Search - Jean-Michel Jarre, Jean Michel Jarre :: Geometry of Love

The Power of Love

Christopher | Wengen-en-esprit | 02/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's easy to see why Jean-Michel Jarre was inspired to write an entire album to his then-fiancée Isabelle Adjani. The woman is gorgeous to look at, and Monsieur Jarre evidently had some musical ideas while...well, you know.



My favorite track is Skin Paradox. It's got a bit of the old Jarre electronics going in the background, with the soft ebb-and-flow of soothing chords, layered with a beautiful piano. And this is what I wanted to write about.



The piano. I have been listening to Jarre since my cousins in France introduced me to him (on cassette tape) when I was little. It took me years to understand who he was...and what he did...music without words? Ah, I was naive. My whole life I've played the piano, just listening to notes, chords, progressions, or playing classical pieces. I love to sit in a dark room playing slow, dark chords with only moonlight or a dim tungsten bulb to light my way.



Jarre obviously uses the keyboard to create his albums. And I've sometimes wondered why he doesn't incorporate the piano more often. I have finally gotten my wish: "Geometry of Love" is my sort of escape, a chance to finally hear a great composer easily playing the piano, softly and gently, not needing to show off speed or agility.



This music will make you understand his most passionate moments. Jarre is a man who always has beautiful women around him (another one, lately), but I think we can see there is a depth to him...and it is a shame that it took a (non-committed) woman to bring this out of him. But I'm glad it's happened. This album allows him to show off another side we listeners rarely get a chance to hear.



By the way, regarding the cover, a lot of people guess (a little too crudely) at what it is. Isabelle is sitting with her legs pressed together. Jarre took a picture looking down upon her. There is no vulgarity in the picture. About a foot to the left of the cover would be her navel, and far to the right would be her toes. Be glad the most interesting photo was used as the cover! The rest of Isabelle's body is inside the case, and are sort of filler stuff."

Full of love

Normund | somewhere in a capital city | 02/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Even ff you do not know the music of Jarre already, this album will in some ways introduce you to it when you come to Track 2. The minimalistic combinations of sounds, blended with structural precision both technically and musically, lead the listener into a world full of love. This album is full of intangible emotions, starting from its cover which features snapshots of Jarre's beloved (Isabelle Adjani)and the simple and yet arresting sequence in the opening track. I liked this album (a very costly one, by the way) very much. Although it's not my personal favourite, this material shows development since Sessions and proves that Jarre's talent is very much alive. I cannot recommend any other albums of Jarre's instead. This one is so much different."

Highly recommended

Richard Balzer | Clinton, OKLAHOMA United States | 08/19/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Startling in it's beauty, Jarre's GEOMETRY OF LOVE is not as radical a departure as first may seem. While the perpetual discoesque rhythms of his early works are largely absent in this release, the attention to texture and tonal color remains. As the title would suggest the music here in is evocative of the emotion if not the actual act of love. Some of Jarre's most heartfelt soloing in his recorded work can be heard on the title track and it's reprise."