Customer Reviews

Scene De Vie

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Who are some notable French singers? Yes, there's Edith Piaf, Yves Montand, Charles Aznavour, Serge Gainsbourg, even Brigitte Bardot did some singing. But that was then. In the 1990's, one name came out and that's Patricia Kaas. In her debut album for Columbia, Scene De Vie, Patricia sings torch songs, blues, nightclub jazz to bring about a haunting atmosphere. The CD jacket helps in that the lyrics are printed in French AND in English.

After the haunting instrumental "General Theme", which opens and closes the album, she goes into the bittersweet "Les Mannequins D'Osier" (Wooden Mannequins), about the wish of forgetting the haunting memories, symbolized by the title objects, and thrown off a high bridge. Her voice has a ragged Bonnie Tyler edge when her voice rises, though not as rough, as it does when she sings "Et les regarder passer/sur la riviere gelee" (And watch them pass by/on the frozen river).

It's Jazz Time, or "L'Heure Du Jazz" She handled nightclub style piano blues-jazz very well, and the piano, guitars, double bass, and trumpet bring in that sound. Charlie Parker, Bill Evans, and Kind Of Blue are mentioned in this song, from one A.M., when one's soul reels to the feel of Charlie Parker to 3 A.M., when the last cigarette is smoked, another strawberry champagne is imbibed, and you forget your name.

"Ou Vont Les Coeurs Brises" or Where Do Broken Hearts Go-no, not the Whitney Houston song has a slow melodic sax and piano that recalls Coltrane's albums. At one point, she asks, "Is love in such a hurry/that it always want to leave." The sad and tragic moral is, "Because in the end, broken hearts/still whisper I love you."

The bitter blues of "Regarde Les Riches" replete with harmonica and sax is a harsh look at reality between the rich, "rolling through the Riviera in their Rolls Royces" and poor. When she sings "Stop knocking yourself for nobody... nobody gives a damn about your blues, so baby stop cryin'" it's like a bewildering slap in the face.

The torch ballad "Les Hommes Qui Passent" is a mental photo album tour through The Men I've Known, be they artists, musicians, or actors. According to her observations, they "have ocean-sized urges but their heart's at low tide" and "have kept the heart of a lost child." Yet what they have in common is that they give her money and nothing else. Something definitely wanting there.

The mid-paced synth-supported "Bessie" is a sad tribute to Bessie Smith. Kaas sings that Smith's skin colour doomed her life during her fatal car accident in 1937, where she bled to death "in front of a hospital for whites." She lovingly describes Smith "with her beautiful Sudanese voice/and her overpowering emotion" but wishes that she had lived in today's times where the two of them could've done a great duet in Paris, but not in Madison.

"Tropic Blues Bar" is another night life song, full of poetic and vivid descriptions of "panther-skirted prostitutes" and women described akin to "gazelles when the lions are no longer hungry." Kaas sings of a pianist she longs for, wishing his fingers would go from those black and white cars and on her hips.

"A l'enterrement d'Sidney Bechet" describes the funeral of jazz great/sax and clarinet player Sidney Bechet, who died in Paris in 1959. Another tribute to a jazz musician, as she says "he surely has the seat in an orchestra that remembers."

The slow "Black Velvet"-like blues tune "Kennedy Rose" is about Rose Kennedy, and she sings how she wouldn't want her sons to aspire to or become presidents of the U.S. Instead of being musicians or mathematicians, JFK, RFK, and Teddy Kennedy became "living challenge[s]," two of them at the cost of their lives.

"Une Derniere Semaine A New York" or One Last Week In New York is more a guitar pop ballad and asks what one would do with her if they had only one week to live.

"Patou Blues," or Patty's Blues, is upbeat Belinda Carlisle-style pop-rock with more guitars and a steady beat, spiced with some blues harmonica.

Calling her the French Bonnie Tyler is vocally accurate, except that her voice is smoother and full of more emotion and scores the best on haunting blues and jazz numbers. C'est tout. A bientot, et bravo, Patricia-vous etes merveilleux!

Scene de Vie is the first Patricia Kaas album I picked up several years ago in Atlanta. I didn't know anything about her, but I speak French and thought her album was worth a try. I really liked the blend of American-style jazz with that cocktail-lounge sound from the 60s and her smoky, deep voice complemented the lyrics quite nicely. "Regard les Riches", "Ou Vont Les Coeurs Brises" and "Les Hommes Qui Passent" are the standouts on this album. Great music for fans of Celine Dion, Lara Fabian,etc. C'est super!

As a fan of singing in general and Patrica Kaas' earlier work, I was disappointed in this album. Although Ms. Kaas' voice is as seductive as ever, much of the material here lacks the originality or emotional energy required to make the listener want to play the CD again and again. The result is mere "mood music" for which any easy-listening track could be substituted. From a commercial perspective, few if any of the songs have a "hook" that would endear them to the short attention spans of today's radio audience. I would suggest that those interested in Ms. Kaas' music should refer to her earlier works.

This and "Tour de Charme" (the American version with "La Vie en Rose" in it) is just simply the best Patricia has done. Throughout the album her voice is superb: expressive, deep, hard, plaintive, warm, rough, touching...She is at her best doing jazz-tinged numbers, which she does several of here. "Bessie", "Regarde les Riches" and "Kennedy Rose" are stand outs...

The best CD by Patricia Kaas in my collection. If you like her, do not hesitate, get this CD. The lyrics are phenomenal, and they are printed in the booklet and even translated to English.

The first 6 songs are good, but last 6 are boring.
L'heure du jazz - that is the best song on there.
My opinion of PK is that her CD's get better as time goes on.
If you are a serious PK fan, than this would be a good addition to your collection, but don't expect much. It is no where near as good as le mot de passe or sexe fort. I now know why this CD is often so cheap here at amazon.

I have been listening to Patricia Kaas for several years.She no longer sings with a jazz band backing her awesome vocals.She has given in to Pop music but her songs carry a special meaning to the listener.She had always longed to sing in English and she has.Sexe Fort is beautiful but Scene De Vie is among my favorites.Her sorrow can be heard in Ou se v'on les Coeur Brises? She swings on L'Huerre de Jazz and Les Hommes Qui Passe is indeed every single gal out there.Buy this CD and let Pat's joy and sorrow consume you!

After the success of Mademoiselle Chante and the change of the record company, Patricia Kaas managed to make another brilliant record. The whole CD is very laid back, retro, American. You can hear the songs, like L'Heure Du Jazz, Ou Vont Les Coeurs Brises, Regarde Les Riches, Tropic Blues Bar, Une Derniere Semaine A New York, with American jazz music as the background music. When you are listening to the CD, you feel you are in the United States in the 60s, 70s. Other powerful ballet songs are Les Mannequins D'Osier, Les Hommes Qui Passent, Bessie. Patricia Kaas is undoubtedly a diva in France. Her powerful and deep voice helps to express her rich feelings. This CD n Je Te Dis Vous/Tour De Charme are her best CDs of all. If you love Whitney Houston and Celine Dion, Patricia Kaas should/will be your another favourite female artist. She has the most beautiful voice among all French female artists after Edith Piaf.