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The French aren't good at many things. Well that's not quite true - they've got a handle on running away, poor personal hygiene, hairy women and bad food. But they certainly can't rawk. Doesn't go with the general air of despondance. Which is why they are very good at writing torch songs. So would you if you'd been born French.

But if you'd asked me who would be next to release an album of them, Belinda Carlisle would have been pretty far down the list. And if you'd told me Brian Eno would be playing keyboards I would have said "pah!" to your face. Oh, yeah, and Natacha Atlas will join in on half the songs - "pah! pah!". But it's all true.

I'm not entirely sure what the point is for, despite what Ms Carlisle thinks, these are well known songs to those with more than an emteevee knowledge of music. But the backing is excellent, she seems to have an empathy with the songs and there a handful of risks taken with the arrangements to make it more than vanity karaoke. Especially the discofied "La Vie En Rose". The limited edition bungs in a four song English language EP for your listening pleasure.

And a pleasure it was. Key tracks - "Ne Me Quitte Pas" and "Jezebel".

Rating: 4 out of 5

This album is fanfreakingtastic. I can only guess at the accuracy of Belinda's pronunciation but it doesn't matter here. Whatever she is singing about is brimming with emotion and conviction. The album has an essentially pop feel to it but there is a nice diversity of music here. It has a very honest, earthy feel tinged with electronic modernity. Listening to this must certainly be the modern day equivalent of watching a Godard film during the French New Wave.

The team, which includes John Reynolds as Producer, and Brian Eno, Natacha Atlas, and Sharon Shannon as session artists, et al, has infused East Indian sounds into the western melodies creating a beautiful, trance-like quality; most evident on "Ma Jeunesse Fout Le Camp"

How do you credibly remake "La Vie En Rose"? Give it a beatnik inspired bongo beat, layer Belinda's stadium quality vocals on the chorus, revisit the transcendental East Indian warble and make what had better be marketed as the next big club hit! I dare you not to have visions of Grace Kelly in her convertible gliding through Monte Carlo as thousands of doves swarm the twilight skies when you listen to this.

I don't know exactly what's happening to the poor girl in "Ne Me Quitte Pas" but it's powerful. If her man doesn't have roses in his hand when he comes home- he'd better stay gone. Belinda has gone beyond singing pop music and entered musical storytelling. Forget tracing a "Circle in the Sand". Drive your Citroen off that "Emotional Highway". These are real feelings, raw and visceral resonations.

Don't let the soft opening fool you, "Des Ronds Dans L'eau" is catchy, funky, and beautiful. Of special note are the very French feeling accordion, the pulsing synth sound evoking a bubble machine and, of course, the interesting juxtaposition of Belinda's vocals snapping from a sense of resignation to dictator-like zeal. (The guitar strums in the opening sound remarkably like the opening to her last single, "All God's Children".)

Tilt my beret and butter my croissant! "Sous Le Ciel De Paris" couldn't be more French. Belinda's "mmm hmmms" have a certain je ne se quoi (did I spell that right?) that smacks of artsy fartsy, Foucault inspired, intellectual elitism. Kudos to whoever thought up the Les Miserable chorus- Vive La Revolution! The chanting legion is brilliantly place over a backdrop of a mysterious and uniquely French sounding "circus on the moon" style rhythms.

"Jezebel" sounds like a stagecoach robbery would feel. If you aren't sweating after hearing this, you aren't human. There are amazing Spanish guitars on this number. Do I hear that French accordion again? An inspired blend- seriously. The gunshot evoking "clap clap clap" adds drama and, of course, Belinda is storytelling again. There is massive energy coming from her voice. You can feel the frenzy in her last "Jez- ah- bel-l-l-l" which leaves her spent as the last breath leaves her throat.

"Merci Cherie" is beautiful, emotional and well executed. Of particular note is the snare drum. Dropped over that fabulous accordion it brings an emotional resolve to the song that serves it well.

Remember Audrey Hepburn contorting her body to the hip beatnik rhythms in "Funny Face"? Funk that up with a shiny, silver, skin-tight spacesuit and hang out with Carlos Castaneda to truly understand "Contact". What a cool song. No idea what the original was like but this spacey, echoy, dusty vinyl sound with click track is very catchy.

"Pourtant Tu M'aimes" is a sort of 'best of the rest'. All the great parts of the other songs come together here with a syncopated beat. It opens with a groovy, minimalist interpretation of contstructivist factory sounds and becomes a fully produced, rock styled pop song. This may offend some, but... This is the most Go-Go's friendly track. Not that there has to be one, but can't you just hear Jane in the background; Kathy grinding that bass. Charlotte gets to pull out the keyboard (can she play the accordion?) and Gina could drive the hell out of this number in place of the click track. Do it y'all!

"Avec Le Temps" is a dream. It's lilting and spiritual. The strings and xylophone provide an ethereal backdrop, which ebbs and swells creating a gentle passage of time hinting at eternity but ultimately hindered by mortality. The squishy echoes help deepen the space and, with the right sound system, would make a very cool planetarium experience. Belinda, were you crying when you sang this? **sniff** I bet you were.

"Bonnie Et Clyde"! What fresh Bel(inda) this is! This is another example of Belinda's obvious work paying off. I imagine there is a bit of credit due to John Reynolds here too, but listen to her opening script- She pulls the listener in as a unique blend of sex kitten and master of ceremonies. Don't quite understand the jungle sounds in the background but they work. Guess it's part of the East Indian thing- love it. Everyone say it with me- "Bah-knee and Cly-y-deh"
Very Belinda, that delivery.

Vive "Voila!" ;)

Rating: 5 out of 5

The unmistakable sultry vibrato of Belinda Carlisle transports you away to a another world. The first track "Ma jeunesse fout le camp" takes you through a door to a magical French landscape, you then work your way through hypnotic classics, each with a Belinda-esque contemporary slant. The quality of Ms Carlisles voice shines through - and the bonus disk includes English track versions and extras, revealing her pop upbringing.

Rating: 5 out of 5

So Babe has a new album. It's been a while. Apart from the odd appearance on Celebrity reality shows, Ms Carlisle has been very quiet for the last few years. So..is it any good? Well...no its not really.
The fact that it's in French dosen't help, but good songs and good music transcend the language barrier. Thats the theory anyway.
Its very difficult to figure out just what the purpose of this one is?
It sounds very like Belinda is trying to re invent herself as a French 'Torch' singer and failing miserably.
The songs just aren't there. Most of the tracks are minimalist, Drum and Bass type efforts which do nothing for this listener.
Its not all bad though. 'I still love Him' is excellent. The only song on the album which is uptempo. That sounds like the Belinda we know and love. It has HIT written all over it. The rest of the tracks simply float by. There's just no passion, no energy..whatever?
So, buy it? For one track? No, try 'God Bless the Go-Gos' instead.
You'll thank me for it...no...really!
There is a solution however. Pick up the phone Belinda, give Charlotte a call, you know it makes sense.

Rating: 1 out of 5

This album is amazing! I'd read things on the net about this album before it's release, I'd decided I'd buy it as I enjoy 'world music' ,ie something not sung in English!
A song is a song?
There's more to music than listening to the lyrics for me!
This is simply superb, from the heartbreaking vocals of Avec le Temps to the playful, spaced and sexy Contact and so much more in between and after thanks to the english bonus cd. Jezebel finally gives Ms Carlisles voice an almost 50's Hollywood panache (and then some) that it so richly deserves. A top track of mine if you hadn't guessed!!! The dance version of La Vie En Rose, Bonnie et Clyde in french and english....
There are songs to fall in love to, fall out of love with and well be in love to, it is French after all!!
The best thing Belinda Carlisle has done in many years.
I can't say more than buy it!!




Rating: 5 out of 5