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Ooh don't you just love a wee bit of Jean Michel Jam-Jar and his gurgling VCS3's, ARP 6200's and EMS AK5's (synths to you pal) - millions did then and gazillions still do.
In the 8-page liner notes to this BMG/Sony Music 2014 CD Remaster – Phil Alexander of Mojo Magazine quite rightly heralds the LP "Oxygene" as a game-changer – a genuinely iconic piece of work that so many artists since owe a debt to (there is the black and white photo of Jarre taken by Charlotte Rampling on the inner pages and that David Bailey colour shot on the rear but naught else).
I remember when this dancing-synthesiser vinyl LP hit the UK in July and August of 1977 on Polydor Records - roaring up to No. 4 on the album-charts on the back of the No. 2 placing of the "Part 4" single. "Oxygene" and its six instrumental passages seemed to be everywhere that summer - sat beside the noise and bluster of Punk and New Wave - the charismatic and handsome 28-year old Frenchman ploughing rills in musical fields that the likes of Mike Oldfield had dug into in 1973, 1974 and 1975 with "Tubular Bells", "Hergest Ridge" and "Ommadawn". The Floyd, Yes, ELP, Santana, Greenslade, Colosseum and of course, Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk and Neu had all been laying down a path too – so too I suppose you could argue that Dr. Who, The Nice even Space and their "Magic Fly" 45 and LP were cut from the same cloth.
So too Jean Michel - Jarre had in fact been around since his experimental noodling in 1969 and by the time he recorded this multi-layered beast in 1976 Paris – his array of keyboard instruments and their myriad wires and knobs probably made Keith Emerson twitchy. But the secret lay in the hook – the Oxygene hook that drew you in and made you like it.
The album "Oxygene" had been released December 1976 in France on Disques Motors (later to become Disques Dreyfus after Francis Dreyfus who owned the label) and quickly sold out. Something was afoot and a bigger pallet needed. After a signing with the major label Polydor Records in 1977 and a re-launch of the French album in every territory everywhere - Jarre suddenly seemed to make everyone notice what had been around in Germany for years - Electronic Prog. Consolidating the "Oxygene" winner with "Equinox" in late 1978 (most people's other fave album by him) – Jarre quickly became the worlds' biggest and most successful exponent of – well - Electronica. Which brings us to this 2014 Remaster – to the skull-world details...
UK released 26 May 2014 - "Oxygene" by JEAN-MICHEL JARRE on Disques Dreyfus/BMG/Sony Music 88843024682 (Barcode 888430246829) is a straightforward CD Reissue and Remaster from original tapes and plays out as follows (39:42 minutes):
1. Oxygene Part 1 (7:40 minutes) - Side 1
2. Oxygene Part 2 (8:09 minutes)
3. Oxygene Part 3 (2:55 minutes)
4. Oxygene Part 4 (4:15 minutes) - Side 2
5. Oxygene Part 5 (10:24 minutes)
6. Oxygene Part 6 (6:21 minutes)
Tracks 1 to 6 are the album "Oxygene" – first released December 1976 in France on Les Disques Motors 2933 207 and reissued July 1977 in the UK on Polydor 2310 555. It’s US release on Polydor PD-1-6112 was also July 1977. It peaked at No. 2 in the UK and No 78 in America
JEAN MICHEL JARRE played ARP 2600, VCS3, AKS, RMI Harmonic Synthesizer, Farfisa Organ, Eminent 310, Mellotron, Rythmin' Computer and Korg Mini-Pop.
New 2014 Mastering from original analogue tapes has been done by DAVE DADWATER for Yakuda Audio – and it sounds trippy-sweet, hypnotic, swirling across your speakers like some 60ts Sci-Fi movie about a civilization that lives underwater. It's also impressive that as Part 2 bounces in, the bank of thump-controlled bass notes and darting synth jabs don't sound too dated, despite the age of the equipment used and the limitations of what was effectively a home studio.
Even though its under three minutes, Part 3 feels huge, layer after doomy layer building the soundstage. With its drum-machine back beat and an actual musical hook that anchors it, hardly surprising that Part 4 became the hippest unhip tune in that most New Wave of years. There is a warmth and clarity to the biggest piece on the album – Part 5 – its ten and half minutes flitting from speaker to speaker like a drunken special effects technician on Blade Runner.
For sure you might listen to "Oxygene" in 2020 and wonder at the sum of 14-million albums sold - but re-listening to it has reminded me why so many loved it then and hold it precious still...
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