Customer Reviews

M & J [Vinyl]

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The late 1980s saw another trio of young female singers dominate the European charts. Yes almost two decades ago and long before Spears, Duff and Lohan the pop charts were dominated by Debbie Gibson, Tiffany and ... Paradis.

I grew up in the United Kingdom where French music gets a little more airplay than it seems to in the United States. So whereas people in the U.S. had the (apparently nonexistent) rivarly between Debbie and Tiffany as a hot topic in 1987, for those of us in Europe and Canada another female singer was the hot topic among schoolboys everywhere - Vanessa Paradis.

I first saw Vanessa perform on the now-defunct British show "The Roxy" in 1987 (think a more raunchier European version of `American Bandstand'). Here was this incredible looking (and very young) girl singing the song "Joe Le Taxi" on a stage alongside a full-size real yellow taxi cab. I was so entranced by her striking looks that it was only later that I heard the song.

Since that fateful night I have collected everything I could get my hands on connected to this French singer/actress (who is perhaps best known in the US more for her relationship with Johnny Depp rather than her career). From this album to her movies like "Noce Blanche" and "Une Chance Sur Deux" she has developed a large following and it's easy to see why.

Some criticize the tracks on this album as sounding child-like, but what do they expect? Vanessa was 14 when she sang "Joe le Taxi," certainly she deserves credit for not falling into the cookie-cutter marketing product trap that her contemporary Tiffany fell into. Over the years she has shown that she is willing to take some risks. And after all the venom that was slung her way by female admirers of Johnny Depp, jealous that she was his partner, she has maintained a mature posture that underlies the fact that she is more than just a pretty face.

This is the first Paradis album and it's great. A beautiful recording that you can't help but play over and over. Amazingly though, her voice has grown so much over time that it sounds almost weak here-still very good but not the fearless confidence she belts out with today. Here is a girl with a gifted voice, not the powerhouse that makes her one of the greatest pop singers of all time. It's still a great listen though and a must for any fan. If you don't speak French-don't worry, all her work transcends the language barrier.
Wes

The one song everyone must know from this album is the international hit "Joe Le Taxi" which still rocks nearly 15 years (can it be that long) since its recording. The other songs on the album are just as catchy (and no, it really doesn't matter if you don't understand French - besides, there is *one* English language song at the end). They range from slow songs ("Le Bon Dieu est un Marin") to the more upbeat like "Coupe Coupe". Vanessa's voice brings a life to the songs which certainly made the previously mentioned "Joe Le Taxi" such a hit. In comparison to her subsequent albums ("Variations sur le meme t'aime," for instance, or her Live album), this naturally pales, but as a debut, it still impresses.

e-mail: shomar@shomar.co.uk

I don't speak a word of french, and discovered Vanessa through my love for Johnny Depp (they have been dating since 1998 and have 2 kids together). I started out with the english ablum "vanessa paradis", which was incredible, and then bought her first live ablum, which gave me a small taste of her popular french songs but also let me hear some of my favorite all-american songs again. I then bought M&J, Vanessa's first ablum ever. All I can say about it is great things. She definatley is not even close to having a strong voice like Chrstina Augulaira or Whitney Houston, but yet Vanessa's voice enchants you in it's own way. This ablum (made when she was just 14) is more bubblegum than anything. It reminds me of Britney Spears's "Hit Me Baby One more Time". My Favorite songs would have to be "Marilyn & John" and "Joe le Taxi", but they are all amazing. VAnessa's songs are all oldies pop, which means that me, my mom, and my grandmother (not to mention even my dad) all love listening to this ablum. All really simple beats and tunes, nothing weird or techno. It's almost the type of music you could calm a baby to, but still stay awake yourself. All in all, not her best ablum, but still absolutley captivating and amazing. If you're like me and speak none or very little french, I dont recommend this as your first Vanessa ablum, and would advise you to go in the order that I did.

When I heard Vanessa's voise at first (it was her song "Joe le taxi") I didn't pay much attention to her, but then I heard her again and understood, that I really love this girl. And so now I am her fan. I think, that she is the best singer and actress in the world. This album is great. And I... just love her.

Paradis is my favorite French singer, but even I have issues with this album since it obviously wasn't her own creative vision here. At best, it was as if she was given a bunch of songs and told to sing (which is pretty much the truth, as Vanessa would later reveal).

Opening track "Marilyn and John" is the best thing here. A slow burning ballad on the doomed love affair between JFK and Monroe, this is by far the most musically mature thing here. The same cannot be said of a slew of infantile numbers - 'Chat Ananas', 'Mosquito', and 'Maxou' - all of which sound pretty much like you'd expect second-rate French pop music from 1987 to sound like.

Hidden gems do abound though. Prime candidate would be the lead single "Joe Le Taxi, but the Beatles-influenced "Scarabee" is extremely affecting and melodious. A triumph of sorts, to be sure. Unfortunately, the number of mediocre tracks far outnumber the good ones, so if you are not a huge Vanessa fan, you probably would be quite disappointed with this recording. The English version of "Marilyn & John" as the last track does little to salvage the damage.

However, take this for what it is. A Fine slice of 1980s French frothy pop that is meant to be fun, nothing serious. On the positive side, all of these songs are 'singalong' so if you're into that, this would work for you. As an introduction to Paradis, this is obviously an essential recording to see how she started off.

my first song i ever heard from vanessa was "be my baby", and then the second one was "joe le taxi". i fell immediately under her spell after that. this cd is great. even though her voice sounds so young. you can tell her voice has matured now. but it has very nice rhythms to it, and even though i can't speak or understand a word of french, it's still a fantastic cd! buy it if you're a vanessa paradis fan, or buy it just because it's awesome. either way, you're not missing out.

The one song everyone must know from this album is the international hit "Joe Le Taxi" which still rocks nearly 15 years (can it be that long) since its recording. The other songs on the album are just as catchy (and no, it really doesn't matter if you don't understand French - besides, there is *one* English language song at the end). They range from slow songs ("Le Bon Dieu est un Marin") to the more upbeat like "Coupe Coupe". Vanessa's voice brings a life to the songs which certainly made the previously mentioned "Joe Le Taxi" such a hit. In comparison to her subsequent albums ("Variations sur le meme t'aime," for instance, or her Live album), this naturally pales, but as a debut, it still impresses.

e-mail: shomar@shomar.co.uk

I love: Marilyn and John, Joe le Taxi and Soldat, very good songs for such a young girl.

Just one thing, 'Soldat'is the absolute BEST Vanessa Paradis song!!