Bande a Part [Import, Limited Edition]

Nouvelle Vague | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 26, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import, Limited Edition
• Label: Peacefrog
• ASIN: B000FKOT0M
• 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: #695,852 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Killing Moon

2. Ever Fallen in Love?

3. Dance with Me

4. Don't Go

5. Dancing with Myself

6. Pride (In the Name of Love)

7. O Pamela

8. Heart of Glass

9. Confusion

10. Human Fly

11. Bela Lugosi's Dead

12. Shack Up

13. Let Me Go

14. Fade to Grey

15. Moody [*]

16. Sweet and Tender Hooligan [Live][*]

17. Blue Monday [*]

Editorial Reviews

Import Limited edition features three tracks not featured on either of the US pressings, 'Escape Myself' (The Sound), 'Waves' (Blancmange), and 'Israel' (Siouxsie and the Banshees). Sophomore album from French duo who cover 80s new wave and new romantic songs in a loungecore/tropicalia style. Self-consciously arty and ironic - their name references the 60s French "new wave" of cinema and the album is named for the cult film ('Band Of Outsiders') by Jean-Luc Godard - their gimmick has nonetheless made them one of the Peacefrog label's biggest sellers. Other highlights include, 'The Killing Moon' (Echo and the Bunnymen), 'Bela Lugosi's Dead' (Bauhaus), 'Blue Monday' (New Order) and many more! Peacefrog. 2006.

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
(REAL NAME)   

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.