Customer Reviews

Sessions 2000

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Jean-Michel Jarre explores new ground - an electro-jazzy, mellow feel. This album is a real treat for the those who welcome Jarre exploring new sound, it's real low-key and great to "chill-out" to.
Turn it on, close your eyes, and allow your imagination to take you!

Jean Michel Jarre continues to surprise his fans. In this album he explores different styles and the jazz influence can be clearly felt. There are no "Oxygene/Equinoxe"-like tunes in it, but the atmosphere created is realy cool. What I like about the album is that one can realy feel the fact that Jean Michel Jarre and his "partner in crime", Mr Francis Rimbert, had a lot of fun playing and recording "Sesions 2000". Anyway, for me at least, it is much better than "Metamorphoses".

In response to those reviewers who sense Sessions is "new" Jarre, I can steer them to Rareties, GEMA CT03, a truly rare mix of Jarre's very early work: Zig-Zag Dance, La Cage, Eros Machine, Les Grange Brulees... when I first heard this pre-Oxygene stuff, I couldn't believe this came from the same guy! How did THIS lead to Oxygene and Equinox? If anything, Sessions represents a return to Jarre's truest and most authentic musical impulses; it's the most like his early inclinations as anything I've heard since, but with the added depth that comes from thirty years of experience. Sessions, then, strikes me as a culminating album and so much more authentic and honest to my ears than, say, Revolutions or Metamorphoses will ever be. Hearing Sessions ties it all together for me; I begin to understand Jarre's whole artistic arc a little better. Oxygene and Equinox, in this context, are the rare and odd soufflés that rose from magic and will never rise again. And I see Sessions not as the oddball effort, but a fascinating bookend to complement who Jarre was as a young artist decades earlier. Highly recommended. Worthy of deep and careful listening. Beautifully recorded.

It amazes me when people critisize an artist like JMJ for doing something different. I mean, if you don't like it, fine. JMJ has a long career. And like ANY artist with a long career, he will try new things (hopefully) some will work, some won't, some you will like, some you won't. If you want him to just keep releasing albums that sound like Oxygene or Chronologie, then just listen to those albums again.

I like this album. It is more ambiental than a lot of his more symphonic releases like the ones mentioned above. It has some jazz elements, but I wouldn't call it jazz. There is room in this world for both. I hope he keeps on experimenting an re-inventing himself.

I just wanted to make a comment on the comparison to the 46 minute track "Waiting For Cousteau" from the album of the same name. I don't really see the parallel between Sessions 2000 and Cousteau. If there is any comparison to be made with Waiting for Cousteau it should be made to Brian Eno's "Thursday Afternoon". Both pieces yield a sense of obliterating both time and space; a feeling of moving without ever changing local.

Had this album been released by an unknown stranger, I might accept it as a typical new age ambient concept that would be good to listen to when you need to hear something that would help to put you to sleep. So, I could listen to a meditative CD of the sounds of waves crashing ashore, or the sounds of a rainfall (maybe even a thunderstorm), or I could put on this sleep-inducive CD of Jarre's "Sessions 2000".

Jean Michel Jarre must truly have been struggling these passed 15 years. He has his own unique sound, and yet he's been trying to stay alive for more than 30 years. I can see his confusion though. His most loyal fans have a particular expectation of what music he creates. And nobody can be expected to just continue to do the same thing over and over again. "Oxygene", "Equinoxe", and "Magnetic Fields" were the albums that set the stage for what was Jarre's fabulous unique sound. But, all through his career he seemed to want to re-create himself. He did a weird soundtrack album in 1973 called "Les Granges Brulees" which only recently got released on CD a couple of years ago. I didn't like it and I'm sure Jarre himself is not too fond of it. However, in 1976, his illustrious career began with "Oxygene", which is probably still his most famous album. Anyone who has "Oxygene" probably has "Equinoxe" as well. Anything he released after this, we couldn't wait to buy. Then, he caught us all off guard in 1984 with "Zoolook" This took a little while to grow on me, but eventually, it did. It also made me a little hesitant about his next album. In 1986, he put out "Rendez-vous" and redeemed himself, and our expectations. Then, it seemed like he was beginning to get sloppy. He has released a lot of live albums and I thought that he was just killing time with all those unnecessary releases. I enjoy 1982's "The Concerts in China", and I've kept his other double live CD of 1994's "Hong Kong". But he has several other live albums that just seemed to repeat the same sound as the previous studio releases, but with half-hearted applause from the listening audience.

In 1988, his album "Revolutions" had some great short passages, and then some rather dumb child-like sound concepts. Then in 1990, his album "Waiting for Cousteau" had two fabulous instrumentals called "Calypso 2 and 3" (I didn't care for Calypso 1") and then his title track is his first truly ambient sound passage. He did a nearly 47 minute soundscape which simulated lying on the ocean floor and listening to the sounds of passing sea mammals and other underwater sound effects. I do like it, but I gotta be in the mood to listen to it. When I'm tired and I want to sit in the dark and listen to something, this track is pretty soothing and relaxing.

Then, in 1992, he puts out an album called "Chronologie". To me this is his greatest album since his first three albums. This is one of my top five favorite albums from Jean Michel Jarre. I was thinking: "Yes! The Jean Michel Jarre that we all knew, is back!" But, then, after this album, I think Jarre was beginning to get confused. He didn't quite do anything for a while. Maybe he was basking in the glow of his new latest sound achievement, and now he didn't know how to follow up on it. Two years afterwards, he releases another double live album called "Hong Kong". I like it because he incorporated a band to add more energy to his familiar music of the past and so it was nice to hear a concert that featured the music of all his best albums. I wish this concert was filmed for video. What a loss that is.

A year later, somebody tampers with Jarre's music and created a various remix album called "Jarremix". I don't think Jarre had much participation in creating these remixes other that just the rhythms of certain tracks. This is another CD that I have to be in the mood for. I seldom ever care to play this CD.

With Jarre suddenly realizing that he's tapped into a multitude of different directions, he came to a halt on his creativity. So, check this out. In 1997, he releases an album called "Oxygene 7 -13". This album sounds like he's trying to resell his most cherished album by simulating some of the sounds of the original album. It's a keeper, but I don't know why Jarre felt like he had to do this. Maybe he knew that it couldn't help but sell well because he IS Jean Michel Jarre and "Oxygene" WAS he greatest selling album. You know, Mike Oldfield did this too. In 1973, his first album "Tubular Bells" was his greatest selling album, with his career continuing a moderate downward direction of appeal, in 1992 he released an album called "Tubular Bells 2" which brought his earlier fan base back (including me). And in 1998, he even did a "Tubular Bells 3" and then he did "Tubular Bells 2003" which proves that he has lost his grip with what he wants to put out for his fan base. Anyway, I was wondering if Jarre was going to put out an album called "Equinoxe 9 - 17". He may as well, I'm sure it would sell.

I have mixed opinions about Jarre's new millenium album called "Metamorphoses". The long album side soundscapes are no more. He's starting to stick to just a bunch of short songs. And he incorporates female voices in many of the songs. It's hit and miss with these tunes. Mostly miss. Then he comes out with "Sessions 2000". This album does not sound like Jean Michel Jarre at all. This whole boring concept sounds like the sounds you could invent in your own head if you were sitting forever in a waiting room, or you were in silent solitary confinement. Then his next album "Geometry of Love" continued the same dull concept. Two bland, boorish, CD's in a row and neither one even worthy of being released in a regular jewel case.

Yes, the days of Jarre's greatest moments are all truly over. I believe it ended with "Chonologie." If you're new to hearing Jean Michel Jarre's music, start with "Oxygene", "Equinoxe", "Les Chants Magnetiques (Magnetic Fields)," and the "Chronolgie". You won't be disappointed. But it's up to you where you go from there.

If you like Jean Michel Jarre for his old style music, like, equinoxe, oxygen, chronologie etc... don't waste your money. This album is not for you....

I've been a Jarre fan since 1987. Got all his albums, blah blah blah.

I like this one. It's completely different from everything else Jarre's ever done, and that, I think, is a good thing. Gotta branch out, you know?

"Oxygene" is still my favourite, but I really do enjoy this album. I'm listening to it right now, in fact.

Jarre comes up with a subtle blend of electronics and jazz on this album. The album sounds like it could be the soundtrack to a murder mystery at times and the sound is distinctively Jean Michel. This probably won't please newcomers but if it does than all the better really. It's worth a try really for what it is

I have listened to the Session 2000 and I thought it was a breath of fresh air..cool,mellow,jazzy,It was nice. It was good not his best work but good.
I especially liked Metamorphoses which is a prior release to this album. Funny how you cannot get the whole JMJ collection in the states. I think that is sad.
But as for the Sessions it is an overall decent allbum.
I just wish JMJ would come back to the US for a show or two.