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It must be something in the water. The movement known as the French touch encompasses a huge sweep of music, from Justice’s heavy metal take on house to Dimitri From Paris and St Germain’s slinky lounge jazz. But one thing that they all seem to have in common is an ability to take sounds from square centre in the middle of the road and then re-invent them as something chic and glamorous. Think of, for instance, the monstrous success of Daft Punk, who took questionable 70s disco and Barry White samples and re-purpose them as the coolest dancefloor fire in town.

Vous avez déjà entendu leur voix. Vous connaissez leur nom. Mais qui sont-ils vraiment, ces animateurs qui ont bâti la bande FM du Québec et qui, sur les ondes, égaient notre quotidien? …

Time Life collections are usually rock-solid groupings of classic songs presented carefully and lovingly, and the FM Rock series is no exception. The theme seems to be songs you might find on a free-form FM station, because each volume contains songs that no commercial program director would come close to allowing on the air. Mixed in with these selections are some classic FM tunes as well, making for a wild and unpredictable listen. For example, Vol. 2 has hit tracks by the Doobie Brothers ("Rockin' Down the Highway"), Rod Stewart ("Every Picture Tells a Story"), and Little Feat ("Willin'"), but also obscurities like Crazy Horse's "Gone Dead Train" and Fleetwood Mac's "Jewel Eyed Judy," as well as oddball choices like Moby Grape's "Gypsy Wedding" and Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder They Come." Beyond being entertaining listening, all the entries in the series could turn listeners on to bands they missed the first time around, and are fine additions to the collection of someone who wants to delve deeper into the music of the '70s.