Friday, May 04, 2007

Lyrad's Random 10

I must first thank John Zorn's Tzadik label for introducing me to Serge Gainsbourg through their Great Jewish Music series, which opened my eyes to a then to me unknown portion of filthy pop music.

That said, Gainsbourg was a force in European pop music for forty years until his death in 1991, churning out hundreds of excellent songs that broke taboo after taboo. The subject matter is decidedly, purposefully transgressive, something which I greatly appreciate (see his track "Lemon Incest," sung as a duet with his daughter Charlotte, now a fairly successful actress). "Qui est 'in' qui est 'out,'" first appeared on his 1968 album Initials B.B. which featured his then lover Brigitte Bardot (he also made a duet album with another girlfriend, Jane Birkin, in which they recorded his only American charting hit, "Je t'aime...moi non plus" and a full album with his daughter, featuring the above mentioned "Lemon Incest").

1. Serge Gainsbourg--Qui est "in" qui est "out"
2. Sepultura--Dusted
3. Charlie Barnett--Take My Word
4. The Five Harmaniacs--It Takes a Good Woman (to Keep a Good Man at Home)
5. John Hatcher--Grub Springs
6. The Pixies--Bird Dream of the Olympus Mons
7. John Zorn--Midnight Streets (from The Bribe)
8. T. Rex--Electric Slim and the Factory Hen
9. Stevie Ray Vaughan--Ain't Gone 'n Give up on Love
10. Plastic Noise Experience--String of Ice