Equinoxe Part 3 (Jean-Michel Jarre, 1978)

Following the planetary success of the album "Oxygène", Jarre released "Equinoxe" two years later and also gained a huge international acclaim. This LP described a day in the life of the industrial world based humans and the two sides of the original vinyl had the same duration time, so that the chosen day had to be an equinox (we still don't know if it is a spring or an autumn one...).

As for "Oxygène", Michel Granger signed the album cover art.

 

That said, this third part of Jarre's work should describe the busy morning, and it actually has a fast tempo and hypnotic rythm. When the main theme comes in, it sounds like a hundred typing machines or a downtown bus queue, still it is so well found and so well placed that one loves even the rush hour. Then here you are a hard electronic passage, kind of a robot dance, followed by the theme reprise. An exciting track, IMHO, full of daily echoes and memorable sounds. Enjoy.

Chronologie Part 1 (Jean-Michel Jarre, 1993)

IMHO, this is one of the best and most diversified tracks by Jean-Michel Jarre. The 10 minutes opener of "Chronologie", the concept album based on Stepen Hawking's book "A Brief History of Time", is a flushing specimen of electronic & symphonic music. 

 

 "Chronologie" was the tenth studio album by Jarre.

The tempo changes and the intricated keyboard interplays are among the best features of this instrumental, and Jarre also offers one of his best melodic works ever. Each theme is well exploited and well entwined with the rest of the composition. Last but not least, the fusion between rock instruments and electronic devices is perfect and gives a deeper soul to this track. Epic. In all senses.

Le matin du premier jour (Triangle, 1972)

Triangle were rather successful during the transitional era between beat and prog, when they adopted an eclectic approach to music. Their vocal harmonies and their catchy tunes went on very well with a series of less usual musical solutions. This song (in English: "The First Day Morning"), taken from their second album called "II", is a good example of their flower power and melodic way... and also featured a special guest: Jean-Michel Jarre!

This album is often called "Viens avec nous", from its hit single.

Yes, our keyboard hero added some electronic effects to this acoustic ballad, creating a lysergic mix that's more '70s than the '70s themselves! As usual with Triangle, there is a Canterbury sound taste floating about, but Jarre's contribution puts in a sci-fi mood that strangely matches with the other ingredients of such a weird recipe. A musical time machine...

Les Chants Magnétiques Part 1 (Jean-Michel Jarre, 1981)

This rather long epic (some 17 minutes) fills the A side of Jarre's album "Les Chants Magnétiques", also released as "Magnetic Fields" for the International markets. Actually, the French title includes an untranslatable double meaning based on the same French pronunciation of "Les Champs Magnétiques" (that's to say "Magnetic Fields") and "Les Chants Magnétiques" (meaning "Magnetic Songs"). 

 

Those "Magnetic Fields/Songs" are Jarre's fifth studio work.

This is a very Jarre-sque track, if I can say so, full of electronic devices and also packed with musical intuitions, unusual atmospheres and strong emotions. In addiction to this, the composition is a classically conceived one, with effective themes and clever variations, tempo changes based on the concerto schemes and a profusion of gace notes. In spite of such a big deal of ideas, the music is light and almost transcendent, as an arcane message from another world. As usual, this artist walks on the narrow dividing line between baroque shows and inner musical experience. And he keeps his balance so well...

Révolution Industrielle (Jean-Michel Jarre, 1988)

Jean-Michel Jarre signed so many electronic suites that I couldn't easily choose my favourite. But this one surely is a strong contender in such a competition. Coming from the album "Révolutions", this track - also known with the international title of "Industrial Revolution" -  is divided into four parts, the Ouverture, followed by Parts 1, 2 and 3, for a total running time of 16:49 minutes.

This was Jarre's ninth studio album, if you include the

mysterious "Music for Supermarkets".

All the main features of Jarre's style are there, including the lushing effects and the visual sound, but here you'll find a little more up tempo passages and a strong, articulated architecture we can easily label as symphonic. The different parts build up a  powerful, still also sensitive track, ruled by the Roland D-50 synthesizer and by many excellent melodic inventions. If you like Jarre and his colourful world, this is definitely for you.

Oxygène Part 2 (Jean-Michel Jarre, 1976)

One of my favourite electronic tracks ever. And with a strong, persistent symphonic smell, what's more. The whole "Oxygène" album is a treat, with its intricate architecture and its atmospheric sounds, but this track is simply exciting. On a slow tempo, arcane background Jean-Michel Jarre insinuates some swirling, electric flashes until the bombastic main theme explodes in all its glorious wideness. It's something like a blinding sunshine in the heart of a storm, like a stroke out of the blue.

Jarre released "Oxygène" in 1976, then a sequel in 1997 

and finally a remastered edition in 2007, called "Oxygène 3D".

Then the fluid, archaic waves close again before a second burst and a swinging finale, introducing the third track. As you probably deduced, I'm fond of "Oxygène" and especially of this second section. Jarre was surely reminiscent of the German electronic rock experience, but he translated that language in a more epic and full-bodied style, something I still listen to with a great, inner pleasure.

Chronologie Part 2 (Jean-Michel Jarre, 1993)

Famous for his musical and entertainment records and unusual challenges, widely celebrated for his pharaonic shows featuring tons of strange instruments, Jean-Michel Jarre is the most recent incarnation of the French grandeur, the heir of the Belle-époque science heroes like Jules Verne or the Lumière brothers (he's from Lyon too, after all). But he also happens to be a great musician and a highly creative composer. The "Chronologie" album, in particular, is a brilliant piece of symphonic music as this "Part 2" proves perfectly well.

Jarre & his best friends...

The majestic sounds and the bombastic keyboard riffs are arranged in a series of breathtaking crescendos and breaks, making up an almost visual kind of music, an enthralling, powerful wall of sound. The live version of this track, included in the "Hong Kong" album (1995), is even better, with a whole (prog) band playing like hell. That's why I daresay that Jarre's flaws also are his strength. By the way, let's draw a veil over his recent love affair with DJ music... it may be great, but it's not my cup of tea.