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Jean Michel Jarre : Chronologie
Disques Dreyfus / Polydor 1993
Reviewed by Pasi Kovanen


There's  almost nothing like getting a new album from your favourite musician.
And  now  it  has  happened  to  me again - Jarre has released a new CD called
Chronologie!

It's  been  almost  three  years  since  the  last  "real"  album, Waiting for
Cousteau,  came  out  (a  collection-CD called "Images" was released 18 months
ago.)

But I won't keep you waiting any more, so let's get to the big question:  what
does  it sound?  Well, just great!  Jarre has made it again:  Chronologie is a
new,  fresh  album,  with  a Rendez-Vous-styled non-stop feeling with only one
pause between songs three and four.

The  sound-quality  and recording (on Dolby SR, AAD) are both pure excellency.
Jarre  has  used  17 synthesizers, including Fairlight, Kurzweil K2000, Akai S
1000 and Korg O1 (/W?) to name but a few.  Patrick Rondat plays guitar on some
parts.

The  even-numbered  parts  are  "easily  digestible" material, with some dance
feeling  (the  drum  track in part 8 is quite surprising, it could be from any
new dance-album).

And  respectively  the  odd-numbered  tracks  are  more slower, and maybe more
interesting material.


Here is a little overview of all songs:

Part 1:

This  song  lasts  almost  11 minutes, and has one index on it.  The beginning
reminds  me  of Oxygene and Equinoxe, and when the choir comes in, it sounds a
bit  like  Vangelis  (yes,  I  do  like  Vangelis  too!).  The end of the song
(starting  from  the  index,  of course) is much slower than the beginning and
contains very interesting melody with much of pitch bending.

Part 2:

Synthesized church organs are the main instruments in this fast song.  This is
one  of  the songs you will like when you hear it for the first time, and when
you hear it for the nth time, you'll still like it!  Very fast drum and hi-hat
track  and  complex  constructions  in the melody, which is mostly played with
chords.

Part 3:

Slow  song  with some strings and one choir sound.  Needs some listening times
to open, and after them it's a great song.

Part 4:

WHAT?   Jarre  makes  italo-disco??  And he does it very well indeed!  This is
the  hit-to-come  song of this album.  Very nice melody, even when you hear it
for  the  first time, you can hum along with it.  And I bet your foot will tap
in the rhytm of the song!

Part 5:

Starts  with  a  hang over-feeling, gets some beer and slowly starts to awaken
back  to  real world...  Uses orchestra hit, but it's not a techno-like sound.
Contains also many sampled sounds.

Part 6:

The  rhythm  could  be  from  almost any techno-album.  The song has very nice
basslines and beatiful string chords with choir.  One of my favourites (though
all the songs are my favourites!)

Part 7:

Sampled bees (!) in the beginning.  Very slow song, gives you 138 seconds time
to prepare for the last part.

Part 8:

First you think it's The Emigrant 2, when you hear some organs.  But after the
bombastic  beginning  the organs fade out, and a not-so-Jarre-like drums start
(but  the  drums are very nicely arranged!).  Melody is played with brass, and
there  are sampled sounds from matrix printers and typewriters, I think.  Very
nice, and the choir in the background fits it perfectly.  It gives the feeling
that  you are in the acme of the world for a moment (??) - you have to feel it
yourself!  The CD ends like the beginning played backwards:  it just fades out
slooooowly, and leaves you with a nice feeling.



This  CD  has  to be one of the best released this year!  It's revolving in my
CD-player every moment I'm home.

The  only  bad  thing in this new album is that we have to wait about 12 to 18
months till the next Jarre-album comes out, I think.  CAN'T WAIT THAT LONG!!

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