Customer Reviews

All Over the World

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

 

 

"All Over the World" collects some of the most interesting attempts by Hardy to cross over into different language markets during her tenure at the Vogue label.

While it would be nice to have a box set that covered all of these multilingual efforts, this disc provides a nice overview and nabs the most essential efforts.

Many of the tracks are completely different recordings than the French versions, rather than just having Hardy slap a new vocal track on the existing instrumentation. This provides many delights - the version of "Le Temps de l'amour" is much looser, and the version of "Le premier bonheur du jour" features an arguably far superior arrangement to the original French one.

Some tracks are simply new vocals on the familiar tracks, though. In the case of the Italian version of "Voila" it's welcome: while the version of this classic on the "Ma jeunesse fout le camp" CD is muddy mono, the Italian version here is the full, vibrant, remastered, glorious stereo this sound masterpiece deserves.

Back in the 1960's I first saw an album by Francoise Hardy titled "Maid In France"! The album cover photo alone would make anyone love Francoise Hardy. This CD, "All Over The World" contains early 1960's recordings exclusively. . . and all of them are phenomenal musical experiences. The title song, "All Over The World" is a most melancholy haunting melody and lyric made ever more soul touching by Francoise's "lonely girl" vocal, in english.
"This Little Heart" is an up-tempo "Buddy Holly style" song you'll find yourself singing along with. . . and humming to yourself long after you take the CD out of the player.
And if you remember Perry Como's "Catch A Falling Star" well, forget about it. . . Francoise will give you an entirely different rock-take on that song, and you'll "put it in your pocket. . . save it for a rainy day"-- it'll make any rainy day sunny.
Francoise is just simply pure magic! She's French wine bouquet
in sound. And her cover photos on this CD (front cover and back),
are every bit as beautiful as her voice and her music. If you do not have any Francoise Hardy albums . . . get this one for sure.
It should be required listening!

The voice of Francois Hardy, not that well known to many in the southern areas was so sexy, the only hit that she really had down here was a very upbeat track "only you can do it" and to a degree "all over the world"also covered bt Judith Durham and theSeekers. A great compilation of contemporary mid sixties french pop with a "one off" voice not to be heard again until the late great Eva Cassidy. Francois had the slight sexy huskiness that made for enjoyable listening.