Intoxicated Man by Mick Harvey (CD, Nov-1995, Mute)

Serge Gainsbourg was the dirty old man of popular music; a French musician with a taste for alcohol, cigarettes, and women. He was a legend in Europe but only a cult figure in America, where his lone hit "Je T'Aime...Moi Non Plus" was his only chart placing. Serge was a songwriter, a singer, a composer of film soundtracks, an actor and a director. He released 18 studio albums between 1958 and 1987, and his music is simply amazing. The biggest problem of course is the language barrier. Mick Harvey, a member of The Birthday Party and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, decided to record 16 of Gainsbourg's songs in English, as true to the French as possible, but still giving the songs thier individual meaning and feeling. What Harvey has done is nothing short of brilliant. The song selection is amazing. The gem is the very misunderstood song La Chanson de Slogan, a film only selection from the 1969 movie Slogan. It's here in all it's beauty. Forget the throwaway version by The Kills on the 2006 Monsieur Gainsbourg CD. Mick's version as The Song of Slurs is true to the original, capturing both Jane Birkin and Serge's parts right on cue. Anita Lane, of The Birthday Party, does all Jane Birkin's parts to a T, especially capturing the woman's vocal style on Overseas Telegram. Other duets are 69 Erotic Year, Harley Davidson, Ford Mustang, and Bonnie and Clyde. The last three mentioned songs were originally done with Serge and his lover Brigitte Bardot. Harvey covers such gems as Lemon Incest, Initials B.B., The Sun Directly Overhead, and Sex Shop. All the songs are done true to the originals and Harvey captures Gainsbourg's vocal stylings as though he is the man reincarnated. Do yourself a favor and get a copy of this CD, as well as the Initials B.B CD single and the Pink Elephants CD. You deserve to enlighten yourself to Serge Gainsbourg's music as performed by Mick Harvey and Anita Lane. The originals in French are incredible as well, as far as I'm concerned, Serge was able to cross the language barrier, I enjoy his music as though I know what he is actually saying. Thanks so much to Mick Harvey for putting this labor of love together, and thanks to Mute Records for making it happen. Love live the memory and music of Serge Gainsbourg!

Anyone interested in Mick Harvey's career should check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M​ick_Harvey
Long-time Nick Cave collaborator, Mick Harvey aided by Anita Lane, in the first of two albums, presenting english language versions of the songs of Serge Gainsbourg. Gainsbourg was known for his sexually charged material. The songs are odd, both out of time yet somehow timeless.