Customer Reviews

Initials SG: Best of

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This is undoubtedly the best introduction to Serge Gainsbourg there is out there. The variety of sounds and styles on this album is a testiment to the man's artistic integrity. No other comparable artist can straddle the genres of world music and pop music with such veritable ease.

You've got the nightclub, Vegas sound of 'Intoxicated Man', the subtle sensuality of 'La Javanaise'. The funk groove of 'Chez Les Ye-Ye' (released in 1963 no less!). The Brazilian flavour of 'Couleur Cafe', the pseudo-psychedelic 'Qui Est In, Que Est Out'. The wonderful backing arrangements of 'Ballade De Melody Nelson' and even some folk guitar on 'Je suis Venu Te Dire Que Je M'En Vais'.

You don't have to speak French to enjoy the wonderful songs on this album. Serge's laid-back vocal style (closer to talking than to singing) makes this album the epitome of cool. It says something about the Anglo-American world's lack of appreciation for non-English speaking performers, that an artist as talented as this should go, for the most part, unrecognized in the English-speaking world. Hopefully, discovery of this album will lead others to a greater interest in Serge's work and from there a greater interest in non-English speaking artists in general.

Buy this album if you are interested in the music of Serge Gainsbourg but don't know where to start. The CD contains a wide range of songs from different aspects of his distinguish musical career. As a musician, Gainsbourg 'hopped' through different styles of music: from 'mambo', 'cabaret', 'french pop', 'rockabilly' and even to 'raggae'. It's hard to discribe in one word what this CD's like, but it's a great starting point to get accustomed to Gainsbourg's work. It contains songs that are fun, exotic, and dark.

You will not be disappointed with this CD.

This is a perfect introduction for those who are wanting to get into Serge. I myself am a new fan but owning this has just made me want to track down all his reissued import albums. Prior to this CD, I only owned his No. 4 album, which showcases Serge in his smooth, jazzy lounge phase. That album is incredible but this hits a lot of the high points of his career and shows just how brilliant he became in the early to mid 70's especially. It is the recordings from that period that stand out for me on this collection, most notably "Ballade De Melody Nelson", "Je Suis Venu Te Dire Que Je M'en Vais" and the astonishingly good "L'Homme A Tete De Chou" which could be Serge's finest moment. All in all, this is a great collection and a perfect overview of his fascinating career.

I'm new to the music of Serge Gainsbourg. The only thing I knew about him was from the song "Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus," which was the inspiration and precursor to Donna Summer's "Love To Love You (Baby)" (her intro to the American audience available on Love to Love You Baby).

"Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus" is a beautifully lush, sexual song that Gainsbourg duets with Jane Birken, who coos lovingly on her part. The song, literally translated as "I Love You...Me Neither," has such a haunting quality to it that I just had to explore Gainsbourg further, which brought me to INITIALS S.G. BTW, Summer covered "Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus" with Giorgio Moroder on the The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of Thank God It's Friday.

Even though I don't understand French, I can only pick out a word or phrase here and there, I enjoy the tracks on this CD.

If Edith Piaf was the voice of France, then Serge Gainsbourg is the voice of French-Chic. The lounge, jazz, hip, ultra-cool, laid back sound that mixes nonchalance with bedroom lore and virility, that's what Gainsbourg sounds like to me. There's something very appealing about his voice: it just oozes sexuality. Never mind the lyrics!

This CD gives a good range of work starting from 1958 to 1980. I like the earlier stuff like "Intoxicated Man," which sounds like a hip, jazz song played at those beatnik clubs in Paris during the 60s.

"Chez Les Ye-Ye" sounds like a rock song by Chuck Berry and "Couleur Cafe" reminds me of a commercial jingle or something that Pizzicato Five would do. "Qui Est In Qui Est Out" is very go-go like with that prominent guitar twang that was so popular in the 60s go-go music. Of course the aforementioned "Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus" is part of this collection as well. Another cool song is "Ford Mustang," the coolness coming from the oddity of it. It has a good beat and Serge sounds like he's reading a poem or just saying phrases and a girl in the background says in English "Ford Mustang...Bang!" among other things. It's very Grace Jones like with disparate elements coming together into a cohesive song, LOL.

I'm not surprised there's a re-ignition of interest in Gainsbourg's music. It's really cool and that voice...no wonder he got so many beautiful women! Anyway, if you like to listen to 60s type music with a good beat--a little off the beaten path at times--and with 100% sex appeal, get INITIALS S.G. You can't go wrong.

I recently saw the excellent movie "Gainsbourg: Vie Heroique", which rekindled my interest in relistening to some of my Gainsbourg (and Birkin) CDs. Out of the many, many compilations available on Serge Gainsbourg, I've had this one in my collection for a while (bought it at a great price here in Amazon, in fact), and still listen to it regularly.

"Initials SG" (released in 2003; 23 tracks; 70 min.) brings the best and most influential music from Serge Gainsbourg. The CD covers tracks 22 years, from 1958 to 1980, and thankfully the tracks are sequences chronologically. The first 7 tracks show how Gainsbourg evolves from a "chansonier" (check out ""La Javanaise" for one) to a pop artist. The core of this compilation showcases 10 tracks from just 3 years (1968 to 1971), when Gainsbourg was at his commercial peak. They are all essential track, from the duet with Brigitte Bardot ("Bonnie and Clyde"), the controversial (but massive) No. 1 "Je T'Aime... Moi Non Plus" (with Jane Birkin), the satarical "Requiem Pour Un Con", and of course "La Decadance" (also with Jane Birkin"). The post-1971 tracks hit most of the highlights, including the classic "Je Suis Venu Te Dire Que Je M'en Vais" (from 1975) and of course "Aux Armes Et Caetera", the reggae-reinterpretation of the Frensh national hymn. The closing track "Dieu Fumeur des Havanes" (duet with Catherine Deneuve) is a nice way to close out.

What a fantastic compilation. If there is one negative about this (and differently from "The Best of Jane Birkin"), sadly the lyrics to the songs are not included in the booklet (instead we get some insightful liner notes), which is really a shame, as so much of Gainsbourg's songs involve subtle (or not so subtle) word-play. As a complete aside, growing up in Belgium, I have a clear memory of hearing "Je T'Aime... Moi Non Plus" in the car with my parents and sisters (I was 9 at the time), and while I didn't really understand what the song really was about, I figured it was it was about something really, really bad. When it came to the part where Jane Birking goes nuts, I caught my mom's horrified expression as she is telling my dad "can you believe this?" and then she changed the radio station. Ah, the memories! Meanwhile, "Initials SG" is highly recommended (as is the movie "Gainsbourg: Vie Heroique" but that is another story).

Fine (but not perfect) compilation of his best works.
Good booklet.
"Harley David.. son of a bitch" (my favourite)is missing and many other fine tracks.
Perhaps you need also Serge Gainsbourg Volume 1-3 or some specific records.