Mylène Farmer

[comjoz]

Originally Posted by Shepherd

I met Alizee in New York in 2003. I live in San Antonio, Texas, and went to the Big Apple to visit my sister, Rita, who was living there at that time. My sister took a few days off work so we could explore Manhattan. We were walking through Central Park, and on a lark decided to ride the merry-go-round. Rita, got on a horse to my left and just as the ride began a young woman jumped on the horse on my right. This took me by surprise because the marry-go-round was practically empty, perhaps 5 or 6 people on it. The girl could have sat any place. The young woman was very winsome, laughing and talking to me, but I couldn't understand a thing she said because, I don't speak French. The only French I knew was "bonjour," so I said "bonjour" and she laughed. She was with an older woman who didn't ride the merry-go-round. She stood off to the side and watched. I have no idea who this woman was. Rita had lived in Paris for a few years so I asked her to translate. She got off her horse and came around to talk to the young woman. They exchanged a few words, and then Rita said, "Oh, my God! This is Alizee." "Oh, I said," somewhat surprised that Rita would know her. "Is she a friend of yours?" "No, she's a famous pop star in France, like Madonna." I was somewhat flustered and had no idea what to say to a famous French pop star who didn't speak English, so I said, "bonjour." Alizee laughed. It was a little awkward, and Alizee dismounted her horse and jumped off the merry-go-round while it was still moving and she left. The whole event couldn't have taken more than 3 or 4 minutes. I marked it down as an interesting experience and quickly forgot about it because--frankly--Alizee meant nothing to me. Ten years later in 2013, I was cruising You Tube and stumbled upon the video of Alizee singing "J'en Ai Marre." She knocked me out of my chair. She looked familiar, but I wasn't sure it was the girl in the park. I called Rita who confirmed, "Yes, that was Alizee." I think Alizee got onto the merry-go-round next to me to see if a stranger in America would recognize her, and sure enough, I didn't. Now I'm a severely addicted fan.

Awesome story. Now, just tell us was it just a dream of yours, or was it for real?

[Shepherd]

Originally Posted by comjoz

Awesome story. Now, just tell us was it just a dream of yours, or was it for real?

No, it was real. While she was on the horse next to me, I kept staring at her because she was, on the one hand, very attractive and on the other the "girl next door." I was wondering why a young woman would jump up next to a perfect stranger who was much older, bald headed with a pot belly. She couldn't be flirting and she had to pay to get on the merry-go-round, so what was the reason? I think my staring made her uncomfortable, and we couldn't really talk, so she left. I have never taken an intense interest in any pop star before, and now wonder if that incident is why I have become so fixated on Alizee. It kills me that I didn't know her, and it amazes me what an impact those few minutes have made on my life.

I had a similar experience when I was driving a taxi in Chicago. As a rule drivers didn't like passengers sitting in the front seat because there were so many robberies. In the back seat we were separated by a shield. The doormen at the big hotels understood this and would put customers' luggage on the front seat and the passengers in the back. One day at the Palmer House the doorman opened the front door and a man jumped in. He leaned forward and stuck his face in mine, and said, "Hi, hows things going." It was Eddie Fisher. This was shortly after he had broken up with Liz Taylor. I think he just wanted a fan to go crazy over meeting him, and I think Alizee wanted something similar on the merry-go-round.

On the day we met Alizee in New York, my son was making movies of our trip, but he didn't tape the merry-go-round. The incident happened so fast we didn't think to take photos, and I've been kicking myself ever after. I was so close and yet so far away.

I've been trying to figure out who the older woman was with Alizee. It definitely was not MF, and I didn't think it was Alizee's mother because the woman was a little heavier set than photos I have seen of her mother when Alizee won the airplane contest. Now, I'm not so sure. Maybe it was her mother. This was a few years after the airplane contest and she could have put
on weight.

[Rev]

After Alizée, I first discovered Mylène (I have watched many of her concerts). Then I expanded into several others - mostly ones that are active with Les Enfoires.

There are several good singers, but none close to Alizée.

[Ray4AJ]

Originally Posted by Philippe

hi everyone

I'd be curious to know if some of you discovered Mylène Farmer thanks to Alizée and became a big fan of her too

Hi!

I discovered Alizée accidentally and it was wonderful. I soon learned who Mylène was and how she provided Alizée the opportunity to begin her singing career. But I've never listened to a single song or watched any video of her. I have nothing against her, I just have no interest in her.

[Rev]

A couple of videos:

How she opens a concert:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature..._NHka2BE#t=113
(this one you have to click on)



My favorite song of hers (I wish Alizée would do it - as a "tribute" could be her excuse):

[Jazzmin]

I also became Mylene's fan thanks to Alizee for I did not get a crush on MF's music at the first listen or at the first few listens, to be fair. I'd been Alizee's fan for roughly a year when I gave a chance to the French pop's queen. Anyway, I'm a great adherer of them both and it's pretty easy to remark if you read my posts, I guess :P .

As for other musicians discovered thanks to Alizee, it's the case for me as well . Once, seeking the "Moi... Lolita" lyrics, aside of the sudetto, I paid attention to a certain song and that was "Gothic Lolita", and then I was stunned by a miss Emilie Autumn, and later on - truly enchanted . Then, prompted by Emilie's muffin*, I stepped into the dooming but poetically beautiful world of Lana Del Rey. And quite recently, I've been tangled into another musical infatuation, that is - Nicole Dollanganger, whom I divined on the EA forum... So this sorta "discovery chain" is advancing and I'd lie if I denied liking it! I'm really indebted to Lilly!

Originally Posted by Rev

My favorite song of hers (I wish Alizée would do it - as a "tribute" could be her excuse):

Mine too! In fact, I do realize that the lyrics are not the VERY best of hers, like "Moi... Lolita" or "L'ame-stram-gram" are - but I bear a sentiment for this song, as embarassing as it sounds; well, my shrink would chew me fucking up for listening to tracks about suicide... et pourtant, I cannot get "je vais me coucher" outta my jazzy head.

*meaning a "fan" in our crooked fandom lingo , a "plague rat" works as its synonym

[Chomenor]

Originally Posted by Jazzmin

Mine too! In fact, I do realize that the lyrics are not the VERY best of hers, like "Moi... Lolita" or "L'ame-stram-gram" are - but I bear a sentiment for this song, as embarassing as it sounds; well, my shrink would chew me fucking up for listening to tracks about suicide... et pourtant, I cannot get "je vais me coucher" outta my jazzy head.

Well, I don't think this song is actually about suicide. It is about being unhappy with life on earth and wishing for something better (to put it generally), but it is a in a positive way. It is a very different meaning from suicide, even if there seems to be some similarity on the surface.

Mylène considered using a reference to suicide as a way to express her level of discontent with the world, but decided against it. Still even if there was one reference to suicide it does not automatically make the entire song about suicide. You could just as well say the song is about angels, because the song mentions them, and it would actually be a lot more accurate than to say the song is about suicide.

If you want to see a song that actually does deal with suicide, try Jardin de Vienne.

[Jazzmin]

As for me, it is not visible in this particular song that she should decide against it (Moi, j’ai le souffle court... in the music video the character attempts to take her life as well, vide the gentle balloon metaphor).

Of course, I get it that a simple use of some element does not make the element the main theme of the song. But in this song suicide does recurr. The disappointment works as a preludium to it, then the beauty and goodness of this world are mentioned to remark the paradox (constant conjuction "mais") they do not make the ego stay.

BTW, Mylene herself meant CUBJ as a song about suicide and the orginal lyrics were a bit more literal...

Je fais appel à ma mémoire, mais je me souviens quand j'ai écrit C'est une belle journée, dans le refrain, j'avais mis: "C'est une belle journée / Je vais me tuer", à la place, aujourd'hui, de: "C'est une belle journée / Je vais me coucher". Et, je crois que là, ce pourrait être un appel au suicide pour certaines personnes un peu fragiles. Et, j'ai changé ce mot pour un autre, parce que c'était peut-être tout d'un coup quelque chose de trop fort, trop déterminant. Je crois que tout est possible à partir du moment où, une fois de plus, on ne fait de mal à personne.

Source: http://mylene.net/mylene/mylene-farm...8-janvier-2006

By no means am I demanding your interpratation be exactly like the songwriter's and pardon me if I'm sounding this way ^^' . I just think it's the most relevant, you know.

And I do know "Jardin de Vienne" - it deals with the discussed topic too but in different mood and from different point of view (in CUBJ the ego herself intends to do it; in JDV the ego copes with grief triggered by the tragic action of her friend). As for Mylene's album songs, I'm familiar with every single one of them and can assertain you there's nothing to be discovered by me on that realm. I can be perhaps astonished by uncommon, rare works of hers; it was few months ago that I came across "Bad Girl" (English version of noble "Libertine").

[Scruffydog777]

After finding out about Alizee, I was deeply interested in checking out MF's music. I thought that this is the woman who wrote the songs and LB was the guy who created the music for the woman who changed my life, so I very much wanted to hear her songs.

I enjoy her songs, but certainly not in the same way as I enjoy Alizee's. I think I would enjoy them a lot more if I understood what she was saying. Such is not the case with Alizee.

As I've said in the past, I have a huge amount of respect for her and LB. For me, without them, there never would have been an Alizee.

I've also said she uses sex to sell. She even designed her own sex toy. then wrote a song about it. But she certainly doesn't need sex to sell. One video that shows that is when I was first checking her out, was this one of the song Desenchantee.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8-8qqABgo4

A very good song and a very good video in my opinion.

Songs like Toc de mac, L'e-mail a des ailes, Tempete, Coeur deja pris (which I think is probably her most beautiful song) and so many more are great evidence that she does not need sex to sell.

She and LB are incredibly talented. A lot of that talent came from the college they both attended, but to achieve the level of success they have reached, a lot of that talent had to come naturally.

One thing that she is very good at that Alizee is incredibly lacking in is how to put on a good show. Now there are some big differences between the two when it comes to putting on a good show. Mylene certainly isn't a bad looking woman, but she doesn't have the beauty of Alizee, so a lot of what is entertaining on stage is what goes on with the other people on stage with her and in that regard, it's a good show. Now Alizee, and I have to be careful here, certainly was an incredibly beautiful woman. It didn't matter what was on stage. All you wanted to look at was her. Now she's certainly far different from what she looked like 10 years ago, but when packaged right, she is still all you want to look at on stage, but of late, she's never been packaged right and the show around her is very lacking.

Some question whether a return to MF and LB would meet with success. I have no doubt it would. With the album Blonde, we see good songs, good music, but we haven't seen one good performance because that one area she's lacking in, which MF excels in, is killing her.

[Un-rêve]

Originally Posted by Scruffydog777

she certainly doesn't need sex to sell. One video that shows that is when I was first checking her out, was this one of the song Desenchantee.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8-8qqABgo4

A very good song and a very good video in my opinion.

That's a vid I saw on MTV years before I ever discovered Alizée and I found it interesting and also found it interesting it was being played on an english
music channel.

Anyway here's another one that I think Lapinschous posted some time ago if I remember correctly.. I really like this one.