Paris_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Lonely Planet [31]
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top picks
CDS
Édith Piaf: Live at the Paris Olympia – a collation of live recordings made in the 1950s and ‘60s, this album contains 20 of the belle of Belleville’s classics, including ‘Milord’, ‘Hymne à l’Amour’ and, of course, ‘Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien’.
M: Le Tour de M – everybody’s favourite sing-along gives a little Prince and a titch of Zappa, and even gives Brel a nod with ‘Au Suivant’ in this double CD with two-dozen tracks.
Georges Brassens: Le Disque d’Or – everything you need to know about one of France’s greatest performers (and the inspiration for Jacques Brel) is in this 21-track double helping.
Anthologie Serge Gainsbourg – three-CD anthology includes the metro man’s most famous tracks, including ‘Le Poinçonneur des Lilas’ and ‘Je t’aime…Moi Non Plus’ in duet with Brigitte Bardot.
Carla Bruni: No Promises – OK, the breathy voice might not do much for you but Italian-French model-cum-singer Carla Bruni’s only album thus far in English in which she sets to (her own) music a dozen poems by the likes of WB Yeats, Emily Dickinson, WH Auden and Dorothy Parker is more than just a curiosité now that said model-cum-singer is Mme Sarkozy.
Luaka Bop Présente Cuisine Non-Stop – there’s something for everyone in David Byrne’s homage to la nouvelle chanson française, with Arthur H coming over all Serge Gainsbourg on ‘Naïve Derviche’, and Têtes Raides light and breezy on ‘Un P’tit Air’.
La Nouvelle Chanson Française – like it or not, this five-pack by various artists gives directions to the way vocals are heading in French music, with everything from traditional and cabaret to folk-electronic and Paris club sound.
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In recent years a distinctly urban and highly exportable Parisian sound has developed, often mixing computer-enhanced Chicago blues and Detroit techno with 1960s lounge music and vintage tracks from the likes of Gainsbourg and Brassens. Among those playing now are Parisian duo Daft Punk, who adapt first-wave acid House and techno to their younger roots in pop, indie rock and hip-hop; Air; and erstwhile Mano Negra leader Manu Chao, whose music is simple guitar and lyrics – plain and straightforward. One could be forgiven for thinking that popular music in France is becoming dynastic. The very distinctive M (for Mathieu) is the son of singer Louis Chédid; Arthur H is the progeny of pop-rock musician Jacques Higelin; and Thomas Dutronc is the offspring of 1960s idols père Jacques and Françoise Hardy. DJs to note are Étienne de Crécy, who has made quite a noise internationally; Claude Challe, responsible for the Buddha Bar compilations; and Wax Tailor.
Despite its problems (the lead singer, Bertrand Cantat, was imprisoned for the murder of his girlfriend), Noir Désir is the sound of French rock; there’s talk the band could reform since Cantat’s release from jail in 2007. Worth noting are Louise Attack, Mickey 3D and Nosfell, who sings in his very own invented language. It’s a long way from the yéyé (imitative rock) of the 1960s as sung by Johnny Halliday, otherwise known as ‘Johnny National’ until he took Belgian nationality for tax reasons.
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CINEMA
Parisians go to the cinema on average once a week – the 5pm séance (performance) on Sunday is a very popular time. They also take films, especially French films – France is the leading film producer in Europe, making over 200 films a year – very seriously. Parisians always prefer to watch foreign films in their original language with French subtitles.
France’s place in film history was firmly ensured when the