LES CONCERTS EN CHINE

This live album is documenting the first ever gig by a western artist in China. Jean Michel Jarre is not exactly a rebellious artist with a hatred towards authorities. So he was a safe artist for the paranoid regime in China.

It is obvious China also coloured Jean Michel Jarre when playing this gig. The material here has a distinct Chinese classical music feel. A scene sadly neglected by us here in the west. This album very much brought this scene to our attention and that is the most important mission this album has in my view.

The music on this album is great and the mix, with various tidbits, really capture this experience almost perfectly. The best stuff here is the Chinese music which Jarre makes into his own like any great musician always does. Fishing Junks at Sunset is a great song too and so is the Magnetic Fields stuff. The final track Souvenir de Chine is the best track here though.

I would say this is Jean Michel Jarre's crowning moment and his best ever release. It is that good and it is highly recommended.

4 stars