Johnny Hallyday: Johnny History 1959-2006

Another major retrospective release by Johnny Hallyday, with the 23 CD box set Johnny History 1959-2006

The collection includes over 400 titles, including career highlights along with rare and unreleased recordings.

The first 14 disc is a collection of 269 songs from throughout his career. A further five discs each take a themed approach to his work - cinema and TV, Rock 'n' Roll, Rhythm and blues, country and blues.

The third part of the collection features unreleased and rare material. One disc is unreleased and rare 1970-79, another from 1980-2003. The final two discs come frmo the archives of Europe 1, one a concert from Grenoble in 1968, recorded to coincide with the Winter Olympic Games in Grenoble in February '68, the final disc being a concert from the Olympia in 1973.

As a collection it's quite an item, although smaller than the 42 disc collection that was released to mark his 50th birthday.

An item like this is quite an investment, and I'm sure there are some who would question its release as one monolithic item.

I'm sure there are fans who would want to get explore his back catalogue without the need for the rarities, and I'm certain there are completists who want the rare and live material and who already have multiple versions of the previously available material.

Meanwhile, some might say it's not complete enough. Where is his most recent material, for example?

But how can you adequately collect the works of an artist like Hallyday? The sheer amount of material he's released over the years could intimidate many from exploring beyond the familiar material, never mind the cash and time it would take to track down the original releases.

Until his record label releases an iPod shuffle with every recording he's released, this looks as good an account of his career as we'll get.

With a new album being recorded in LA at the moment, and live dates scheduled in coming months, there's no sign of Johnny slowing down

The collection, selling for 199 euros, is released on October 22

Sinik: La Plume et le poignard

A new album released this week by Sinik, one of France's top rap artists, entitled La Plume et le poignard.

Sinik has been releasing solo albums since 2005's La Main sur le cœur, and has extablished the kind of reputation that sees him referred to as The French Eminem, although he gives his influences as French rappers like NTM or IAM.

His albums La Main sur le cœur and its follow up Sang Froid were both platinum sellers, Le Toit du Monde selling over 200,000 copies

He's also released a number of 'street albums', collections outwith his official discography.

One strange episode in his career is that his 2007 album Le Toit du Monde includes a collaboration with James Blunt, on the song Je Réalise, which featured Sinik in French and blunt singing English lyrics.

Sinik's last full album was 2009's Ballon d'or, and the new album features collaborations with Alonzo, Kayna Samet and Médine, who I featured earlier in this blog.

Mylène Farmer: Monkey Me album and tour

Details have emerged about the new Mylène Farmer release, the album Monkey Me due to come out on December 3.

There are few singers who have attracted such a mythical status over their career. Farmer isn't, as some would have it, simply a "French Madonna". I've said it before here, she's as much Kate Bush and Lady Gaga as well, to view her in simple terms for an English language audience.

The announcement of a new album, and a tour, was in itself an event on the scale of the release of the latest Apple product.

A small selection of around 50 journalists in France were sent details in a customised brass USB stick annoucing the album and a tour entitled Timeless to take place in autumn 2013.

The album will feature 12 tracks, all by Mylène and long-term collaborator Laurent Boutonnat, and all the songs on the new album, which was recorded this summer, are in French and a mix of uptempo tracks and ballads.

Her last full release was the album Bleu Noir in 2010 and her last tour was in 2009, so the appetite for the new shows is immense.

A single is to be released at the end of October, although the details of the title have not been confirmed.

The tour starts at Bercy on September 7 2013, and tickets go on sale on October 4.

7 September 2013 Paris-Bercy
24 &  25 Septembre Lyon Hall Tony Garnier
1 & 2 October Montpellier Park & Suite Arena
8 & 9 October Nantes Zénith
15 & 16 October Strasbourg Zénith
18 & 19 Octobee Geneva Palexpo Arena
1st November Moscow Olimpiyski
4th November Saint Petersbourg SKK Arena
15 & 16 November Bruxelles Palais des Expositions
20 & 22 November Douai Gayant Expo
26 & 27 November Toulouse Zenith



MYLENE FARMER-TIMELESS 2013 by tsprod-com

Eiffel: Place de Mon Coeur

I loved the track Place de Mon Coeur by Eiffel when it came out earlier this year, a rich collision of electronica, rock and chanson.

The four piece from Bordeaux released their fifth album Foule Monstre earlier this month, and Place de Mon Coeur came out ahead of it as a single.

The acoustic version of the track that was recorded for webzine Le Hiboo is one of those alternative versions of a song that just makes your jaw drop. It stands up every bit as well as the original, albeit in a completely different way.

It ticks all the boxes of a confirmed Francophone's heart. Paris riversides, Eiffel tower, cool people and great music.

It's not just a beautiful musical experience, the way it looks so effortless and spontaneous is breathtaking.

Eiffel are touring France in October, November and December. I expect their shows will be a big bigger than this wonderfully understated performance.

Soma: Nobody Hotter than God.

Another strong new release this week, with the band Soma releasing their second album Nobody Hotter than God.

In their official biography, the band quote John Lennon, according to whom French rock is like English wine, but they maintain that they are the exception that proves the rule.

Soma released their debut album Jewel and The Orchestra in 2010, and they've taken things a bit further with their second, a sharp collection of robust tunes.

The band recorded the new album in just 23 days at Vega studio in Carpentras with producer Bertrand Montandon. The album came after a period of months of intense rehearsal in drummer Thomas's home studio, the band sharpening their material ahead of capturing it in the studio.

It was mixed by Tony Hoffer, who previously worked with the likes of Beck, Suede, Phoenix and the Kook. Hoffer wanted to get involved after hearing their debut album, and given his track record he's certainly got his ears well atuned to what a modern rock band should sound like.

Soma have got dates around France in October, November and December.



To give a flavour of their new release, the band's released a video that sums it up in four minutes.

BB Brunes: Stéréo

A great studio acoustic performance by BB Brunes, marking the release today of their album Long Courrier.

They're playing on Canal+ programme Grand Journal tonight to coincide with the release of the album, their third, which comes out three years after their last, Nico Teen Love.

Meanwhile, the video of an acoustic version of the track Stéréo from the album has emerged, and personally I think the acoustic version really highlights the strength of the song.

Stripped of the studio stylings and sheen, the quiality of the band and their material really shines through.

BB BRunes played at the Fête de l'Humanité in Paris earlier this month, and they've got a handful of dates scheduled in October including a show at the Alhambra in Paris,  and more shows in France and Switzerland next year.

Gojira UK tour dates

A full set of tour dates for the mighty Gojira, the band behind probably the finest rock albums (extreme division) of the year.

While Gojira are an uncompromising bunch, their music is far from as inhospitable as it might seem on first listen to those uninitiated in the ways of the extreme end of the rock spectrum.

L’Enfant Sauvage, the album they released on Roadrunner records earlier this year, is an intelligent and articulate work, the music displaying a sophistication that borders on progressive rock while not losing its power or impact.

They're at the top of their game at the moment and the chance to see them live is not to be passed lightly.

Support on the tour comes from fellow French rock acts Klone and Trepalium, about whom I'll no doubt have more later.

The tour dates are:

Nov 05 NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY Newcastle
Nov 06 GARAGE Glasgow
Nov 07 ACADEMY 2 Manchester
Nov 08 GREAT HALL 2 Cardiff
Nov 10 RESCUE ROOMS Nottingham
Nov 11 KOKO London
Nov 12 SLADE ROOMS Wolverhampton
Nov 14 LEMON GROVE Exeter
Nov 15 MO CLUB Southampton
Nov 16 ACADEMY Oxford

The UK dates are followed by shows in France, and a December gig at the Indian Metal Festival in Bangalore, India