For the past several years music listeners have had to put up with the downward spiraling pop music of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera as they compete for the title of “America’s Naughtiest.” Unfortunately, what these women fail to realize is that more cleavage does not necessarily equal sexier music. What today’s pop stars need is a lesson in classy seduction from the French master Serge Gainsbourg.
Gainsbourg’s songs are to French pop what lace is to lingerie. In 1997, Polygram released a “best of” album of Gainsbourg work titled “Comic Strip.” With the help of ye-ye girls Brigitte Bardot and Jane Birkin, the album is the 1960s at its dirrtiest.
Within the first couple of tracks on “Comic Strip,” the listener is transported to a Parisian bachelor pad. Imagine a suite on the top floor of a swanky apartment building. There is gold wallpaper on the walls and a white, bear-skinned rug on the floor. A small fire is burning in the fireplace. Opposite the fireplace is a floor-to-ceiling window, which provides an unobstructed view of the Eiffel Tower. The centerpiece of the room is the largest canopy bed you’ve ever seen. The sheets are red satin. In the corner, a debonair Gainsbourg stands behind a marble-topped bar, mixing cocktails, as you stand near the window, smoking a cigarette and admiring the lights of the city.
That’s what listening to Gainsbourg feels like.
With songs about bank robbers (“Bonnie and Clyde” and “Hold Up”) and fast cars (“Ford Mustang”), “Comic Strip” is the perfect bo-bo (bourgeoise-bohemian) soundtrack. There’s no need to translate the title of “Soixante Neuf Annee Erotique” to know that it’s hot.
The best track is perhaps the song “Je T’aime … Moi Non Plus,” which starts out as innocent as any Beatles song. However, Birkin’s breathy vocals are guaranteed to make anyone blush.
Gainsbourg was able to write songs that fit perfectly into the pop mold and still managed to be innovative gems. Whether he’s singing about ecological disasters, as in “Torrey Canyon,” or simply spouting nonsense, as in “Shu Ba Du Loo Ba,” these songs are great examples of stylish and fun music — French music that has a universal appeal. This is pop filled with timeless melodies and rhythms. “Comic Strip” est magnifique.