Brett Callwood
France Gall
1968 (Philips)
Evan Taylor Revisits 1968: L.A. producer and solo artist Evan Taylor told us about his love for French singer France Gall.
Evan Taylor: I’ve always struggled to name my “favorite album”. I listen so much and my relationship with art in general fluctuates daily. Growing past the necessity to own everything on vinyl, with a car full of scratched CDs, and an unbackedup laptop of mp3, my collection doesn’t have a stable home. To be honest, I kind of like it that way. It prevents any over saturation. A very special album to me is 1968 by France Gall. I love it’s purity; it’s sometimes almost calculated attempt at French pop psychedelia. From a sitar strum supported by strings and organ stabs to a bombastic brass section and a small beatnik jazz combo complete with bongos and guitar counter melodies reminiscent of Les Paul, this album has the perfect balance of triumphant driving energy and somber reflective moodiness.
(Philips)
I always relate to the “heartbreaking” but this album challenges me to be forward thinking; like a sonic, harmonic, and melodic pep talk. Full disclosure, I have not translated the lyrics; maybe that invalidates my full perspective. I still feel that has never gotten in the way of anticipating and interpreting the emotion. Another substantial aspect of developing a connection to this album is that I was not prompted to buy it, knew anything about it, nor heard any tracks from it at all. Sure I knew France Gall but when I stumbled upon 1968 in the record store I had no knowledge of its existence. Like meeting a new friend I had to get to know the work, find qualities in common, and determine if this would remain in my life long-term. I’m glad we got along.
Evan Taylor Revisits 1968: Evan Taylor’s “Song 3 (A Primer)” is out now.
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