Renaud

A commenter mentioned my fondness for the french singer Renaud, which reminded me that I haven't really followed his career since I left France. Alas. Anyway, the least I can do is to introduce you to him. The thing that's too bad is that his talent is more in his songwriting and attitude than his voice, so non-Francophones might not be impressed. Heck, for all I know, real Francophones aren't impressed either.

On to the songs!

Mistral Gagnant, a rather nonsensical song about childhood written for his daughter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mtp6B38mu90

Morgane de toi, another song for his daughter:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1994312692655920981

Dès que le vent soufflera, my favorite sea shanty. Does anyone actually have a favorite sea shanty?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7649200901861237457

Manhattan-Kaboul, a post-9/11 duet with Axelle Red:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEXQgbQKWHw

And now a couple of clips from the greatest movie ever made, which was really only appreciated by three ridiculous Americans who saw it in Vichy (depending where it came out, it's called Wanted/Crime Spree/Drôles de Bandits). The joke in the radio scene is that Renaud (as "Zero") and Johnny Hallyday are really singers rather than actors and keep switching back and forth between their own songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5VSCM3BRhE


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt8bnVC6tlg

Unfortunately the videos that I can find on the Internet don't represent the full range of Renaud's songs and they sort of make him sound like a cuddly balladeer (perhaps with leanings toward pedophilia), rather than the foul-mouthed, wicked alcoholic that he was for most of his early and middle career. Wicked and alcoholic! That is how I like my French singers. Maybe tomorrow there will be a Serge Gainsbourg post.