Paul Personne – Exclusif
Philips – 812 113-1 [1983]
Comme Un Etranger – J’Veux pas Descendre – Pleure Pas – Ça Va Rouler – T’Retorune Pas – Solitude Blues
After a lackluster first album, it is with his second mini-LP that the Frenchman Paul Personne asserts himself and lays the foundations of a rich and lengthy discography. Personne caught a larger audience with a more radio-friendly sound in the second part of his career. That is not the case here. Personne delivers a little gem at the crossroads between Rock’n’Roll, Blues, and Rhythm’n’Blues enhanced with a hint of Jazz to the best effect. The album is recorded live, which gives it a warmth and intimacy that we wouldn’t have found otherwise. We must particularly highlight the work of sound engineer Henri “Thm’N’Blues” Lousteau who was able to capture the group so well. Let us recall in passing the musicians present on this disc: Jean Lou Pecetto on bass, Philippe Floris on drums, Philippe Saboulard on guitar, Philippe Dromard on saxophone, and Tony Fernandez on piano.
The album opens with Comme un Etranger (Like A Stranger), with a swaying rhythm à la Stray Cat Strut. The singer growls softly in his slightly scratchy voice, supported by his guitar and a captivating saxophone. The rhythm is discreet yet very present. It’s the kind of music that instantly creates images in the listener’s head. With this song, we are in a small, dark, and smoky club (it’s a parallel dimension, and we are still allowed to smoke in this club) with the group on a dimly lit stage. Whiskey is optional, but highly recommended.
The next tune, J’Veux Pas Descendre, breaks the spell. It’s wild Rock’n’Roll, tinged with Gospel, supported by an excellent guitar and sax part. Pleure Pas (Don’t Cry) is a bit like the sequel to Comme un Etranger, a slow blues, almost five minutes long, perfect for the wee hours when you wander in the city, with a guitar solo of great beauty that takes time to unfold. You’re halfway through the disc and realize this guy sings in French. Usually, Rock’nroll and Blues in French don’t work, but it poses no problem here. This boy has the art and way of making the blues and rock’n’roll sound in French.
We flip the disc, and Ça Va Rouler starts without warning—a Rock’n’Roll à la Chuck Berry, full of simplicity and formidable effectiveness. Even the sax, often the weak point in this kind of song, especially in the 1980s (isn’t it Mr. Thorogood?), is perfect. We catch our breath and slide into T’Retourne Pas (Don’t Look Back), a slow, hypnotic, almost tribal blues. The album ends with the magnificent Solitude Blues, one slow blues with the suspended voice of Personne, dialoguing with his guitar, discreetly supported by a piano (on which empty bottles are piled up) and, in the distance, a saxophone.
Fred ”Virgil” Turgis
