Mylene Farmer: Classique or dud?

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So what do folks think of Mylene? I quite like her, though I only own Anamorphosee and her latest, Innamoramento.

― Joe, Saturday, 30 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

I like that song that samples Elephant Man.

― Otis Wheeler, Sunday, 1 July 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Mylene Farmer was a big influence on me from about 1988 - 92. The video for 'Sans Contrefacon' still gives me goosebumps. I think my favourite Farmer song is a really early one, from about 1984: 'Maman A Tort'. Like a lot of her stuff, it takes a child's point of view, but it's a malicious, sexual, violent child. Same feeling you got from the movie of Angela Carter's 'Company of Wolves'. I like her fluttery Birkin- esque vocals and the delicate European melodies -- tuned out when she went to LA in the mid-90s and came back sounding all rawked out.

― Momus, Sunday, 1 July 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

She's great, even though she aint got no voice, and despite her songs' arrangements often being too cheesy or overblown for my taste. "Sans Contrefaçon" is my absolute fave song by her, it's actually one of the best synthpop track of the eighties, that I used to mix perfectly with "Get the Balance Right" by DM, for the synth melody is quite similar. Her videos, by Laurent Boutonnat, were amazing, especially the pair "Libertine"/"Pourvu qu'elles soient douces", both set in 18th century France, in a "splendeurs courtisanes" sort of fashion. "Pourvu..." is about 15 minutes long, with lots of sex, violence, British soldiers and French spy-whores, and as usual Mylène as the boyish white-faced chevalière d’Eon with the burning red head.

"Désenchantée" most likely is her most impressive track, and reminds me of Blonde Amibition-type Madonna. An explosive dance track of epic proportions - again a memorable video, showing a workers' revolt circa La Commune de Paris - it might be her most instant classic.

― Simon, Monday, 2 July 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

And here was I thinking you were talking about 'er from Popstars...

― Steve.n., Tuesday, 3 July 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

2 years pass...

Revive.

Je je suis libertine!
Je suis un catin!

Classic.

― Joe (Joe), Saturday, 1 May 2004 23:08 (9 years ago) Permalink

4 years pass...

^^^^

Those videos really are amazing. I'm kind of curious to see the 3-hour movie they made in the 90's, which seems to inspire reveries on IMDB:

How to summarize this film ? it is simply impossible. Why you should see it ? maybe for the story, very probably for the actors (Giorgio, Catherine...), above all for the universe and the poetry. This is a tale.

― thunda lightning (clotpoll), Friday, 6 March 2009 05:22 (4 years ago) Permalink

TBH, I know MY mostly as the svengali behind Alizee. But she started out exploiting herself. The aforementioned music videos with Laurent Boutonnat are remarkable cinematic period dramas: they could have but cut from Barry Lyndon or Reds were it not for all the fm synth and 80s drum sounds. From my sampling, Momus was right, the goto albums are Ainsi soit je.. and L'Autre.

Boutonnat is still cowriting and directing her videos, this most recent one from her 2008 album is calculated, beautiful, and fun (if a bit racy for work):

― derelict, Friday, 6 March 2009 10:37 (4 years ago) Permalink

Oops, just hit the first related.

― derelict, Friday, 6 March 2009 10:43 (4 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

Holy fuck, I just saw the video for "Libertine," and all I can say is "holy fuck."

― Stop Non-Erotic Cabaret (Abbbottt), Saturday, 13 November 2010 20:48 (2 years ago) Permalink

WHat is worth seeking out of hers?

― Stop Non-Erotic Cabaret (Abbbottt), Friday, 26 November 2010 23:59 (2 years ago) Permalink

There's been another thread recently that had more info, I think.

― seandalai, Saturday, 27 November 2010 00:16 (2 years ago) Permalink

(I don't know much myself)

― seandalai, Saturday, 27 November 2010 00:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

I see:

RFI: Mylene Farmer

― Stop Non-Erotic Cabaret (Abbbottt), Saturday, 27 November 2010 00:29 (2 years ago) Permalink

Pretty spare on info there too.

That's ok. I guess I will let serendipity guide my purchasing...I get the feeling I won't find her stuff around town, though.

― Stop Non-Erotic Cabaret (Abbbottt), Saturday, 27 November 2010 00:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

I'd definitely recommend trawling thru a bunch of her videos, most of them are on youtube at any one time, many of them are terrific, "Désenchantée", "Je Te Rends Ton Amour", "California", and the 2006 Bercy concert are my favourites. The latter perfectly straddles the dividing line between awesome and super-cheezy. In it Farmer displays this, I don't know, star quality, glamour? something like that, way way beyond what any other contemporary popstar has anyway. She's amazing.

― Pashmina, Saturday, 27 November 2010 01:04 (2 years ago) Permalink

i have also been wondering what else to get. i randomly looked at a few singles of hers a few months ago (libertine, sans contrefacon, pourvu qu'elles soient douces) and like them quite a bit but wasn't sure what else to seek out. will give the above a listen though, thanks!

― teledyldonix, Sunday, 28 November 2010 04:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

Mylene is doing a tour of France between September and November 2013. The only tickets left for Paris are 140 Euro but i just got one for Lyon for half that.

― Go Narine, Go! (ShariVari), Monday, 8 October 2012 17:34 (7 months ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

New album came out on Monday!

― Go Narine, Go! (ShariVari), Thursday, 6 December 2012 13:16 (5 months ago) Permalink

Is it good? I haven't really liked any of her albums since L'Innamoramento.

― LeRooLeRoo, Thursday, 6 December 2012 14:19 (5 months ago) Permalink

I tried to pick it up this afternoon but the shop was out of stock so I haven't heard it yet.

I'm a total fanboy but I've really liked her last couple.

― Go Narine, Go! (ShariVari), Thursday, 6 December 2012 14:47 (5 months ago) Permalink

She's back with Laurent Boutonna for her new video so that's exciting. Unfortunately, it's blocked in Canada...

― LeRooLeRoo, Thursday, 6 December 2012 15:03 (5 months ago) Permalink

Love French pop but I'm unimpressed!

― โตเกียวเหมียวเหมียว aka Ronald McDonald Donald McDonald (Mount Cleaners), Thursday, 6 December 2012 15:05 (5 months ago) Permalink

I like the cover of that video collection of hers that showed her face with a tear of blood running down her cheek.

― Max Florian, Thursday, 6 December 2012 15:20 (5 months ago) Permalink

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