Customer Reviews

Live

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this is the album that started off lynda lemay's carrier in france, although she already had made a couple of records in quebec.
i had actually bought "du coq a l'âme" and "lynda 98" before i bought this album, but this one is definitely the best of the three.
first it has the simplicity of a live record, just a guitar, piano, cello and drums occasionally, and of course lynda's voice.
but lynda is not only a highly talented singer, that's truely for her textwriting skills that i appreciate her most. and this album contains a number of witty, or sometimes poignant treasures. sure her acting skills, and nice quebecer accent are enjoyable ingredients in the cocktail. i might have listened to the whole of it at least 50 times, yet it still makes me laugh as much.

I am another of those Lemay fans whose understanding of French is somewhat limited. Linguistic and cultural subtleties often go over my head (as in the music of another of my favorites, Gilles Vigneault), but a little dictionary/grammar book work with this material yields great dividends. Her songs often center on cultural universals such as childhood, adolescence, and relationships. You don't need to be French, or Canadian, or a woman to feel the power of her singing and writing. (Of course, if you do fit in any of these categories there may be even greater riches there for you.) Suffice it to say that songs like "Decevoir" and "Dans Mon Jeune Temps" communicate with an elegance and passion that is far from commonplace. And you don't need a graduate degree in French to sort out the lyrics. Additionally, the live recording gives you a good sense of the almost theatrical performing style that is so characteristic of French Chanson at its finest, where the performer becomes the song and the song transforms the performer. If the only French Canadian singer you know is Celine Dion, it's time to take the next step. And here she is!

The French-Canadian acquaintance who put me on to Ms Lemay told me that in Canada they say that Lynda Lemay could sing the telephone book - and I believe it too. She has such a beautiful, expressive voice. I don't speak French, and don't know what most of the songs are about, but it is clear that Lynda, her band and the audience are having a great time. I wish I had been there. This is one of my favourite albums because it is a joy to listen to a great chanteuse at the top of her game.