Copains 3.5

One of French pop's most poetic songwriters, Georges Brassens was also a highly acclaimed and much-beloved performer in his own right. Not only a brilliant manipulator of language and a feted poet in his own right, Brassens was also renowned for his subversive streak, satirizing religion, class, social conformity, and moral hypocrisy with a wicked glee. Yet beneath that surface was a compassionate concern for his fellow man, particularly the disadvantaged and desperate. His personal politics were forged during the Nazi occupation, and while his views on freedom bordered on anarchism, his songs expressed those convictions more subtly than those of his contemporary, Léo Ferré.

One of the most popular French entertainers of the '70s and '80s, actor and singer/songwriter Michel Jonasz's 2007 release, Chanson Française is dedicated to the various performers who have inspired him throughout his versatile and prolific career. Its 12 tracks include interpretations of songs made famous by Georges Brassens ("Les Copains d'Abord"), Jacques Brel ("La Chanson des Vieux Amants") and Claude Nougaro ("Armstrong"), alongside two original compositions, a tribute to Léo Férre and the title track, which explains his decision to release a covers album.

Georges Brassens, compositeur français parmi les plus poètes, était aussi un artiste très acclamé et fort apprécié pour son talent. En plus de sa maîtrise de la langue et de son sens poétique reconnu, Brassens était aussi réputé pour son côté subversif, faisant la satire de la religion, des classes, du conformisme social et de l’hypocrisie morale avec une allégresse redoutable. Mais cela cachait une vraie compassion pour son prochain, en particulier pour les gens défavorisés ou ayant perdu espoir. Avec Jacques Brel, il est devenu l’une des voix les plus reconnaissables de la chanson française. Sa poésie et ses paroles sont encore étudiées dans le cadre des programmes scolaires en France.