Histoire de Melody Nelson (1971)

By Serge Gainsbourg

A middle-aged narrator falls into an illicit romance with a fourteen-year-old girl, told across a song cycle of spoken-sung French, bass, strings and drums. Serge Gainsbourg wrote the 1971 concept album with arranger Jean-Claude Vannier, casting his partner Jane Birkin as Melody Nelson on the record and its cover. Critics rank it among the greatest French-language pop albums.

Released
1971
Tracks
7

Track list

  1. Melody
  2. Ballade de Melody Nelson
  3. Valse de Melody
  4. Ah Melody
  5. L'hôtel particulier (BOF "Melody Nelson")
  6. En Melody
  7. Cargo culte