Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin: Jane Birkin Et Serge Gainsbourg (180g, Import) Vinyl LP

Also known as Je T'Aime...Moi Non Plus. This is the classic 1969 album from Serge & Jane B., featuring the notorious title track, which the pair were supposedly being very literal with during its recording. That's a pretty lazy rumor if you ask me (sounds like something your friend would make up in middle school, about on par with "Stephanie from Full House killed herself"), but ain't nothing weak about the power of Serge's sleazy French lothario persona matching up with the sweet, innocent tones of Ms. Birkin. This has to be one of the best (or at least most entertaining) musical duos of all time, to the point where it makes me sad when Serge goes solo on this album, like on "L'anamour" and "Les Sucettes." But it's okay: Jane more than makes up for it on the haunting "Jane B" (lovely strings, those) and "69 Annee Erotique," which, like the title track, was originally meant to be sung by Serge and Brigitte Bardot (Ironically, Bardot went down in history as, arguably, an even more notorious sex symbol). Cop this, throw it on for a romantic evening (or some opium smoking) and lounge the night away.

• 180g black vinyl pressing
• French import
• original release year: 1969
• music label: Mercury 2016

reviewed by Chris Lemon-Red 02/2007

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