Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Excellent Compilation, November 5, 2001
Where most compilations fail, this one succeeds. Rather than trying to paint a picture of Gainsbourg's entire output, "Comic Strip" focuses on the artist's output from the late 60s, the period most regard as his peak.While there are a few arguably important songs from the late 60s that are absent here, the track selection is excellent overall. 'Comic Strip' and 'Bonnie and Clyde' highlight Gainsbourg's work with Brigitte Bardot. 'Requiem pour un Con' is a timeless wonder. But what really impresses about this CD is that it does not try to merely provide a greatest hits package. Lesser known songs such as 'Ford Mustang' and 'Un Poison Violent' are welcome additions. And as the album progresses we get Gainsbourg's late 60s output, accented by his collaboration with Jane Birkin in 'Soixante-Neuf Année Erotique.' There were a plethora or songs that Gainsbourg wrote very other artists, so his value is doubly important. 'Les Sucettes' and 'Sous le Soleil Exactement' are great examples, and the inclusion of his own versions are very welcome indeed. This is a wonderful overview of the peak of the most influential French songwriter ever, a man who still casts a large shadow of influence over modern day French, American, and British artists. A very smart buy to become familiar with his work....
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A handful of indispensable tunes., March 12, 2000
By A Customer
I gave 4 stars instead of 5 because a few of these songs are a bit annoying and not for all tastes. But many other songs are absolutely indispensable:"Bonnie and Clyde" (in French, despite its title) sounds like it could have come off of "The Velvet Undergound & Nico" album (one of the all-time greats). (His companions in his duets serve the same purpose as Nico, who herself was a model/actress not espeically known for her singing.) "Je t'aime...moi non plus" is a legendary song that hasn't aged; the organ reminds me of Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade of Pale." "Chatterton" and "Requiem pour un con" sound incredibly contemporary - the first time I heard them, I thought they must be re-mixed versions (they aren't) because the beats seem influenced by hip-hop. "Soixante neuf anne erotique" is pure bubblegum, a perfect song, and a nice companion piece to "Je t'aime." "Sous le soleil exactement" and "Les Sucettes" (with its wah-wah guitar in the background) are strange and beautiful songs. Other songs have the same experimental flavor found on late Beatles albums: "Comic Strip," "Ford Mustang," "Hold Up." A couple songs (especially "L'anamour") are Francoise Hardy-type Ye-Ye pop songs. Every French rock collection should contain many of these songs; so should any collection of '60s psychedelic/California music.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant in spots, good for something different, July 8, 2005
When Gainsbourg was 'on' he could be very good; he could also produce the kind of terrible recorded pap that makes struggling new bands wonder how he kept employed. This CD spares much of the agonizing misses and gives us a generous hand of surprising hits that mythologized a true pop-icon.
Anyway, if Serge is forever a talented hack, a visionary who can't sing and coasted along on playboy faux-cool, well it is his ultimate triumph that he pulled it off. Chutzpah, the mother.
I like the strange little guy. He was a perv and a freak but he represented a certain breezy raison d'etre, and nailed various hot ladies eventually to co-produce Charlotte, a daughter as lovely and charming as... such a man could hope for.
COMIC STRIP is the one Gainsbourg you'll ever need - fun and silly and so very French. Good to confound houseguests who won't know it that well but will asume it must be hip.
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~ Serge Gainsbourg
~ Serge Gainsbourg
~ Serge Gainsbourg
~ Jane Birkin
~ Francoise Hardy
by Serge Gainsbourg 
