The French Connection

Don Ellis & Brad Fiedel - The French Connection Collection (2016) {2CD La-La Land LLLCD1408 Limited Collector's Edition rec 1971, 1975}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 766 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 354 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 186 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1971, 1975, 2016 La-La Land Records | LLLCD 1408 | Limited Collector's Edition of 2000 units
Jazz / Stage & Screen / Soundtrack / Avant-Garde Jazz

Great thriller soundtracks back to back on one CD – the soundtracks for both French Connection films, both handled by funky jazzman Don Ellis – plus the even rarer score for the later Popeye Doyle film, by Brad Fiedel – packaged here with other rare bonus tracks too! The music by Don Ellis is really incredible – a real cut above other 70s cop and action soundtracks, with a dark edge that shows that Ellis had been listening to some of the hipper European soundtrack composers of the time, but was still also cool enough to kick in with a badass kind of groove whenever he could! The instrumentation on the tunes is very odd – familiar, yet askew – as trumpet, guitar, and keyboard bits come off with some very weird effects. The sound of Popeye Doyle is a bit different – given that the film was an 80s TV addition to the French Connection narrative – with Ed O'Neil in the lead role that was previously handled by Gene Hackman. But Brad Fiedel's score is still pretty nice – definitely more 80s in its instrumentation, but handled with a mode that echoes the Ellis years, with the flavor of a decade later. This 2CD package has way more material than the previous issue – with a total of 48 tracks from the first two films – and 29 more from Popeye Doyle – a whopping 77 tracks in all, with some great notes too!

Antonio Vivaldi - The French Connection Vol. 2
La Serenissima / Adrian Chandler
EAC+LOG+CUE | WV: 367 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Avie # AV2218 | Country/Year: UK 2011
Genre: Classical | Style: Baroque

…the concept of this disc, the choice of music and the performances make this an interesting contribution to the growing Vivaldi discography.

Antonio Vivaldi - The French Connection Vol. 1
La Serenissima / Adrian Chandler
EAC+LOG+CUE | WV: 382 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Avie # AV2178 | Country/Year: UK 2009
Genre: Classical | Style: Baroque

…The orchestral sound, as always with La Serenissima, achieves bright attractiveness and vivacity without feeling the need to pursue the taut energy of some other groups.

VA - Rolling Stone Rare Trax Vol. 31 - The French Connection: Pop aus Frankreich von Gestern bis Heute
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 244 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: None, Promo | Country/Year: Germany 2003
Genre: Pop | Style: French Pop, Chanson

RARE TRAX is a continued series of promotional samplers given away with the german edition of Rolling Stone magazine since the 1990's and has reached volume 80 already. Each version covers a special topic and presents lesser known songs and/or artists.

The love affair between Europe and the blues began in the early 50s with the arrival of Big Bill Broonzy who performed in Limoges, France, where most of the musicians on this album come from and where it was recorded. Zora first performed in Europe in 1981 and has made more than 20 tours in France. Inspired by Zora & Bobby Dirninger's recording of Two Trains Running on her previous Delmark album (Tore Up From the Floor Up), producer Chris Dussuchaud suggested a half-electric / half-acoustic album. The French Connection is Zora's renditions of not only Chicago blues, but also gospel, jazz, deep Mississippi blues and country music in her own, very special way.

William Friedkin's gritty police drama portrays two tough New York City cops trying to intercept a huge heroin shipment coming from France. An interesting contrast is established between 'Popeye' Doyle, a short-tempered alcoholic bigot who is nevertheless a hard-working and dedicated police officer, and his nemesis Alain Charnier, a suave and urbane gentleman who is nevertheless a criminal and one of the largest drug suppliers of pure heroin to North America. During the surveillance and eventual bust, Friedkin provides one of the most gripping and memorable car chase sequences ever filmed.