Search - Vanessa Paradis :: M & J

Not a product of cookie-cutter marketing, Paradis is my favo

Darren Harrison | Washington D.C. | 01/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The late 1980s saw another trio of young female singers dominate the European charts. Yes almost two decades ago and long before Spears, Duff and Lohan the pop charts were dominated by Debbie Gibson, Tiffany and ... Paradis.

I grew up in the United Kingdom where French music gets a little more airplay than it seems to in the United States. So whereas people in the U.S. had the (apparently nonexistent) rivarly between Debbie and Tiffany as a hot topic in 1987, for those of us in Europe and Canada another female singer was the hot topic among schoolboys everywhere - Vanessa Paradis.

I first saw Vanessa perform on the now-defunct British show "The Roxy" in 1987 (think a more raunchier European version of `American Bandstand'). Here was this incredible looking (and very young) girl singing the song "Joe Le Taxi" on a stage alongside a full-size real yellow taxi cab. I was so entranced by her striking looks that it was only later that I heard the song.

Since that fateful night I have collected everything I could get my hands on connected to this French singer/actress (who is perhaps best known in the US more for her relationship with Johnny Depp rather than her career). From this album to her movies like "Noce Blanche" and "Une Chance Sur Deux" she has developed a large following and it's easy to see why.

Some criticize the tracks on this album as sounding child-like, but what do they expect? Vanessa was 14 when she sang "Joe le Taxi," certainly she deserves credit for not falling into the cookie-cutter marketing product trap that her contemporary Tiffany fell into. Over the years she has shown that she is willing to take some risks. And after all the venom that was slung her way by female admirers of Johnny Depp, jealous that she was his partner, she has maintained a mature posture that underlies the fact that she is more than just a pretty face."

She ain't Celine Dion, but a thousand times more charming

Moni | Plano, TX United States | 11/10/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I became acquainted with Vanessa Paradis when hearing "Joe le Taxi" (not on this CD) at a party sometime in '89-90; I instantly fell in love with that song, although, her childish voice sounded strange at first. Then, I saw Vanessa one evening, while watching the Cesar movie awards on satellite TV (French equivalent of Oscar and AT LEAST as prestigeous in the world of art cinema). She called the wrong name while awarding the Best Actrice. Her reaction to her own mistake was so genuine and endearing that everyone ended up loving her for the blooper. I thought then: "here's a genuine ingenue". Usually I cannot stand the "ingenue" type, it always appears fake or at least forced; but Vanessa Paradis seems to have the perfect combination of simplicity, innocence, honesty and passion to make her songs come alive. I've listened to her songs since and I wasn't dissapointed. Although she has so many great songs, sentimentally, "Joe le Taxi" remains my favorite.

Vanessa Paradis doesn't have the "American Idol" winner type of voice. Thank goodness for that -going by those standards, singers like Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Leonard Cohen and many others would never have existed."

M & J Vanessa Paradis CD. Excellent!

Nancy Marie | 05/31/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bonjour, I just aquired this CD. I love it! It is so charming. Vanessa is so young but talented. It is kind of a pleasant 1980's bubblegum pop. Very cool! Excellent CD. I hope to aquire all of her CD's."