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Rating: I know little about Pascal Comelade. I know he collaborated with PJ Harvey. I know that Vinicio Capossela courted him for a long time to make use of his musical talent. I know he plays unusual instruments. I know he lives in a small remote village in the Pyrenees. I know he is a very strange, eclectic musician, perhaps a bit mad, certainly fascinating. That's it, I know nothing else. However, this aura of mystery that surrounds him, his apparent snobbery and disillusionment, make him appealing to me. For this reason, I went in search of his records, but, much to my dismay, I soon discovered that they are not easily found in a regular CD store.
So far, thanks to an effective word of mouth, the only one that has come into my hands is this live recorded between Lisbon and Barcelona with the "Bel Canto Orquestra" and released in 1999 by "Les disques du soleil et de l'Acier". As a start, though, it is not bad at all. In fact, the record is very beautiful and fully met my expectations. Its beauty lies, on one hand, in the lightness, originality, and simplicity of the music offered. On the other hand, in the fact that it involves the use of unusual musical instruments. Besides the piano, harp, mandolin, and saxophone, the orchestra uses accordions, guitars, and toy pianos. Moreover, the live demonstrates Comelade's ability to range across a myriad of different languages, from blues to folk music, making his music resemble everything and nothing. The tracks are playful, fun, and full of curious déjà vu. Then there are some small and unusual gems, "Smoke on the water" by Deep Purple above all. I have no idea what "instruments" are used to interpret it, but while listening, you can clearly perceive the audience's amusement driven by Comelade's healthy musical madness. The same goes for two other famous tracks on the record: "Honky Tonk Woman" by the Rolling Stones and an enchanting music-box-style version of "All Tomorrow's Parties" by the Velvet Underground.
In conclusion, Pascal Comelade knows how to make himself heard, and I believe he deserves a spot in your music collection.
Tracklist
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