Zazie
Made in Love
Zazie first appeared on the French airwaves in 1992 with the
album "Je Tu Ils". The public was immediately charmed by the sensuality and
poetry of Zazie's music.
Born into royalty, she spent many years as a model - not surprising given her height and her refined features. Yet Zazie is about much more than looks and status. Enthralled by the music of artists such as Georges Brassens, Barbara, Jacques Brel, and Peter Gabriel, Zazie began writing at a young age, also studying violin, guitar and piano. Over the years, she developed an honest, clever writing style and a flawless falsetto.
Made in Love is a
fascinating collection, more of a journey than an album. "Tous des Anges", the
song that opens the disc, is pure rock. The imagery and wordplay of the lyrics are
powerful: "Je me roule/ Cœur en boule/Ventre vide et vie dehors/ Sale et
saoule/ Le vin coule/ Entre mes doigts/Vous vous saoulez de vitesse/ D'or et d'excès, de
richesse/ Belle ivresse…"
To hear a sample
"Ça fait mal et
ça fait rien"
Zazie
Made in Love
Item#04772 $24.95 CD
Songs: Tous des anges, Ça fait mal et ça fait rien, Femmes
téfales, Made in Love, Cyber, La preuve par trois, Tout le monde, Autant de peine que de
toi, La vie devant moi, Sous le voile, Stop, Chanson d'ami. Lyrics included.
This is followed by the tongue-in-cheek "Cyber". "Les parents ils n'ont pas le temps de nous parler…Tant pis/ On se console sur nos consoles/ On s'connecte sur la planète Internet," complain the youth of Zazie's dystopia, "Dur de grandir/ Devenir un homme/ Coincés entre SIDA et sitcoms." The song "Tout le Monde" is a fun, danceable song with a great message: "Tout le monde il est beau/ Assez grands pour tout le monde".
My favorite song on this release was definitely the lush "Autant de Peine Que de Toi", an achingly beautiful ballad that serves as the core of the album: "Je fais tour à tour/ L'amie et l'amour/ Je donne, je pardonne, je faiblis/ Et tu fais de moi tout et n'importe quoi." Zazie's lyrics are poetic and full of creative imagery but also have a confessional tone that adds an immensely personal dimension. "Sous le Voile" is a story of an Algerian woman who hides her history beneath her religious veil; "Stop" is a humourous look at the Earth through the eyes of an alien.
The contrast of her ethereal vocals and the post-modern rock arrangements is a perfect setting for her ruminations on love and life. She sees the personal and the political as two branches of the same tree and writes superb texts that transcend the pop arena, bringing a human perspective that seemed to have been abandoned by other contemporary artists. There is an undercurrent of sorrow in Made in Love, but it only serves to accentuate the delicate beauty of Zazie's music. If you like music that is at once beautiful and thoughtful, music to engage both your heart and your head, then this disc is for you.