The new album is a masterpiece

[Naft]

I'll keep it short, so no interesting read here like from Deepwaters ^ there

I like the album, Alizée really pulls off that new style of hers, although I will probably always love the MCC Alizée more than the new one.. Overall great songs, don't got any song I can say I dislike, since I like them all but in a new way, she really outdid herself.

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by Deepwaters

If that's what it takes, it's not worth the price.

90% of her fans come from the J'en Ai Marre dance. So until she does that dance again and dresses like she use too she'll get less and less fans through out the years.

[Deepwaters]

Originally Posted by Jeff

90% of her fans come from the J'en Ai Marre dance. So until she does that dance again and dresses like she use too she'll get less and less fans through out the years.

As I said, if that's what it takes, it's not worth it. It makes her a one-trick pony instead of an artist. I fully understand. If someone said to me that I had to ghostwrite for Sarah Palin to be a success with my writing, I'd say the hell with it.

And by the way -- a JEAM video was MY first exposure to Alizée. (In real time.) Just because that was how a person found her doesn't mean that's the only way she can keep his/her loyalty. If she was still doing that kind of thing, she might have lost mine. At least on an artistic level.

[babyblue558]

At first I really wasn't sure about UEdS but its definitely growing on me. It takes a lot of listens to appreciate it and its sophistication, something that was never really present in the previous albums. Although MCE is still without doubt my favourite, I love that Alizée's proving she can do something completely different and independent. I still kinda wish it had an up-tempo pop number (like JPVA) but then the album as a whole could risk losing its sophistication and sharp focus. Fav songs are Eden, Eden, Mes Fantômes and Grand Central but I'm sure the list will grow quickly as I listen to the songs more...

[Eldrick]

I honestly don't think it is an understatement to call UEDS a masterpiece. The more you listen to it the better it gets. I believe this is the album where Lili has found her feet as an independant artists.

Let's face it, no matter how much we all love Gourmandises and MCE, Lili was just the front person of a Mylene and Laurent side project. She then had the guts to go it alone and Psych was and still is a great album, but contained varied styles as she experimented, which divided opinion amongst fans. Only now with UEDS has she found her style and with her team has created a great piece of work, a collection of songs which fit together perfectly and work brilliantly as a whole.

I must admit to being apprehensive as to whether I would like the new album but it has lived up to my greatest expectations. I genuinely, truly love UEDS. Here's to the next album!

[CFHollister]

I think I'm gonna have to agree here too with the general sentiment, and Eldrick says it pretty well.. Not sure how much I can add but the album does get better and better the more I listen to it and and it is vying for the status as my favorite album with MCE. However, I've decided it's rather like comparing apples and oranges, Mylènelizée et la vrai Alizée, and have resolved to leave it at that (though I prefer the real Alizée to any other, so take that how you will). I think Alizée is well on her way to defining, and refining, her own style and I expect more great work from her in the future. Disc sales figures be damned... By continuing to produce work of the calibre of UEdS, and continuing to develop her rapport as a respected artist and performer (something that seems apparent to me in the tone of some of the more recent articles published about Alizée and UEdS), I think Alizée's day will come again in France.

[Fenris]

Originally Posted by Jeff

90% of her fans come from the J'en Ai Marre dance. So until she does that dance again and dresses like she use too she'll get less and less fans through out the years.

You don't honestly want to reduce her to one song and dance, do you?
It would really be pathetic if all there is about her is the JEAM dance.
If this were the case, i won't be a fan.

And no, you can't copy and repeat things endlessly and expect them to be successful.
It's true, she is a small artist now and on the verge of being underground, but this is obviously the way she wants to go.
It's not all about fame and being a mega star.
She knows that other things in life are more important, and i respect her for it.
As for the album, she deliberately did things different here despite the risks involved. It might not have the big mass appeal (at least not in france it seems), but she has proven that she is a real artist and not just a pretty girl who knows how to shake her hips.

[VVVACCPLPNLY]

I am going to point out something people seem to forget CONSTANTLY: she wanted orignally to be a dancer. But do to a sad rule, she couldn't. But she did get to perform. She (thankfully) could sing very well. That loophole is the only reason she became a singer. So when she was with MF/LB, it was them who probably decided to reach as high as they did. She didn't want to be a singer, so she probably doesn't care to hit the hieght mf/lb aspired to. That she is even still singing (as opposed to teaching dance, her original dream, you know!) is amazing. If she were to become a dance teacher, we would never see her. I had a nightmare about that happening, there is a thread I started called 'Les Collines-aphobia' (sorry, can't link from phone). If she wants to, I would not hate her. But. Would certainly miss her a great deal. I can't say I never see it happening, especially with her recent dip in activity.

[Rictor]

Originally Posted by VVVACCPLPNLY

I am going to point out something people seem to forget CONSTANTLY: she wanted orignally to be a dancer.

Too bad the "happy go lucky" type of dancing she displayed in the music videos for the first two albums (L'Alize, Moi Lolita, JEAM, etc) doesn't really fit in with the mood of the newest release. I really do miss seeing her dance

As for the album being a masterpiece, I would say that as a whole, this album is definitely excellent. One song seems to flow into the next and there doesn't seem to be anything that sticks out like a sore thumb. I've been listening to this album for maybe 2 weeks now and for some reason it mellows me out when I'm not in a good mood. So I love it.

[lefty12357]

Originally Posted by Deepwaters

Oh, well, can't please everyone.

Maybe I should present a detailed critique of the sucker, as I did a few years ago for Psych. I'll link this post on Alizée's FB wall this evening to make sure she'll see it. (Desolé pour l'anglais mais si je l'écris en francais les gens ici ne pouvent pas le lire.)

Eden Eden -- this song reminds me of my boyhood in some ways. It's got a flower child feel to it. Somehow the fragility and unreality are conveyed along with the ethereal sweetness.

Grand Central -- I love this song. It does a fantastic job of conveying harshness and craziness. I feel like the chaos of Grand Central Station is a metaphor for frenzy running through someone's life. Beautifully done. My favorite song on the album. "J'ai faim, mon dieu, j'ai faim !"

Limelight -- this on the other hand is, for me, the weakest song on the album. The instrumentals are very good, and that saves it, but for Alizée that wonderful voice is almost everything, and this song is not a good showcase for her voice. The lyrics are too slow, the range of vocals too narrow. I like the breathy effect of the chant at the end, but on the whole this song could have been much better.

La Candida -- unfortunately I don't understand Spanish, so I can really only comment on the music here, which is great. Very catchy, cute, lively, and sweet. I like it even if I don't understand it.

Les Collines -- I love this song, too! It's one of several on the album where, in some of the lyrics, I almost feel she's singing to me personally. The repetitive chorus in English has come in for some criticism, but I feel it works well and is part of what makes the song addictive. The instrumentals, especially the drum, complement Alizée's voice wonderfully.

14 Decembre -- brilliantly done, from the haunting music to the word-play in the lyrics (e.g. "Des croix et des croisés").

A Coeur Fendre -- this is one of the darkest songs Alizée has ever sung, but also one of the more powerful. I still am not sure I understand all of the implications. I need to listen to it some more and delve more into the lyrics.

Factory Girl -- oh, my! What a powerful, grim reflection on Edie Sedgwick. Here the Sedgwick theme of the album comes through most strongly. Throughout this album there's some back-and-forth between Alizée as Sedgwick and as herself, but in this song she maximizes the role-play and does it very well.

Une Fille Difficile -- [to come]

Mes Fantomes -- this is another song where some of the lyrics seem almost to be singing to me personally. Unlike Factory Girl, this one goes to the other pole of Alizée as herself. There are clear references to her daughter, and not-so-clear reflections on her life, the details of things which aren't known. What I really like about it is the way it showcases Alizée's voice. She's really given a vehicle to deliver wonderful sound in this song.

The only overall bad thing I can say about UEDS is that there are no good songs for dancing to, but that's obviously not the intent. For the most part, what it tries to do, it does very well. I consider this overall to be the best of the four albums Alizée has released to date.

Well, I was going to post something similar. But since Deep already did it and I'm in agreement with most of it, I'll just add a few thoughts of my own.

Even though this album is more or less "electro" in its instrumentation, at the heart of every song is an epic feel, done in a classic songwriting style. I guess I can't stress this point enough. And that's why I think this album easily crosses over what could have otherwise been a serious divide. And I think it makes it more interesting.

Eden, Eden - great example of a classic songwriting style.

Grand Central - the music really matches the subject matter of the song.

Limelight - I like this song a lot. Initially I was happy because it was in English, and then I became a bit disappointed because it was in English.
Having gotten over that hump, and having accepted the punctuated style of the vocal delivery, I have truly fallen in love with this song.

A Coeur Fendre - I just love how this song transistions into a perfect bridge section. Excellent.

14 Decembre - Again, the music is just perfectly suited for the subject.

Une Fille Difficile - If I could tamper with the music on one song on this album, it would be this one. I would make the chorus the bridge, and write a new chorus with a strong hook. With the right percussion, this could have been a good song to dance to. Having said all that, I still think this is a very good song and Alizée's vocal is incredible.

Mes Fantômes - What an ending to an album ! All I can say is this song and Alizée's vocals simply blow me away ! Guys, sing along with it (if you haven't already) and you will see just how low Alizée's voice can go. She really does have quite a range. Sometimes I wonder how she fits all that range into such a small package.

The downside - I think the percussion is lacking in places. I would have liked to hear some of the musicians take it to the next level in a few spots. I would have liked to see a strong dance song or really catchy single to help promote the album. The album is also a bit short. These are all minor quibbles though.

The upside - Great vocal performances by Alizée, very well written songs, and impeccably recorded, mixed and produced. For me, there isn't a weak song on the whole album. All in all, I'd have to say that this album is a great achievement for Alizée and those who worked on it.