Essential, The - Jean Michel Jarre

Advantages: Some new tracks. Enhanced old tracks - then of course there's the DVD
Disadvantages: Not much new for something purporting to be a new album

...Fictitious Headline: “Jean-Michel Jarre Pulls It Off”. Pulls It Off? Creates an original new evolutionary step in electronic music? Plays a new musical instrument using a nuclear reactor as its power source, whilst dressed in a lead-lined overcoat and gauntlets at the centre of a 25-mile exclusion zone? No – when I say ‘Pulls It Off', I mean 'a fast one'. He seems to have craftily dressed a ‘Best Of...’ compilation as something new. Let’s be charitable and call it a ‘Re-mix’ at least. ‘Le mouton, habillé comme l’agneau’ as we say in English “Well, fancy buying it if you knew that” I hear you say. Well, I didn’t, but I did get it for Christmas having dropped heavy hints months ago that I’d heard he’d got a new album coming out. On first appearances, Aero IS something new. For one thing the normal CD jewel... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: 5.1 surround sound, Jarre at his absolute best.
Disadvantages: None, even if you own the original tracks.

...This is a review of the truly superb CD and DVD of Jean Michel Jarres 'Aero' which will be in split into 2 parts on this same page... i will start with the CD, then the DVD. Firstly i would like to offer a little background to the great man and his featured recordings as i find this relevant in order to help anyone who is unfamiliar with JMJ appreciate and understand this specific recording a little better. Jean Michel Jarre (JMJ) was born on the 24th August 1948 in Lyon, France. His father (Maurice Jarre) was a very talented composer himself who helped write music themes for 'Lawrence of Arabia' and 'Dr Zhivago' to name but two. JMJ is in the Guiness book of records several times but perhaps most notably for his live Paris show where he performed to close to 2 million people at the Arche de la Défense, he is clearly... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Another masterpiece
Disadvantages: may be too intense for some

...It is finally here! Metamorphoses is a different Jean Michel Jarre than what we are used to. This CD sounds so good and well defined that nothing else will sound good on your system anymore. This is a multi-layered, multi-dimentional ultra masterpiece. Jean-Michel Jarre is always exploring for new sounds, has made yet another genius album. The casual fan may write it off as too much of a techno album. But the reality is that Jarre implements heavy electronic bass, synthesised voice & female vocals to drive this sensational original album. However this album may not be for all lovers of synthesiser work as it is a very intense composition. If you are looking for an easy listening synthesiser piece this is probably not for you. On the other hand if you want to hear how far Jean Michel is pushing the boundaries of music then I would... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful