Warner Strategic Marketing (label)
20 September 2004 (released)
20 September 2004
Jean Michel Jarre's credentials shine brighter than most and with sales of 60 million albums and titanic concerts to up to 3 million people, so they should. But is the basis of his fame the spectacle that he shrouds his music in or the actual music itself?
‘Aero' just strikes me as a series of sounds, which is what I assume music to be, but as Eric Morcombe so eloquently put it ‘All the right notes but not necessarily in the right order'. Ok, so it's in 5.1 surround sound but that alone certainly does not constitute a groundbreaking album. I reckon that hearing a couple of plates smashing in 5.1 surround sound would be impressive but is that music? What exactly constitutes a musical revolution? Radiohead deserve the accolade of advancing music with innovative experimental and wilfully uncommercial music, but does JMJ?
When I heard Oxygene back in the late 70's I was impressed, carried along in the tide of hype that surrounded JMJ but now I find myself having to question the basis for his celebrated status. The album may work as a film score and already feels better when accompanied by the French actress Anne Parillaud's expressive eyes on the bonus DVD, but I do find myself believing hardcore drugs are also called for.
As far as musical advancement is concerned it's no ‘Kid A' more like ‘A Kid'.
But make up your own mind by clicking on the streams below:
Aerology Windows Media Lo Aerology Windows Media Hi Aerology Real Media Lo Aerology Real Media Hi Equinoxe Windows Media Lo Equinoxe Windows Media Hi Equinoxe Real Media Lo Equinoxe Real Media Hi Rendez Vous Windows Media Lo Rendez Vous Windows Media Hi Rendez Vous Real Media Lo Rendez Vous Real Media Hi Oxygene 4 Windows Media Lo Oxygene 4 Windows Media Hi Oxygene 4 Real Media Lo Oxygene 4 Real Media Hi 
