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The initial fame Christophe Maé garnered in 2005-2006 as an actor in the musical Le Roi Soleil, where he played Philippe, the brother of Louis XIV, was trumped by his subsequent venture into the French pop scene as a folk-pop singer/songwriter/guitarist. Though not technically his full-length solo debut album (that would be a more or less impossible to find independently released album called Sa Danse Donne), Mon Paradis was the first of his albums heard on a mass scale, and it proved tremendously popular, becoming the second best-selling French album of 2007 and spawning a series of hit singles, including the chart-topping lead single, "On S'Attache." Maé is graced with a uniquely signature singing voice and an easygoing lilt in common with one of his most often cited influences, Bob Marley. These two characteristics above all others define Mon Paradis and are showcased best on "On S'Attache," the aforementioned album opener. Thankfully, the material that follows (co-written by Maé with the help of Michel Domisseck, Lionel Florence, Bruno Dandrimont, Jeff Oricelli, Olivier Schulteis, Pascal Obispo, and Jacquot) is uniformly excellent, especially the first quarter of the album, including "Mon Paradis," "Belle Demoiselle," and "Parce Qu'on Sait Jamais" as well as "On S'Attache." Sequenced midway through the album is another highlight, "C'est Ma Terre," a perfectly crafted pop song that opens with a little beatboxing before unfolding with backing vocals and a singalong chorus. Though four different writers are credited with penning "C'est Ma Terre," it doesn't sound overwrought. If anything, it sounds fine-tuned, as if Maé wrote the song himself and then sought input from a few of his hired hands, incorporating the finishing touches until he had a polished gem. Most of the latter half of Mon Paradis is credited solely to Maé, and while it's true these songs aren't as captivating as the earlier sequenced hit singles, the self-penned songs that fill much of the latter half of the album are impressive nonetheless. So while there's no doubt Maé is a capable songwriter, not only is he willing to collaborate with hired hands; it seems as if he benefits from the outside input. The production touches of Volodia benefit Maé as well. An industry veteran with a long track record of success, Volodia gives the stripped-down folk-pop of Maé a thoroughly modern sheen, adding little touches (e.g., the opening beatbox of "C'est Ma Terre," the hand percussion of "Spleen," lots of multi-tracked vocals) so that each song of Mon Paradis sounds unique and dynamic. Indeed, Maé is the rare folk-pop singer/songwriter/guitarist who can crash the gates and obtain commercial success internationally in the iPod age without forsaking any of his craftsmanship. It helps, of course, that Maé was able to build upon the initial fame he garnered in Le Roi Soleil, but there's no question Mon Paradis is the work of a talented young man who works well with others.© Jason Birchmeier /TiVo

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Tour 66: Stade de France 2009 documents the farewell tour of Johnny Hallyday, who announced his intention of retiring from the stage a couple years earlier. The album's title is an allusion to both the singer's advanced age and the iconic American highway. The tour commenced on May 8, 2009, and included a few sold-out shows at the 80,000-seat Stade de France stadium in Saint-Denis, as well as a free concert for 800,000 people at the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Unfortunately, the tour came to a premature conclusion when Hallyday experienced a series of health problems late in the year that became something of a controversy when he was treated in the United States after a botched surgery in France. While the tour didn't go ahead as planned, leaving many fans holding tickets for canceled shows, at least there is Tour 66: Stade de France 2009, a satisfactory document of the tour released in a variety of formats. The standard edition includes 34 songs spread across two CDs, including a good mix of greatest hits, cover songs, recent material, and the new song "Et Maintenant." The greatest hits include "Ma Gueule," "Joue Pas de Rock'n'Roll pour Moi," "Diego, Libre dans Sa Tête," "Que Je T'Aime," "Allumer le Feu," "Noir C'est Noir," "Derrière l'Amour," "La Musique Que J'Aime," and "L'Envie." The cover songs include "Je Veux Te Graver dans Ma Vie" (an adaptation of the Beatles' "Got to Get You Into My Life"), "Unchained Melody" (as popularized by the Righteous Brothers), "Blue Suede Shoes" (Carl Perkins), "That's All Right" (Elvis Presley), "La Terre Promise" (an adaptation of Chuck Berry's "Promised Land"), "I Got a Woman" (Ray Charles), and "Les Coups" (an adaptation of Stevie Wonder's "Uptight [Everything's Alright]"). The more recent material includes the chart-toppers "Ça N'Finira Jamais" and "Marie" from 2008 and 2002, respectively. Lastly, there's an encore performance of "Et Maintenant," a great new song released as the album's lead single. Beside this two-CD standard edition of Tour 66, there are a couple different DVD releases, plus a mammoth collector's edition box set that includes four CDs, two DVDs, and all kinds of bonus material. Though Hallyday is well past his prime here on Tour 66, he gives an impassioned performance that makes for a fitting farewell; moreover, the set list is nicely balanced between hits and covers.© Jason Birchmeier /TiVo

Born in France of Algerian parents, Soha has a bit of a love affair with R&B and dancehall, but with just enough of a twist (apart from the fact that she sings in French) to make it obvious these aren't American productions. She can summon up sultry beats and emotion on "Ma Mélancolie" or "Mon Rêve à Moi" -- in fact it seems her forte -- but there are touches of reggae coloring "Heureuse," while "On Ne Saura Jamais" starts out as hip-hop-inflected R&B before taking a very odd left turn into dancehall midsong (and then going back). She has a gentle, teasing voice that's kittenish at times, but ultimately, like much of her material, not especially memorable. That, ultimately, is its problem. This is a pleasant enough album, and there's nothing wrong with it at all -- it's just forgettable.© Chris Nickson /TiVo

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After half a century bringing rock & roll to the French-speaking world, Belgian born Johnny Hallyday released Ca Ne Finira Jamais ("It Never Ends") in 2009 amidst a farewell tour. While Hallyday may still be virtually unknown outside of the Francophone world, he is the closest thing France has got to a real rock star and while overblown at times, this 2009 album finally comes close to capturing true rock & roll. With over 40 studio albums under his Elvis-inspired belt, Hallyday delivers his entire repertoire of musical variety on Ca Ne Finira Jamais; from the traditional ballads his old fans will be craving such as "Emily" and "Etat de Grâce," to blues melodies reminiscent of those he adopted in his Nashville days ("Je M'arrête Là"). He even teams up with some young soul blood, singing with Joss Stone on "Unchained Melody" -- a beautiful rendition of the song, but unfortunately one that is not included on the U.S. version of the album. One of his smartest moves may have been to enlist the help of the young pop singer Raphaël for the sentimental but sweet "Je N'appartiens Qu'a Toi" ("I Belong Only to You"). For those craving good, old-fashioned rock, Johnny Hallyday may never cut it, and he will undoubtedly retain his label as a great pretender. For those who understand his lyrics and are eternally grateful to him for introducing American rock & roll to a country inherently opposed to it, he will remain their very own King. For the latter group, Ca Ne Finira Jamais is full of everything one might desire; epic ballads, sweet love songs, and Hallyday's own version of the blues. For everyone else, it's worth a listen, but most likely won't stand out as anything exceptional.© Celeste Rhoads /TiVo

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Born in France of Algerian parents, Soha has a bit of a love affair with R&B and dancehall, but with just enough of a twist (apart from the fact that she sings in French) to make it obvious these aren't American productions. She can summon up sultry beats and emotion on "Ma Mélancolie" or "Mon Rêve à Moi" -- in fact it seems her forte -- but there are touches of reggae coloring "Heureuse," while "On Ne Saura Jamais" starts out as hip-hop-inflected R&B before taking a very odd left turn into dancehall midsong (and then going back). She has a gentle, teasing voice that's kittenish at times, but ultimately, like much of her material, not especially memorable. That, ultimately, is its problem. This is a pleasant enough album, and there's nothing wrong with it at all -- it's just forgettable.© Chris Nickson /TiVo

As soon as you discover this little-known work by Albert Roussel—which was criticised right from its inception—you’ll wonder why it hasn’t received the credit it so deserves. As he neared the end of his life, the composer decided to write an operetta in the style of André Messager, whose work was enjoying great success at the time. Ravel had tried his hand at this style with his Heure Espagnole, as had Jacques Ibert with Angélique and even Arthur Honegger with Les Aventures du Roi Pausole, a pleasant operette, even if he wasn’t considered a comic dramatist.Roussel followed in these footsteps, composing Le testament de la tante Caroline, a libretto rather like Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, but even more risqué. Critics disliked the piece, refusing to afford Roussel the relaxed approach needed to appreciate this light music. Removed from the repertoire before it could even be performed, the operetta fell into oblivion until, at the request of the composer’s widow, Marcel Mihalovici produced a new version in 1964 (this time shortened to just one act). It’s this version that was presented and recorded in 2019 by the Les Frivolités Parisiennes, under the direction of Dylan Corlay, at the Théâtre de l'Athénée in Paris.This world premiere recording sets the record straight, introducing us to a work that no doubt belongs in the repertoire from a time when France liked to laugh at its own depravity. Roussel’s deep understanding of music composition creates a work that is clear, melodic and, to say the very least, absolutely exquisite. This dazzling discovery is to the credit of a sparkling cast of young singer-actors. The protagonist is the larger-than-life character of Béatrice (Marie Lenormand), who is surrounded by her sisters Christine (Marion Gomar) and Noémie (Lucie Komitès). The husbands Ferdinand (Charles Mesrine) and Jobard (Aurélien Gasse) are funny and offbeat. The caricatured role of the notary, here Maître Corbeau, is played by the hilarious Till Fechner. The rest of the cast are equally fantastic, and the whole ensemble is taken to the next level under Dylan Corlay’s cheerful and meticulous direction.This premiere is a real success, and one that has turned Roussel’s reputation as an austere musician completely on its head. Here, it’s been proven that he remains one of the greatest musicians of early 20th century France. It’s simply scandalous to think that he’s been omitted from concert programmes. © François Hudry/Qobu