Vanessa Paradis
Vanessa Paradis

THE REVIEW

In my opinion, what comes out of the kilns of artist collaborations is always something interesting, or at least curious.
The very young and beautiful singer, actress, and model Vanessa Paradis appears in this 1992 album backed and produced by none other than Lenny Kravitz. What could emerge from the artistic union between a sweet little French girl who used to sing like a sulky child "Joe le taxi" and the eclectic Lenny?

Well, the result is quite varied, Lenny Kravitz's touch is felt clearly and strongly, as significant as the gestures of an orchestra conductor. We see him intervene with all the instruments he can handle (bass, guitar, drums, keyboards ...) and even in the vocals in the dreamy duet "Lonely Rainbows". Vanessa's version of "I'm waiting for the man" by the legendary Velvet Underground is cute, which here has become a catchy little song for a trip to Texas aboard a cow-patterned pink Cadillac... well... however, Paradis' voice is so fascinating that she's allowed to reinterpret Lou Reed.
I also highlight "The Future Song" where Kravitz tackles the entire instrumental part himself, resulting in a piece that stands out from the rest; the Fender Rhodes keyboard gives us that lounge touch in an almost garage rhythmic setting.

To conclude, imagine a Balthus painting set in a '60s hippy meadow, see a little girl dancing in a pink baby-doll... and listen to the very sweet "Be my baby"...