Bande a Part (Dlx) [Limited Edition]

Nouvelle Vague | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 22, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Limited Edition
• Label: Luaka Bop
• ASIN: B000GGSMF8
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #202,975 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

In 2005, the French duo's eponymous debut introduced their singular take on post-punk nuggets by the likes of Joy Division, Depeche Mode, Tuxedo Moon, and The Undertones, recasting them as svelte, sophisticated bossa nova-inflected chansons. This follow-up is a beguiling, retro-futurist odyssey, containing covers of Echo And The Bunnymen, The Buzzcocks, Lords Of The New Church, Billy Idol, U2, Blondie, New Order, The Cramps, Bauhaus, The Smiths, and more. "...a beautiful, melancholy exercise in deconstructing familiar songs and reassembling trace amounts of the melodies into fresh music" - Boston Globe. "Fresh (and refreshing) takes on these classics...The songs are so wildly different in their dreamy form that they stand on their own" - Flaunt. The limited edition includes a special o-card highlighting the three bonus tracks: "Moody" (ESG), "Sweet And Tender Hooligan" (The Smiths), and "Blue Monday" (New Order).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Post-post Modern Re-envisions, September 20, 2006

By 

C.B. Derrick (From the 2.20 Aspect Ratio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bande a Part (Dlx) (Audio CD)

Not the same "wow" as the first album (as it came out of left field), but definitely not a victim of the sophomore jinx either. In regards the song selections, Punk Music had its time & place, and to hear these songs (which probably are familiary anyone who has listened to popular music from the early 80s onward) done differently is interesting, worthy of any true music fans attention (I would have loved to hear Nouvelle Vague do a version of The Clash's "Rock The Cassbah."

Nouvelle Vague's artistic angle reminds me of jazz, in that the "studio" or album version was just the blueprint, the springboard, and what the musicians do on stage can be markedly different. So-called pop music (whether it's punk, hiphop, bubblegum, ska, classic rock) could all be reinterpretted (like this straight raggae disc of Police songs that I heard -- it's those lyrics, but done with a Trenchtown groove) -- and anyone who tells you it can't or it shouldn't is being closed minded.

And speakig of Sting, he does a lot of reinterpreting of his music (like on his Bring on the Night CD or the MTV Unplugged session) -- it makes it that much richer. Remember so-called symphonic classical music was improvised upon in its day.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best if you know the originals?, September 27, 2006

By 

sniffer8 (Tokyo, Jpn) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bande a Part (Dlx) (Audio CD)

I'm not entirely sure what listeners who aren't familiar with most of the original versions will get out of this album. As someone who went through punk, new wave, new romantic, goth and indie-kid phases in the late 70's/early 80's but who now listens to lounge, bossa, dub and nu-jazz I'm surely part of a very small group to whom Nouvelle Vague's work is perfectly pitched.

The standouts for me are the sublime opening track and a kittenish reworking of Human Fly. Some of the other covers work less well, including a way-too-respectful attempt at Pride. Potential buyers should also be warned that there several different editions of this CD aimed at various international markets. Check the tracklistings before buying

Never thought I'd ever again listen to Bela Lugosi's Dead by choice...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Get the first album, not this one, January 18, 2008

By 

T. Leonard (New York) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bande a Part (Dlx) (Audio CD)

If you liked the first album, you won't necessarily like this one. Be warned. A classic case of unimaginative second album syndrome here. The whole trick with any album of cocktail lounge covers of punk/new wave/new romantic/etc classics lies in choosing the right songs - ideally the more unlikely songs for such a makeover. Nouvelle Vague's first album - not this one - got this perfect. This one, however, seems like it has been put together in a Help!, what do we choose now panic. Full of already drippy songs like Fade To Grey and Dance With Me, or tracks - eg Ever Fallen In Love -where the original is so much better that one wonders why they bothered. Finally, every song sounds rather too samey, which was not true of brilliant album number one.