans Contrefaçon' was my first-ever encounter with her work and I wasn't feeling comfortable with it then - she always managed to bring obscurity and melancholy into her songs to great effect despite there is repetitive howling along the way. But once you start digging into it, it will pound on you like a hammer with enjoyable scars and bruises. Among the highlights from this collection is undoubtedly 'Sans Logique', a song of unspeakable beauty. Delivered in a strange italo-disco/flamenco fusion over Farmer's chanson-lament, behind it is a bizarre story of losing common sense. 'Jardin de Vienne' is as equally beautiful - soothing, almost military tune covered by mysterious veil of glory.

Among the album's less impressive moments is probably 'La Ronde Triste' - a song which repeats 'Allan's chords, while sounds quite cliched using that typical shakahachi sound, more like filling the void where neither music nor childish, death-obsessed lyrics stand for any particular conviction.

Still, it is a solid 5-star rating and shouldn't stop you from discovering one's amazing work yourself. This is a deserved part of French pop anthology - timeless if not entirely immortal, beautiful if not perfect.

I first heard this album in France when came out. Frankly, I love it and was checking to see if I could get a cd now that my tape has finally bit the dust. She reminds me a bit of Kate Bush, I am not sure why, but when you listen perhaps you will understand what I mean. She does interesting things with music, words and the topics she explores. Yes, some songs are blatantly sexual and sensual (with not a little bit of humor thrown in) in nature and if that offends you perhaps you should skip her but she also covers a range of interesting thoughts and ideas. (Hum...I am having to rewrite this as my first review was lost in the wash...now what else did I say...Ah, yes!) I was actually a little surprised that someone would not like her voice, but then I like Stevie Nicks' voice and I realize she is not for everyone. I am not such a fan that I have listened to all of her albums...perhaps I am a little afraid of ruining the pleasure I take in Ainsi Soit Je... but I enjoy listening to french vocalists to keep up my language skills and Mylene sings clearly enough that I can understand her. (Another good one is Coralie Clement) Just to get a sense of whether or not you might like her, here are some of the other band I have liked- Pink Martini, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Susanne Vega's "Small Blue Thing" (not the others), Eileen Iver's "Wild Blue" (also not the others), and most of Blondie's popular hits, to name just a few. They are not like Mylene, in fact a number are sort of on the jazz/swing side, but sometimes it is helpful to understand the context of a person writing a review. In anycase, I hope you love it...I did.

Mylene Farmer is one of France's greatest singer/songwriters! This CD has it all- haunting melodies, catchy rhythms, get-up & go dance, soft ballads...You needn't be a Francophile to appreciate great music, so indulge yourself, expand your horizons-- get this CD tout de suite!