2002 album from Quebec's premier singer/songwriter whose music incorporates elements of R&B, blues, rock 'n' roll, jazz & folk. 14 tracks. Digipak. Francophon.
2002 album from Quebec's premier singer/songwriter whose music incorporates elements of R&B, blues, rock 'n' roll, jazz & folk. 14 tracks. Digipak. Francophon.
ms maggi | Santa Rosa, CA United States | 02/05/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I first heard this c.d. while eating breakfast in a funky hostel in the south of Spain. Daniel's incredible vocals and beautifully-crafted music magnetically drew me in. I immediatley asked the barista to write down the title for me. Months later, I finally found the scrap of paper and ordered the c.d. Aaaaahhh, turn it way up and slip away into a dreamy bliss! "Chante Encore" and "Te Quitter" are my favorite tracks and those two ALONE make the c.d. worthwhile. Beauty and mystique just effervesce from these eloquent and romanticly-versed French lyrics. Oooh..La-La!!!"
Probably my favorite CD ever
rawfruit | Canada | 12/25/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Someone wrote that this CD wasn't as good as Bélanger's previous works. I completely disagree. This is definitely his best work. I've listened to it probably 100 times already and never get tired of it. The music and texts are well-crafted. --Quelqu'un à écrit que ce disque n'était pas aussi bon que les autres disques de Bélanger. Je suis en désaccord complet. Il s'agit de sa meilleur oeuvre. Je l'ai écouté probablement plus de 100 fois et je ne m'en lasse jamais. La musique et les textes sont remarquables."
Tastes like poutine
Clint Fleming | San Francisco, CA | 09/03/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I heard this album last week when I was in Quebec and had to purchase it before leaving. Difficult to catagorize, but definately some permutation of downtempo. Poor french skills allow me to decipher only a fraction of the lyrics, but that allows them to form part of the sound instead of taking center stage or overpowering the music. A very relaxing and melodic vibe permeates the album while incoporating lyrics, acoustic instruments and the usual suspects of downtempo sound. Not exactly sure why the other reviewers mention trip hop as none of those beats or rhythm arrangements are present, but it is a trippy combination for sure. Definately worth picking up, but a shame there are no downloadable tracks available at present in order to sample this unique Quebecois flavor."
Pushing the envelope
The Beerslayer | San Jose, California, USA | 08/23/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Daniel Bélanger seems to be one of those artists who is determined to push the envelope - find some new direction with every new album. While there are hints in his earlier work of what's to come in Rêver Mieux, nothing he has done before or since has put the pieces together quite as nicely or as uniquely.
Being familiar with (= having listened to hundreds of times) both of his previous albums prior to picking up Rêver Mieux, I wasn't quite sure what to make of it upon first listen. I wasn't sure I liked the new direction at first, but after listening to it (without realizing it) 10 or 15 times, I realized that it had insinuated itself into my brain. There's a wonderful, dreamlike quality to some of the music on this album that fits the name perfectly ("rêver" = to dream), especially on the tracks "Dans un Spoutnik" and "Intouchable Et Immortel", both of which are almost hypnotic. "Dis Tout Sans Rien Dire" is a sparse, beautiful little tune without a whole lot of accompaniment (it doesn't need any), while "Une Femme Un Train..." recalls the film noir of yesteryear. There really isn't a bad tune on this album.
If you're not familiar with Daniel Bélanger, buy this album. You're in for a treat."