Jacques

Contrary to other reviewers, I was absolutely taken with Marc Almonds' foray into what could have turned into disaster. It says much that he was not afraid to attempt another experiment into the avant garde. Previously, we have witnessed many transfigurations in his long career-whether with Marc and the Mambas, Raoul and the ruined or in his more familiar guises etc. Admittedly, this album is unlikely to sate many of those fans more attuned to the classic synth-pop of (say) 'tainted love' or the catchy melodrama of 'the days of pearly spencer'. Nonetheless, if you're looking for a distinct take on classic composition, then you should be very satisfied.

Brel was brilliant. Marc is magnificent. The arrangements are minimal and provide an excellent skeleton for the recording, and the musicians, who all play acoustic instruments (as opposed to synths) sound as though they understand these songs from personal experience.But the outstanding element here is the production. It refuses to descend into easy sentimentality. It delivers a harsh edge that is entirely appropritate for the subject matter and invokes that dark world inhabited by artists such as Satie, who couldn't afford socks and so painted his ankles black.Marc should do more like this!

The songs are great, the arrangements are great, the whole spirit of this album is great - but, alas, Marc's voice isn't great at all. It's strange - I quite accept that other people love Marc's voice, but to my ears he often sounds off-key. He sings his heart out here but some of the results are - well, ghastly! But let's look on the bright side - this album is a beacon of encouragement for English Brel fans. After all, what do we have? We have this album, then we have the majestic Scott Walker of course, and the excellent original soundtrack album Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (forget the awful recent English cast recording of that show), and a couple of tracks by Momus. And that's your lot as far as Brel in English is concerned. So until someone with a finer voice than Marc Almond comes along, I shall play this album occasionally, wincing often, but even more often being thrilled by the mysterious power and emotional reach of the songs.

This is pretty good as far as Jacques Brel covers go. It's a shame that someone like Scott Walker or Terry Jacks couldn't have been the vocalist though...Marc Almond just doesn't have the voice for this - if he stopped trying so hard to sing, it might have sounded a little better, but the arrangements can't be faulted. 'The Bulls' and 'Next' are probably the outstanding tracks here, for which Marc should be applauded, as he gets it exactly right here.I really wish that someone would put together a collection of all the great covers of Jacques Brel songs though - there have been so many, and I would love to own them on one album. Still, this is as good a start as any.

Some reviewers have missed the point a bit here. This is Marc Almond interpreting Brel. The album is superb in almost all respects as long as you like Brel and Marc Almond. 'The town fell asleep' and 'The lockman' are beautiful recordings and will bring tears to the eyes of romantics everywhere. I am an Almond fan so of course, I love this album. Marc Almond's voice was made for this stuff. Check out the 'A woman's story' EP if you like this.

Marc is truly taking Brel forward. Juliette Greco once said something about Jacques Brel being a magician - he could arouse a thought in anyone. Here's the magic that we're witnessing in Marc's interpretation - but he arouses not only a thought, but an insight too. I loved this album at once especially the songs If You Need, We Must Look and The Town Fell Asleep - they are brilliant. A must for a fan or someone who's not afraid to explore this disturbing world.