Album artwork courtesy of the label
On the turntable
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La Vie FrançaiseNo. 24 of the Continental 100See the full list →
La bohème
Charles Aznavour · 1966
France's greatest storyteller, at the point where the songs became monuments.
Why it matters
Aznavour wrote about ageing, failure and rented rooms with a lack of self-pity that is almost brisk. The voice was never beautiful; it was persuasive, which lasts longer. Understand this record and you understand a good deal about the French idea of dignity.
The Continental setting
A late train, or a bar with a zinc counter and nobody you know in it.
Start here
- 01La bohème
- 02Que c'est triste Venise
- 03Emmenez-moi
