Étienne Daho
Collection

Is it worth insisting on this again? Of course, it is, if only for the uniqueness of this album: exceptional in two senses, Etienne Daho in form is exceptional, but "Collection" is exceptional also in the most literal sense of the term, it is an exception, something uncommon. Usually, projects like this are a ruse to squeeze money from fans or to fulfill an expiring record contract: a mix of covers and old singles re-released in alternative versions with a couple of new songs, some doubts are more than understandable, but this "Collection" is truly a major work, especially if contextualized in Etienne’s artistic journey. Besides being a very pleasant listen, it is also a sensible operation, with its own reason and a credible background. So, it's 1987, just after the release of the third LP, "Pop Satori," a huge commercial success but personally leaving me somewhat unsatisfied: despite two/three excellent singles, it's an album that sounds like a "standard" assignment, very flattened on the sound of the moment, lacking the creative spark and personality of the previous one, "La notte, la notte". Etienne Daho, who is certainly no fool, will abandon synth-pop starting with "Pour nous vies martiennes" in '88, opening a phase of transition in his artistic journey. "Collection" is therefore the closure of a cycle, but also a tribute to his musical background: it emerges as an enticing and well-packaged sixties-eighties blend.

Let's start with "Et si je m'en vais avant toi", one of the best pieces from "La notte, la notte", here presented without any stylistic variations (rightly so, it's a perfect song as it is) but in a duet with Françoise Hardy: you get me? I've already talked about its album of origin, the illustrious guest, known precisely thanks to this collaboration, as well; I'd say let's move on. There are also the two singles from "Pop Satori", "Epaule Tattoo" and "Tombè pour la France", both in maxi version: they are two well-crafted songs, 80's pop glamour but with great style and without too much exaggeration, this context and this guise perfectly enhance them, especially "Tombè pour la France", a synth gem of author that stands out for brilliance and irony; this context and this guise enhance it in all its dandy splendor and danceable potential. Finally, we have the strange case of "L'Etè", taken from the first album, "Mythomane" of 1982, a nuanced, reflective piece, decidedly superior to the average of a debut still quite unripe and also very ahead of its time: minimal electronics, drums in the foreground, no sax; it almost seems like a preview of the more mature Etienne Daho, the one of "Eden".

In "Chez les Yé-Yé" he reinterprets Serge Gainsbourg with great cleverness and brilliance, with an organ that adds a late-sixties-tinged psychedelic feel, atmospheres that evoke an imaginary celebrated in great style with "Swingin' London", officially published for the first time in this semi-collection; glamorous and fun, a brilliant performance, surely among his most immediate and evocative songs, a sort of "weekend in Rome" in beat sauce. Not only irony and hippie ambitions but also beautiful passages of more intimate character; a "Sunday Morning" reread with a delicate and dreamy touch, but "Sweeter Than You" by Ricky Nelson, classic sixties pop with calypso hues, is absolutely no less: Etienne perfectly enhances its warmth and melodic richness, in full respect of the original beauty and simplicity. Finally, the neoclassical, melancholic, and decadent charm of "La ballade d'Edie S.", the other unreleased track in "Collection" and also a great added value: an author's portrait, an authentic masterpiece from a refined chansonnier; to hear such an ED again, we will have to wait until "Les chansons de l'innocence retrouvèe" in 2013.

As for the first part of Etienne Daho's career, "Collection" for me comes immediately after "La notte, la notte": it's a varied, eclectic work, listening to it one can outline a complete and exhaustive profile of Etienne Daho’s personality, and it also works excellently as an album, even though it is not: its contrasts are perfectly harmonized, very different songs as origins and sounds integrate well with each other, forming a heterogeneous but fluid whole, and I find this truly remarkable. Paradoxically, "Collection" sounds more cohesive than the subsequent "Pour nous vies martiennes" and "Paris Ailleurs", subject to sudden swings both in style and quality. Such an Etienne Daho deserves all the best I can give, especially for the surprise factor that distinguishes his best works, this one in particular. Etienne is never predictable, especially when he's in a state of grace, which is not always, but to someone like him, I gladly forgive any unenthusiastic passage because in everything he does he always puts something of his own, a personal signature of style and elegance that becomes unmistakable to those who know him.