Rendez Vous

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Editorial reviews

Album Review
Just after his live performance in Houston to celebrate NASA's anniversary, Jean-Michel Jarre released IRendez-Vous/I, an appropriately cosmic-sounding album of glittering synth-pop. It consists of the same music heard at the Houston concert and shows Jarre moving closer to conventional rock territory, though still with his distinct blueprint. The final track, "Last Rendez-Vous: Ron's Piece," was composed by Jarre for astronaut Ron McNair and was intended to be the first musical piece played and recorded in space. McNair's historic duty was cut short, however, by the Challenger shuttle disaster of January 1986. I--John Bush, All Music Guide/I

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2007-05-03 rating:
Orange Vision
Jean Michel Jarre is like Tangerine Dream on speed and a lot more bloody tuneful. I just wish he showed a bit more of an imagination in naming his songs. It is a bit of a bugger when you are singing his virtues in a bar somewhere and you think you are discussing Third Rendez-vous and really you are discussing Fourth Rendez-vous. Talk about embarrassment, I hate it when that happens don't you? You wake from your drunken slumbers next day and it slowly comes back to you in flashbacks that? All you said was rubbish because you were one digit out. If this happens I always try and find that person and explain my mistake.NOT! br / br /This is a very good CD verging on greatness. It is an album that you really need to play all of it in one go, hence the Tangerine Dream reference, in their case, see if they can be bothered to change a note. Don't worry, that is not the case with Jean Michel Jarre because he is at vibrant best, never a dull moment, lovely foot stomping tunes, happy and joyful and next reflective and sad. The saxophone playing of Pierre Gossez, is so moving especially if you know the story behind it. If you don't, buy the CD and read the booklet.

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review by: date: 2007-01-17 rating:
An Album That Cannot Be Missing From An Electronica Fan's Collection
Rendez-Vous (1986) is probably one of the most overlooked of the albums from both a Jarre fan and non-Jarre fan's perspective, regardless that it is an essential album in the catalogue. br / br /Listening through headphones, take a listen to track 1, which is probably one of the best introductions to an electronic CD, being only a short track and then straight in to one of the most popular and magically performed Rendez-Vous II (Second Rendez-Vous, track 2). br / br /I believe it's one of the best orchestral, but electronic pieces ever conceived. If you went to see Jarre live, you'd pray for Rendez-Vous to be played. It's also the debut of his famous Lazer-Harp, in which (live on stage) several lazer beems are generated, facing to the sky and then mirrored over the audience, and breaking a lazer generates a note. br / br /The 'Lazer-Harp' sound that is used in Rendez-Vous II ( III) and future tracks is ground-shaking. br / br /Rendez-Vous is really the anthemic of all the albums - it's powerful and makes a massive statement. br / br /It takes a serious listener, even though it's an album you can listen to in the background to an extent, but can only be fully appreciated when you give it undivided attention. Do this, and you will be blown away. br / br /Other important parts to note are: br /Rendez-Vous IV: Made more famous as ITV's (UK) World Cup theme for 1998 and a very popular track of Jarre's... br /The album also has a tribute to Ron McNair (and the other 6 astronaughts who died in 1986)... br / br /Overall, despite the album not being a complete dream, there are tracks that have set a new standard for Jarre, and tracks people love. Rendez-Vous II IV being the popular, and without this album, Jarre would not be as popular as he still is today.

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review by: puo2 date: 2003-04-05 rating:
Supreme art
Rendez-vous is an amazing work of art. Starting off with the "Ouverture", Premier Rendez-vous (First Rendez-vous), pMoving on to Second Rendez-vous, which is a marvellous pseudo-classic tune with synthesized horns, choir and a cutting lead synth. pAfter that, Third Rendez-vous which is a very melancholic, requiem-sortof tune, with the most beautiful synthesized choir and chords ever heard, in my opinion.pThen comes Fourth Rendez-vous, a classic everyone *must* have heard. It starts off with a bass pulse, then procedes into a technopop beat, which is very kicking, promising and a superb melody. It has a gothic kind-of-chorus where it changes character for a short time - from a overly happy track to a gothic sort of melody/chord progression.pFifth Rendez-vous is a sheer work of art. Starting off with a 3/4th rhytm, it creates the most amazing soundscapes, coming in full 3 parts of a classic suite (which 4th Rendez-vous can be called the Ouverture to)pSixth Rendez-vous is a mellow, sad tune which is about the tragic death of Ron McNair and the rest of the challenger crew. Ron McNair played Saxophone, and the saxophone plays a sad solo in the song.pAll in all, it's an amazing album, DEFINATELY recommended.


review by: dazcpaz date: 2000-12-17 rating:
The most perfect synthesizer music
Clocking in at only 37 minutes, the running time of "Rendez-vous" is too short. I believe it could have benefitted with the inclusion of "Moon Machine", the b-side to the single "Fourth Rendez-vous". However, despite this snag, "Rendez-vous" oozes shear class.pUsed as the theme to his famous 1986 "Rendez-vous Houston - A City In Concert" project, it is evident that the major pieces on this album are bold and bombastic arrangements, specifically written with live performance in mind. Therefore the style of the album is not as varied as Jarre's other work such as "Equinoxe" or "Chronologie".p But what the listener is treated to here is probably the most perfect synthesizer music ever created. Highlights of the album are the epic "Second Rendez-vous" and the instantly appealing "Fourth Rendez-vous".

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