Import Zone
by Michael McCarthy
I originally intended to turn you on to some very silly but simply irresistible J-pop (read: Japanese pop) artists this issue, but I decided to wait until Spring since J-pop is not likely to be as appreciated during the cold Winter months. Actually, you can blame my decision on Mylène Farmer, the most talented woman ever to rule the world of pop – even if most people in the United States don’t know who the hell she is. OK, so maybe one can’t be the queen of pop if she isn’t known here in the land that brought the world Britney Spears, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany, and Christina Aguilera, but then Mylène is far more talented than any of them will ever be.
A friend of mine once described Mylène as “the French version of Madonna.” I disagree, but the more I learn about her, the more I discover that she’s often found herself in Madonna-esque controversy. Her music, however, is a whole different ballpark. Madonna’s music has always been purely pop (even when she dabbled in electronica on Ray of Light and finally won back my respect), while Mylène’s has often bordered on rock. Moreover, Mylène’s pop music has always been more sophisticated than Madonna’s. And Mylène never had a squeaky voice. What she did have – and still has – is an immensely talented collaborator named Laurent Boutonnat. While Cendres de Lune, her 1986 debut, hardly sounds like it was released yesterday, the production was far more layered and interesting than that of most pop discs of the day, and it still holds up remarkably well. Can one say the same for Like A Virgin or True Blue? They might inspire feelings of nostalgia and promiscuity, but the beats sound terribly out of date today.
But I have no intention of writing an essay in which I compare Mylène to Madonna. Suffice it to say that many Europeans who loathe Madonna love Mylène. So, while it’s helpful to mention Madonna when describing the level of popularity and controversy Mylène has generated in Europe – even Russia and Japan – it’s also necessary to point out that you may still come to worship her even if you’re hoping to someday spit on Madonna.The more I learn about most pop stars, or even rock stars, the less I like them. There aren’t many musicians out there who get more and more interesting as you peel away the layers and attempt to get to know them through their interviews, videos, and, of course, music. Even the goddess Shirley Manson gets a little tiresome when you’ve read countless interviews in which she talks freely about sex and menstruation. Mylène, however, has always managed to speak freely (when she feels like it), but also remain incredibly mysterious. In fact, very little is really known about her. I can tell you that she was born in Canada and moved to France before she was 10. And that she presently divides her time between California, Paris, and Italy. But that is about it. Her romances, among other things, have always been kept very secret, though most of her fans reckon she and Laurent Boutonnat have often been a couple. Rumors, baby, rumors.
I recently returned from Paris where I attended Mylène’s four concerts at Bercy. And what amazing concerts they were. Musically, she had a rock band (drums, bass, a couple of guitarists) with two keyboardists and a pair of back-up singers added to enhance things. She also had fabulous dancers and a very interesting stage set-up. Imagine a cross between a sphinx, the Virgin Mary, and Buddha – Mylène emerged from its head and danced in the palm of its hand. Behind this quasi-spiritual beast was a dome-shaped screen divided into sections on which video clips were projected, sometimes of what was happening on stage, but mostly of lights, snow, and other atmospheric imagery. Two larger screens to the left and right of the stage covered Mylène and company.
Although the tour has been amusingly dubbed “The Mylenium Tour,” it’s in support of her new album, Innamoramento (Italian for “the birth of love”). Musically, it is a mix of pop, techno, and guitar rock, and a very mature mix at that. So much so that I was slightly disappointed upon first listen. As much as I’m ashamed to admit it, I thought perhaps Mylène was a bit uninspired, if not going the Celine Dion route in an attempt to gain mainstream appeal. The songs, at least upon reading their titles, seemed mostly about love and relationships, not about kinky sex and evil and all that other good stuff Mylène’s written about in the past. But as I translated more of the lyrics and the music grew on me, I realized Mylène wasn’t selling out, but merely becoming more dreamy. A bit more poetic even. And then I saw the video for “Je Te Rends Ton Amour” in which she parades around a church and tells God “I give you back your love” (translated from français). It’s far creepier than anything Kevin Williamson has ever written. In fact, I reckon it’d scare Clive Barker.
As much as I’ve come to love Innamoramento, especially after seeing the songs performed in concert, my favorite Mylène Farmer disc is her previous studio release, 1995’s Anamorphosée. Many of her longtime fans were disappointed with it because she sang about “California,” and “XXL” sported completely uninteresting pop lyrics. But there’s far more depth on the disc than some are willing to admit. There’re also more guitars than on previous albums, and some of the tracks, particularly “L’Instant X” and “Tomber 7 Fois,” rock in lieu of pop. The fact that it was a mix of the two genres is what appealed to moi, but some fans were disappointed that there weren’t any songs about sodomy or suicide. Also, the title is a term sometimes used to describe someone who’s had cosmetic surgery, and many believed Mylène to have done so when they saw the sexy album cover on which she appeared from the shoulders down, omitting her head. Whether or not she’d had surgery wasn’t what bothered them so much as that she was looking like a gorgeous woman. She always was a gorgeous woman, but she’d often dressed in a boyish manner and even called herself a garçon on “Sans contrefaçon,” one of her biggest hits. Perhaps some of her fans would’ve been happier if she’d had a sex change? Regardless, they quickly bought all the tickets to her concerts and made a big hit of the Live à Bercy album that followed. The first Mylène Farmer disc I bought was Anamorphosée (maybe that’s really why it’s my favorite?). From there, I bought each of the previous albums. Every time I bought one, I kept fearing I would hate it, figuring I was finally getting to the bad stuff, because it seemed impossible that her entire catalog could be as catchy and intriguing as Anamorphosée. Much to my surprise, I never was disappointed. Even the two-CD Dance Remixes impressed me. In other words, it’s très difficile for me to make my official suggestion. But, suggest I must. If you like techno, buy Innamoramento. If you like pop, buy Ainsi Soit Je… If you like rock, buy Anamorphosée. And if you like all of the above or simply want a good overview of Mylène’s catalog, start with Live à Bercy.
