Customer Reviews

Images: Best of

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Images is a good place to start and also contains a few tracks which can only be obtained on this release: Eldorado, Moon Machine and Globetrotter.

The sound quality (24-bit) is incredibly clear and punchy, but there are too many tracks and not enough of them are remixed. Some that are remixed (by Jarre) such as Orient Express are quite poor whereas others such as Rendezvous 2 and Equinoxe 4 are superb.

There are some odd choices of bonus tracks on this release such as "Blah Blah Cafe" which don't do Jarre any favours. A good compilation album but not the best example of his music. It's been 10 years since Images and a new compilation album would be welcome.

Jean-Michel Jarre was an immediate superstar in Europe with the release of his debut album "Oxygene" in 1977. Since then he has made a lot of albums, some great, some not so.

"Images" (20 tracks; 78 min., released in 1997) is what I would call a "politically correct" overview of his work. It covers all the phases of his work, and that is the drawback for me. Too many tracks of his later not-so-relevant CDs are included. There are only 6 tracks of his earliest, most famous and beloved albums on here. Beware, it does not have any tracks from Jarre's great "come-back" album "Oxygene 7-13", which came out shortly after "Images".

A much better compilation is "The Essential Jean-Michel Jarre" (14 tracks, 50 min., released in 1983 (and out of print), not to be confused with the similar titled 2005 release), which I had as a vinyl when it came out in 83 and which I stumbled upon the other day at the used bin of my local independent CD store. I couldn't believe my luck! It has the best tracks of his then 3 albums to date (Oxygene, Equinoxe, The China Concerts) and it is candy to the ears from beginning to the end. Check it out. If you see it by chance, grab it! I rate this 4.5 stars.

all jarre fans..u gotta have this..it contains all the hits and much more..although u already have all the albums, here's 2 reasons why u should get this one..all the tracks are digitally remastered in 24 bit..hence absolute clarity..two, u don't have to pop all jarre's cds in your player..just this one..reason enough?..for those of you who don't know jm jarre..here's a good way to start..believe me..you'll love the music and the man..jean-michel jarre is truly the godfather of new age/electronica...cheers mates..this one stays in my changer

Not just a compilation of songs, but a flowing creation of pure electronic moods and some grand themes. You have all of your fav. e-music songs here, like "Oxygene part 4" and "Equinoxe part 5". "Images: The best of JMJ" also gives you some nice additions in the form of several new remixes (Jarre-made) of older material, and 3 new tracks previously not released. This makes the compilation a must-have for any Jarre fan. The only reason for not giving 5 stars has nothing to do with the album itself, but because some essential tracks were omitted, such as "Magnetic Fields 1", "Industrial Revolution" and "Souvenir of China". I doubt if "Band in rain" and "Computer weekend" can be labeled as "best of..." Anyway - you gotta buy this one!

Had a tough day? Want to relax? Pull up your favourite chair. Switch on your stereo and lets go!

Jarre at his best, a great collection of his "all times" be it old or new. You will love this so much that you will be dancing in your chair!!!!

Its the best! "Like hell it is!"

The only problem, the 72 minute running time goes too quick.

Images is the second album I owned, after Jarre Live. I have since purchased every major Jarre album and I still do not regret owning Images. While the version I own has 17 tracks, Jarre remixes several of them and includes transitional sound effects and music "to create a continuous one hour [program]" (as translated from his liner notes). Indeed, listening to Images is more like listening to a medley, with each track blending well into the other tracks, or fading out to create phases. On one hand, Jarre cuts many of his tracks in half or in thirds, while on the other hand he has created a 62 minute electronic smorgasbord of his popular works.

Opinions on the remixes vary. While I haven't sat down and noted every difference, I can say off the top of my head that I prefer the somewhat frightening intro to Oxygene 2 on Images. The particles of music here sound fuller. Jarre adds thunder and rain effects to L'Orchestre sous la pluie, making it a fanciful delight to listen to, with atmosphere to boot!

Calypso 3 has some extraneous music (fifteen seconds or so) removed from the middle and actually tightens the track up quite nicely (with headphones you can hear the splice). Since this is what I became used to, after purchasing En Attendant Cousteau, I realized he did the right thing on Images.

And Rendez-Vous 2 has an awesome chorus singing with power throughout this track, rather than the weak synth vibe that is on the original album. Bravo!

A pleasant surprise awaits you when you open the insert booklet, too. A nice note (in French) handwritten by Mr. Jarre himself, dedicating the music to the listener. I thought it was a nice touch. I can't wait for Aero to be released (the American version) as it has some fantastic sounding remixes on it as well.

One note: I noticed at a store years ago that they re-released Images with a slightly different hue to the cover. Also, they added Wooloomooloo (from Zoolook). A reviewer here mentions Blah Blah Café (also from Zoolook) on the 24-bit remaster version. Expect to receive a disc that slightly varies on tracklisting than is posted here.

This was one of my first CD's I got in 80's decade at the age of 17, when vinyl records still were the highest selling. I knew most about Jarre's music so I thought it deserves to be listened in the best format.

The start is superior. The five cuts from Oxygène, Equinoxe and Chants Magnetiques are put together like in their original albums: all in a row. The selection is perfect.

Far as you can imagine, the time order is broken with the irruption of "Computer Weekend" and a little bit forward "London Kid". These cuts from Revolutions are not the best of this album. You can take out the first and put "Revolutions" or "Ouverture" or "Part 1".

In the track list there is a mistake (or is that on my CD?), because "Zoolookologie" is not present. And this is a pity, as Zoolook is not good represented too in this compilation. "Ethnicolor 1" is far away from "Zoolook" and "Zoolookologie".

In this point, things come really better with the two excerpts from The Concerts in China, that are "L'Orcheste sous la Pluie" and "Orient Express". Then again, the order is broken with the inclusion of the two best parts of En Attendant Cousteau: Calypso 1 and Calypso 3. This excellent group of five is ended with "Fourth Rendez-Vous", one of the best songs of Jean Michel Jarre.

Next, the quality is lowering again: "Moon Machine" and "Globe Trotter" are decent tracks but not for a "Very Best Album". Funnily enough Jarre starts in this album a tradition that you will find in some other artists: to include a new piece in a compilation of Greatest Hits, that is "Eldorado". Previously unreleased and a testimony of his due to UNESCO.

Finally, what can I say of "Second Rendez-Vous"? This is one of the masterpieces of the music of the end of the XX Century. Magic, strong, plenty of sensations, this track is the perfect finale for this album (and for each of Jarre's concerts).

I love Jarre's music, but I cannot give five stars to an album that, out of 17 tracks, I dislike 4, moreover, knowing these four can be replaced by four better tracks from the same albums.

I thought this compilation is magnificent. But I also heard of different versions as to this CD's concern. There are several tracks that were remixed and were added the digital synth features of today's music, as opposed to their minimalistic features of the analog synths of the 70's. It worked quite well is some cases, but in others it sounded like just another Radio commercial jingle.

The three new tracks that were added are probably why this CD is worth the price tag. They're wonderful. They're like nothing you'd expect from Jarre. Innovative, melodic, rich in sound and variety... simply wonderful.

To sum up... Jarre's most popular does most certainly not mean that it's his best, it's a risk. But such a risk is very easy to take. Take it.

This compilation spans across 7 studio albums and 1 live recording made during the period of 1976-1991. Obviously, it's next to impossible to pick a dozen of "best of" tracks from that much material, so that everyone would agree upon the choice. However, "Images" does a nearly perfect job of giving a taste of each of Jarre's albums made in the first 15 years of his working, presenting a couple of tracks off each of them. As such, it is a good place to start getting into Jarre's music, and a good compilation to choose which album is worth buying. Jarre's music is normally meant to be listened to for the duration of the whole album. This fact shows these individual pieces' compositional strength, as they stand quite good on their own, being separated from their respective album's concept.

The compilation also includes 3 previously unreleased tracks. Normally I hate such inclusions, because, frankly, they are nothing more than an attractor to force people who already own every studio album to buy the compilation. Also, such tracks are normally sub par to the "best of" material. But with "Images" these new pieces don't fall out of context. Especially "Globe Trotter" is good, with its cautios staccatto synths and a chilling melody.

With its drawbacks, "Images" is a very good compilation. If you're hesitant where to start with Jean-Michel Jarre, you are advised to buy it.

If you like Jarre music, this is the album for you. Made of one of the best of his scores ever. From the beggining to the end. Just put the CD on, sit down, relax, close yor eyes, and let the music do the job. If you're a newbie, you've probobly heard his music before. You're just not aware of what's behind. Hear it, experience it, belive it, learn it.