Blog from an oval world
Blog from an oval world
Bruni touches where others perform
Album review: French Touch – Carla Bruni
This is a fine covers album. Not only is there nothing bad on it, but a couple of tracks – ironically, two of the best-known – are taken to new heights. The first is the ABBA classic The Winner Takes All, which shows itself to have been waiting 37 years, 2 months and 16 days to reach its full potential. ABBA’s original was a perfectly polished performance, but Bruni’s version is three and a half minutes of smoky, scratchy poignancy in which her voice carves the lyrics into your heart.
The other song she improves on is The Stones’ Miss You. Sure, the original is great fun, with Jagger’s camp singing matching the cartoonish rubber-mask expressions and prancing of The Stones’ almost self-parodying video of the time. But Bruni’s simpler, Tulsa-sound version is more authentic and more moving.
As for the rest of the album, well, everyone will have their favourite songs and some of course won't like any. I'd give Love Letters and Stand By Your Man 5 stars apiece. The remaining 7 offerings range from flawed (as covers often are) to perfectly executed fun - Jimmy Jazz being an example of the latter. But, however many or few tracks really stand out for you, you'd have to be a crabby old curmudgeon not to have fun at Carla's party.
I gave this album 3 stars when I first heard it. I'd now give it 4, with a 'must-have' tag for its 4 best songs.
Wednesday, 1 November 2017