The Rough Guide to Paris Cafe Music

Learning French every way possible

all the RG cds are good. this one is great.A real Parisian feel.

Going to Paris, then this CD for you. It is a 5 star compilation of great timeless cafe music.

I picked this CD up because of a then upcoming trip to Paris and boy am I glad I did. It opened up a new world of beautiful music from beautful noir inducing waltzes to high spirited fist pumpers to slick jazz, this disc has all you need.The music is mostly accordian driven with varios tempos and moods. Some of the tracks are older more traditional French musette and chansons that evoke images of wartime Paris and some of the tracks are more rock oriented not unlike a French version of the Pogues or Flogging Molly. This CD has something for everyone who enjoys new adventures in music and if youre a fan of world beat, cajun, french music or jazz, youre sure to enjoy this.The standouts here for me ar Hulements D'Leo,Les Ogres Du Barback and Debouts Sur Le Zinc who mix punk spirit with this new style...

Don't get me wrong-I love Paris Cafe music, mainly because I'm an accordionist myself. I also love Rough Guide music because they are usually able to get the most music from the best artists that represent the region well-and all on ONE cd! However, this one slips through, in my opinion. This CD is merely a hogpoge of any tune with an accordion and singing in the french language, and has no real direction or purpose. Another qualm I have about this album is that it really isn't that great for listening casualy too. To be able to just pop in a CD to create an atmosphere for a dinner or chatting with friends is one of the great aspects of REAL parisian cafe music-it serves as a background, yet it still is noticible and interesting to listen to with out taking all your attention. This CD on the other hand demands that you concentrate on it-it's more of a musical text book on all the different types of french music than a CD that is enjoyable to listen to. But if a musical text book is what you want, then go ahead and buy it, just remember that I told you so.

While this disc is heavy on accordion, it really does recall Paris and Edith Piaf. Have almost worn it out.