Rise and Fall of a Decade - Love it or leave it
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This review is a reminiscence of the band called Rise and Fall of a Decade which released the last album in 2008. The circumstances where tragic, because in May 2007 Pierre-François Maurin-Malet (the singer, the author of the lyrics and co-composer of the songs) died of cancer. The double album Love it or leave it is not only a flagship of the latest achievements of the band but also the homage paid to Pierre in form of remixes and covers collected on the extra disc with the title A missing friend tribute. The note for those who are not familiar with Rise and Fall – it was a French, new wave band formed by Thierry Sintoni, Pierre-François Maurin-Malet and Sandy Casado in 1988. So the history of the band ends exactly after 20 years of its existence.
Love it or leave it is a feast for those who like music genre fusions –a bit of a traditional folk mixed with raw sounds of new wave and Pierre’s vocal as well as the delicate, dream-pop, female voice. All of these served in modern, trip-hop, electronic arrangement with neoclassical additions which enriches the entirety. The lyric layer is overcrowded with socio-political messages and allusions, sometimes firm and sarcastic. The tracks which won my heart is "nice & easy" In the Time When where Carla Picchiantano sings as a guest musician. The next one is beautiful trip-hop Tchetcheny My Love, rebellious Don't Save the Museum, energetic Shoot Me with excellent latino drums in the background and perfect, modern electronic. Moreover, trip-hop moving Socks and Stock and wonderful, instrumental Plus Loin Encore transferring the listener into the different and magical world.
Collection D'Arnell-Andrea opens a bonus album A missing friend tribute with its interpretation of Arch of Lament. I am not sure if making the beginning so good was a reasonable step to take, because nothing has marvelled me so much afterwards. Nostalgic, emotional, sang and played as a soundtrack, like musical…so beautiful that I swear I got the goose bumps because of it! However, Rise and Fall of a Decade did not deserve these words of appreciation but the musicians who covered Arch of Lament and with the new arrangements made this compilation complete but different, new and not similar to the original version.
My favourites are following: guitar ballad Buckler of desert, "fatboyslim-like" remix called Shoot Me and gloomy The hope seller. Additionally, the worth noticing is the synth-pop electroclash track entitled Games for dying. I didn’t take a liking to the entirety of the double album but it is caused by my personal limitation of the fondness of the new wave. The rawness of the vocalist’s voice is not completely what suits me and it ruined my reception a little. However, it is a very interesting release – pleasant reception, modern and varied, wonderfully showing the potential lying in Rise and Fall of a Decade. Intriguing in the music’s and lyric’s layer track. I recommend it strongly. Love it or leave it.
Tracklist:
01. Again
02. In the Time When...
03. The Federation of Love
04. Tchetcheny My Love
05. Bagdad is Shining
06. Don't Save the Museum
07. Les Petites Baionettes
08. Shoot Me
09. Socks and Stocks
10. The Great Communication Swindle
11. Plus Loin Encore
12. Girl Like You
Bonus disc – A missing friend tribute:
01. Arch of Lament (Collection D'Arnell-Andrea)
02. Tchetcheny My Love (Nemo Sandman)
03. Yesterday Today and Tomorrow (2square)
04. A Sort of Bitter Taste (Speaking Silence)
05. Buckler of Desert (Ben Born)
06. Shoot Me (Thierry)
07. Lost Cause (Hide and Seek)
08. Games for Dying (Richard Bontempi)
09. The Hope Seller (O Quam Tristis…)
10. Bagdad Is Shining (Pierre-Francois & Thierry)
11. Don't Save the Museum (Nemo Sandman)
Love it or leave it is a feast for those who like music genre fusions –a bit of a traditional folk mixed with raw sounds of new wave and Pierre’s vocal as well as the delicate, dream-pop, female voice. All of these served in modern, trip-hop, electronic arrangement with neoclassical additions which enriches the entirety. The lyric layer is overcrowded with socio-political messages and allusions, sometimes firm and sarcastic. The tracks which won my heart is "nice & easy" In the Time When where Carla Picchiantano sings as a guest musician. The next one is beautiful trip-hop Tchetcheny My Love, rebellious Don't Save the Museum, energetic Shoot Me with excellent latino drums in the background and perfect, modern electronic. Moreover, trip-hop moving Socks and Stock and wonderful, instrumental Plus Loin Encore transferring the listener into the different and magical world.
Collection D'Arnell-Andrea opens a bonus album A missing friend tribute with its interpretation of Arch of Lament. I am not sure if making the beginning so good was a reasonable step to take, because nothing has marvelled me so much afterwards. Nostalgic, emotional, sang and played as a soundtrack, like musical…so beautiful that I swear I got the goose bumps because of it! However, Rise and Fall of a Decade did not deserve these words of appreciation but the musicians who covered Arch of Lament and with the new arrangements made this compilation complete but different, new and not similar to the original version.
My favourites are following: guitar ballad Buckler of desert, "fatboyslim-like" remix called Shoot Me and gloomy The hope seller. Additionally, the worth noticing is the synth-pop electroclash track entitled Games for dying. I didn’t take a liking to the entirety of the double album but it is caused by my personal limitation of the fondness of the new wave. The rawness of the vocalist’s voice is not completely what suits me and it ruined my reception a little. However, it is a very interesting release – pleasant reception, modern and varied, wonderfully showing the potential lying in Rise and Fall of a Decade. Intriguing in the music’s and lyric’s layer track. I recommend it strongly. Love it or leave it.
Tracklist:
01. Again
02. In the Time When...
03. The Federation of Love
04. Tchetcheny My Love
05. Bagdad is Shining
06. Don't Save the Museum
07. Les Petites Baionettes
08. Shoot Me
09. Socks and Stocks
10. The Great Communication Swindle
11. Plus Loin Encore
12. Girl Like You
Bonus disc – A missing friend tribute:
01. Arch of Lament (Collection D'Arnell-Andrea)
02. Tchetcheny My Love (Nemo Sandman)
03. Yesterday Today and Tomorrow (2square)
04. A Sort of Bitter Taste (Speaking Silence)
05. Buckler of Desert (Ben Born)
06. Shoot Me (Thierry)
07. Lost Cause (Hide and Seek)
08. Games for Dying (Richard Bontempi)
09. The Hope Seller (O Quam Tristis…)
10. Bagdad Is Shining (Pierre-Francois & Thierry)
11. Don't Save the Museum (Nemo Sandman)
