The Best French Albums of All Time

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Kowalski, Jun 7, 2021.

  1. Kowalski

    Kowalski Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Italy
    Thought it might be fun to rank your favorite French albums ,and see if there is any interest in continuing it ?
    I'd like to have a thread where you an talk about French music , don't hesitate to post the albums or photos and say something on them .
    The best albums from France ,Belgium, Switzerland etc.

    AIR were probably one of the very first to make chillout music cool.., they combined chillout aesthetic with downtempo percussion.
    After all these years sounds smooth as butter.., anyway Moon Safari is still considered one of the most important chillout albums of all time !
    This music is perfect to chill out and relax, Air’s airy synthesizer melodies are surprisingly satisfying .
    It’s all terribly pleasant, especially early on. Opening track “La femme d’argent” is an absolute dream. Smooth keys and funky basslines glide through the percussion like velvet.
    “Sexy Boy” manages to be lush and lurid at the same time, while “Kelly Watch the Stars” wastes no time flinging you across the cosmos..

    [​IMG]

     
  2. Progatron

    Progatron Wealthy industrialist philanthropist & bicyclist

    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    I have many French favourites, but this one sprung to mind immediately:

     
    klockwerk, Phillipe, Plan9 and 6 others like this.
  3. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    Not an album, but rather an old EP, "EDOUARD"

    My brother brought this EP home for me, upon his return from France, after being stationed there while in the U.S. Army in the mid 60's



    Also from the same EP ...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_mOdSuKjcE
     
  4. barking spider

    barking spider Forum Resident

    Location:
    the netherlands
  5. Calling All Stations

    Calling All Stations Forum Resident

    Location:
    Texas
    Agreed, the French band Air is great.

    My favorite is Pocket Symphony.

     
  6. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    Mohini Geisweiller-Event Horizon, 2011 is a favorite :)
    [​IMG]
     
    Dissidence, willy and Plan9 like this.
  7. The Lone Cadaver

    The Lone Cadaver Bass & Keys Cadaver

    Location:
    Bronx
    Short-lived prog band Arrakeen is a favorite of mine. On both their albums the singer is a terrific female soprano named Maiko (Marie-Claude Taliana). Steve Rothery from Marillion guests on one track on Patchwork. They toured with Fish-era Marillion in the 80s.
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
    Fischman likes this.
  8. bRETT

    bRETT Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
  9. The Lone Cadaver

    The Lone Cadaver Bass & Keys Cadaver

    Location:
    Bronx
    Another very creative French band is Minimum Vital - a folky-prog style band in their earlier incarnation. Most of their material is instrumental.
     
    Last edited: Jun 7, 2021
    Simoon and Svetonio like this.
  10. jwoverho

    jwoverho Licensed Drug Dealer

    Location:
    Mobile, AL USA
    Tower Records magazine had an article in the early 90's(?) all about French prog. I was fascinated by the article but lost the magazine decades ago. Anyone have any suggestions for French prog groups?
     
    somnar likes this.
  11. rkt88

    rkt88 The unknown soldier

    Location:
    malibu ca
    spider sabitch unapproved :rolleyes:

    great song!

     
    samsondale likes this.
  12. Onkster515

    Onkster515 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Fugu 1 (by Fugu) is pretty damn good:



    Catchy and creative.
     
    somnar and Comicsanstombstone like this.
  13. Chemguy

    Chemguy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Western Canada
    Hands down...

    [​IMG]
    Les Cinq Saisons, Harmonium
     
    RunHomeSlow, benleb, Macman and 20 others like this.
  14. Taxee

    Taxee Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kansas City
    You did say French, correct?
     
    ted321, Natural E, polchik and 4 others like this.
  15. Kowalski

    Kowalski Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Italy
    This is one of my favourite albums by Francoise Hardy !
    Tant de Belles Choses (So Many Beautiful Things) features 12 hauntingly beautiful songs, most penned by Hardy.
    [​IMG]

     
    CDlover, etcetera, phillyal1 and 8 others like this.
  16. Mal

    Mal Phorum Physicist

    Les Chants Magnétiques



    [​IMG]







    [​IMG]
     
    Dissidence, squittolo, Fess and 7 others like this.
  17. SurrealCereal

    SurrealCereal Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    A personal favorite of mine is Amesœurs’ self titled album. It’s an eclectic mix of indie rock, post-punk, shoegaze, and black metal, all colliding and overlapping in different ways track after track. It’s a surprisingly cohesive album for all its off-balance juxtaposition. I also recommend the guitarist’s other (more popular) project Alcest, which mixes a lot of the same influences in a more uniform but less eclectic way.
     
  18. Foldy Rhizome

    Foldy Rhizome Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Magma
    Heldon
    Lard Free
    Moving Gelatine Plates
    Shub Niggurath
    Art Zoyd
    Archaia
    Flamen Dialis
     
  19. Foldy Rhizome

    Foldy Rhizome Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles
  20. john lennonist

    john lennonist There ONCE was a NOTE, PURE and EASY...

  21. Kowalski

    Kowalski Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Italy
    A beautiful record. One of the the highlights of her long career ! :cool:
     
  22. Kowalski

    Kowalski Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Italy
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Classics of 1970s French progressive rock
     
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2021
    Fanch, Dissidence, MC Rag and 12 others like this.
  23. pig bodine

    pig bodine God’s Consolation Prize

    Location:
    Syracuse, NY USA
  24. MilMascaras

    MilMascaras Musicologist

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA

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