Histoire de Melody Nelson

Infobox Album |
Name = Histoire de Melody Nelson
Type = Album
Artist = Serge Gainsbourg


Released = 1971
Recorded = London, England
Genre = French pop French rock
Length = 27:57
Label = Polydor
Producer = Jean-Claude Vannier
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:uyfjzfj8eh4k link]
Last album = "Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin"
(1969)
This album = "Histoire de Melody Nelson"
(1971)
Next album = "Vu de l'Exterieur"
(1973)

"Histoire de Melody Nelson" is a 1971 concept album by controversial French songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. The "Lolita"-esque pseudo-autobiographical plot involves the middle-aged Gainsbourg unintentionally colliding his 26-horsepower 1910 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost into teenage nymphet Melody Nelson's bicycle, and the subsequent seduction and romance that ensues. "Histoire de Melody Nelson" is considered by many critics and fans to be Gainsbourg's most influential and accomplished album.

At just under twenty-eight minutes, the short running time and the stylistic consistency and similarity throughout the album gives it qualities more in line with an EP or an extended musical piece with a number of movements. "Histoire de Melody Nelson"‘s mix of freewheeling guitar, funk style bass guitar, near spoken word vocal delivery, and lush, deep orchestrated string and choral arrangements by Jean-Claude Vannier [http://www.moviegrooves.com/shop/historiedemelodynelsongains.htm] have proven to be highly influential amongst later francophone and anglophone musical performers including the French band Air, David Holmes, Pulp's Jarvis Cocker, Portishead, and Beck, whose 2002 track "Paper Tiger" from "Sea Change" is extremely close to the distinctive "Histoire de Melody Nelson" sound.

After the release of the album, a music video was made for each song, and released all together as "Melody" a short musical.

Jean-Claude Vannier performed the album live at London's Barbican on October 21st 2006 with guest vocalists Jarvis Cocker, Badly Drawn Boy, Brigitte Fontaine, The Bad Seeds’ Mick Harvey and lead singer from Super Furry Animals, Gruff Rhys. Vannier performed the album in its entirety alongside Vannier's solo album L'Enfant Assassin Des Mouches.

Publicity for the Barbican concert revealed that the musicians used for the album were Dougie Wright, Big Jim Sullivan, Herbie Flowers and Vic Flick who all joined Vannier for the concert.

The second track, "Ballade de Melody Nelson", was covered by Placebo as "The Ballad of Melody Nelson" and released on a bonus disc for their 2003 album "Sleeping With Ghosts". The lyrics were translated into English and in some parts changed altogether, giving the character of 'Melody' a more dangerous allure than in the original version.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Serge Gainsbourg; except where indicated

#"Melody" – 7:32
#"Ballade de Melody Nelson" (Gainsbourg, Jean-Claude Vannier) – 2:00
#"Valse de Melody" – 1:31
#"Ah ! Melody" Gainsbourg, Jean-Claude Vannier) – 1:47
#"L'hôtel particulier" – 4:05
#"En Melody" (Gainsbourg, Jean-Claude Vannier) – 3:25
#"Cargo Culte" – 7:37

Personnel

*Alan Parker - guitar
*Brian Odgers - bass
*Douglas Wright - drums
*Alan Hawkshaw - piano
*Jean-Claude Vannier - arrangements, Orchestra Director

Awards

#21 - Pitchforkmedia: [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/36725/Staff_List_Top_100_Albums_of_the_1970s Top 100 Albums of the 1970s]

External links

* [http://www.eggparm.com/gainsbourg/monproprerolecontents.html#Melody Histoire de Melody Nelson lyrics translated into English]
* [http://dogmatika.com/dm/features_more.php?id=1675_0_5_31_M Dogmatika Article on Gainsbourg and Histoire de Melody Nelson by Darran Anderson]
* [http://youtube.com/watch?v=FVm-Fw-DtJU&mode=related&search= Melody Nelson music videos on Youtube]
* [http://imdb.com/title/tt0474252/ "Melody" Musical on IMDb]