Classic, smart, synthetically soulful... and Belgian
03/08/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I just received the CD version of this album, having not heard it since back in the day, and it remains a fine, fine work. Like analog audio synthesis? Classic rock 'n' roll and r&b? Classic synth disco? Wry wit and humor? Social conscience? Band members Dan Lacksman, Michel Moers and Marc Moulin blend all this and more to create their signature Telex sound.
Telex obviously love music on the whole, and sonic texture in particular, exercising great care in creating every sound. But they aren't purists, and thus aren't above using a toy shaker and even (gasp!) a piano on one track. At this time (1978) Telex were contemporaries of Giorgio Moroder, though not as hit conscious, and of Kraftwerk, though more down to earth and less "on a mission". I'm only familiar with their work of this period; there really wasn't any other band like Telex. Their sound on "Looking for Saint Tropez" is unique, as it is on "Neurovision" (1980), on which album they somehow manage a more cartoonish and gossamer sound while remaining quite recognizable.
Both of these albums are gems."
Hear the birth of techno
Jeffrey J. Lyons | Pembroke, NH United States | 12/03/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"If you are buying this CD, I suspect that you are probably one of 1% of all music listeners in the world who ever heard of this band and I don't need to tell you about this band. But if you are one of the 99% who haven't heard of Telex, and you stumbled onto this page by accident - this review is for you. Belgium-based Telex is one of maybe 4 or 5 music groups that planted the seeds of modern day electronica. Until Telex came along in the late 70's and early 80's, most recordings with synthesisers/keyboards fell under the categories of space rock or prog-rock or were just filler/background for the guitars. Sure Gary Wright was proud to tell the world that all of his musical sounds were created by keyboards. But Telex took the keyboards, added a toe-tapping beat and a few quirky lyrics to create such early dance classics as "Moskow Diskow" and "Twist A Saint Tropez." Both of those songs are in this affordable compilation. They didn't have the visual (sort of glam) image of some of their contemporaries such as Visage or Human League. They didn't experiment as much as some of their contemporaries like Ultravox and Depeche Mode. They most definitely DID NOT have the production qualities of today's electronica. You won't hear any heavy reverb, heavy compression, or bass-boosted electronic drumbeats on this CD. You will hear a band that had a whole lot fun making music. They didn't have much commercial success outside of the French speaking nations, which is why a majority of the songs on this CD are sung in French. But there were a few English translations and some of those are here. I have always liked Telex since I bought my first Telex album back in 1981. I rate it a "4" because nothing is perfect. There are a few slow moments. I still prefer Plastic Bertrand's punk version of "Ca Plane Pour Moi" over this dreary slow version. Still, I hope that you have fun listening to this. I did."
A Mix of Kraftwerk/Gary Numan With Great Sense of Humor
Paul Allaer | Cincinnati | 05/02/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I grew up a big Telex fax while living in Belgium and seeing the original albums reissued with obvious immense care is very satisfying. Marc Moulin (a one-time jazz panist and then part-time DJ on Radio Cite), co-synthesist Dan Lacksman and singer (and one-time architect, if my memory serves me right) Michel Moers create synthesized disco (remember, their first album "Looking for St. Tropez" came out in 1979) dance tunes and other electronic wizzardry. Think a mix of Kraftwerk/Gary Numan with a sense of humor. This reissue contains the 9 originals tracks (including the "hits" Twist a St. Tropez, Moscow Discow, and Rock around the Clock--yes, the Bill Haley tune!) and 5 bonus tracks, including some obscure B sides and the last track Avec Fifi, an instrumental, which must be heard to be believed (I won't spoil the surprise here). In the US, Telex achieved brief notoriety with the underground club version of Moscos Discow, which since then has been imitated often, but never equalized. This reissue includes both the "regular" and the "12 inch underground club" version of the song. If you like good synthesizer dance music, you cannot go wrong with "Looking for St. Tropez"."
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1