Entr'Acte [Import]

Francoise Hardy | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 2, 1991)
• Original Release Date: 1991
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Warner Music France
• ASIN: B00000IIIN
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #302,023 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Ce Soir

2. Mervelilleux

3. Et Voilà

4. Je N'Aime Pas Ce Qu'il Dit

5. Chanson Noire

6. Je Te Cherche

7. S'il Avait Été

8. Bonjour, Bonsoir

9. Il y a Eu des Nuits

10. Fin d'Après-MIDI

11. Que Vas-Tu Faire?

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Et voila, groovy Francoise!, January 10, 2003

By 

T. J Mitchell (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Entr'Acte (Audio CD)

This is probably one of Francoise Hardy's least appreciated albums. Originally released in 1974, Entr'Acte has a charming folk rock melody throughout with the french chanteuse taking a turn for the soulful as she asserts her sexuality lyrically. The opening track, Ce Soir, comes at you with a bluesy 70s riff as Francoise contemplates her impending date with a man she "wants to please" but knows she will be "ill at ease." The chorus is strong and heartfelt with Francoise swerving around the notes with her sultry voice. Another great track from the album is "Je N'Aime Pas Ce Qu'il Dit" (I Don't Like What He Says), which is a semiautobiographical response to the infidelity of her then lover and future husband. It begins with a disarmingly simple folk driven melody but quickly develops into a richly orchestrated and interesting piece of work. As with the opener, Francoise shines out vocally, grooving like a world-wise and understated Janis Joplin. As the singer explains herself, the album was like a cathartic journal entry that, once recorded, never needed any more of her attention. But thankfully, we get to have our own opinion on the matter. I'll be listening to this quiet, folk rock gem with a twist of soul for years to come.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars In Nick Drake territory, January 4, 2011

By 

Lloyd J. Peasley (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Entr'Acte (Audio CD)

This is the most introspective and withdrawn of all Francoise Hardy albums and as she is introspective and withdrawn at the most ebullient of times then we are well into Nick Drake territory. This is appropriate because the album was recorded not long after Francoise had tried to get Drake to write songs for her. He never did so due to a massive creative block and died (probably by his own hand) the year "Entr'Acte" came out. It clearly reflects his influence, notably in Francoise's sotto voce singing. She suggests rather than sings the melodies, rendering them almost ineffable and necessitating a number of listens before you get them. The arrangements surrounding her are more outgoing - there are quite beefy drums and sometimes overblown accompaniment - but Francoise adamantly refuses to come to the party. It's as if she's shutting herself away. Like Drake, she doesn't sound particularly sad or depressed, just insular and distant. A couple of the songs finish on unresolved progressions and the entire album has an aimless and hazy quality about it. There are several exquisite songs here: particularly entrancing is the dream-like "Bonjour, Bonsoir" which I think is one of her greatest recordings but "Merveilleux" and "Je Te Cherche" are also beautiful. There are a couple of clunkers: the opener" Ce Soir" has a lazy 70's rock snoozathon backing and a truly banal chorus while the closing number "Que Vas-Tu Faire" is bombastic despite Francoise's attempts to keep it subtle.
If you like Francoise you should like this but it's not the first port of call for newcomers. Begin with "Ma Jeunesse Fout Le Camp", "Comment Te Dire Adieu", or "la Question"; then "Star" or the early Vogue stuff. Only after that get this one.