L'autre...
L'autre... | ||||
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Polydor | ||||
Producer | Laurent Boutonnat | |||
Mylène Farmer chronology | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
Singles from L'autre... | ||||
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L'autre... is the third studio album by Mylène Farmer, released on 8 April 1991. It contains the singer's biggest hit, "Désenchantée", which was number-one in France for nine weeks, and other three top ten hits. The album was generally well received by the critics and was a great success in terms of chart and sales (#1 for twenty weeks), becoming the best-selling album throughout the singer's career and the twenty second best-selling album of all time in France.
Background
After her first concert tour in 1989, Mylène Farmer released the new song "À quoi je sers..." which was a synthesis of her musical work and marked the end of an age. While the album En concert was charted, she took advantage of the following months to travel in various countries including India, and to discover new literary works, such as those of Emil Cioran in which she drew inspiration. She also became interested in painting and visited many art galleries and museums that were also sources of inspiration for her.[1] Then she decided to compose a third studio album which was recorded at the studios Mega. This one showed an evolution of the singer : indeed, the texts marked a change of mindset and testified to a transformation in her life including a greater openness to the other (hence the album's title). From that moment, the singer decided to more express herself and went to the meeting of her fellow man.[2][3][4] Writing for five months, this album was the result of all what has happened to Farmer "at personal and artistic levels".[5]
For this new album, Farmer changed her hairstyle because she wanted a different look without changing : she opted for a very short hair cut, made by Jean-Marc Maniatis. The album cover, much more luminous than that of
The album had the particularity to contain the first duet of Farmer, "
Lyrics and music
Farmer explained the album's content in an interview: "What changed is that I don't want no more to feel pity for myself and to settle old scores. (...) I am much more shameless in this album than in the previous one. (...) Speak about what I feel in my heart and in my soul, it is a way of revealing myself."[9] However, this album re-uses the old themes dear to the singer: indeed, death, religion, social revolt, despair, sexuality and madness are tackled in the various songs.[6]
Critical reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [10] |
On the whole, L'autre... received generally positive reviews from media and critics.
This album earned Farmer a reward at the World Music Awards as the best-selling French album.
Commercial performance
In France, the album went straight to number one on the
In other countries, the album's sales were more conservative. In Switzerland, the album appeared for nine weeks on the chart, from 26 May to 8 September 1991, peaking at #27 on 25 August.[16] In Sweden, it was #45 on 31 July 1991[17] and was ranked #55 in Germany.[18]
Track listing
# | Title | Length | Performance(s) on tour(s) | TV performance(s) | Comment[19] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Agnus Dei" | 5:47 | No | No | The title refers to the prayer called "Agnus Dei" in Catholicism. It is chanted in Latin in the refrains by the actor Christopher Thompson. The text, which seems irreverent, uses the vocabulary specific to the Catholic sacrifice. At the end, Farmer said she is excommunicated and prefers go away from the world.
|
2 | "Désenchantée" | 5:22 | * Sacrée Soirée (17 April 1991, TF1) * La Une est à vous (20 April 1991, TF1) * Stars 90 (13 May 1991, TF1) * Tous à la une (31 May 1991, TF1) * Riva del Garda (September, Rai Uno) |
See main article "Désenchantée" | |
3 | "L'autre..." | 5:26 |
|
* Stars 90 (13 May 1991, TF1) * Tous à la Une (27 December 1991, TF1) |
See main article "L'autre..." |
4 | "Je t'aime mélancolie" | 5:29 |
|
* Sacrée Soirée (Décember 11, 1991, TF1) * Tous à la Une (27 December 1991, TF1) * Stars 90 (13 January 1992, TF1) * Ein Kessel Buntes (March 1992, Germany) |
See main article "Je t'aime mélancolie" |
5 | "Psychiatric" | 6:12 | No | No | See main article "Psychiatric" |
6 | "Regrets" 1 | 5:17 |
|
* Star 90 (7 October 1991, TF1) | See main article "Regrets" |
7 | "Pas de doute" | 5:09 | No | No | At first sight, the song seems to tell the story of a couple in which the woman accuses the man to shirk his responsibilities and to not get involved in the love relationship. However, the text allows a second meaning and seems to refer to premature ejaculation. |
8 | "Il n'y a pas d'ailleurs" | 5:50 |
|
No | In the words, Farmer addresses somebody, her double, which is disappointed by the life and thinks about suicide. She advises him to learn to like living and to abandon her sadness. The music is very melancholic and ends by a military step. |
9 | "Beyond My Control" | 5:22 |
|
No | See main article "Beyond My Control" |
10 | "Nous souviendrons nous" | 5:05 | No | No | In the lyrics, the singer wonders whether her public would remember her if she stopped her career. In the refrain, she evokes her fears and her doubts. The music is melancholy and uses a sample of some chords played on the piano at the beginning of "Désenchantée". |
Note
- 1 Duet with Jean-Louis Murat
Personnel
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Except for "Désenchantée": Carole Fredericks, Beckie Bell, Debbie Davis, with the participation of Sophie, Dominique, Edwige, Mandy and Cécile
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
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Certifications and sales
‹See Tfd›‹See Tfd›Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Belgium (BEA)[28] | Gold | 25,000* |
France ( SNEP)[30]
|
Diamond | 1,800,000[29] |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[31] | Gold | 25,000^ |
Summaries | ||
Worldwide | — | 2,000,000[32] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Formats
- 12"
- CD
- Cassette
- Collector edition - Format : 12" - Limited and numbered edition (5,000)1
- CD - Japan
- CD - Taïwan
- CD - Digipack (since 2005)
1 Contains the CD album L'autre..., the CD maxi for "Désenchantée", a watch illustrated by "Désenchantée", three photos and an excerpt from the music video for "Désenchantée".
References
- ISBN 2-290-34916-X)
- ^ Télé 7 Jours, 1991, "Mylène Farmer : "J'ai voulu changer de tête et changer de vie"" Martine Bourrillon Devant-soi.com[permanent dead link] (Retrieved 29 March 2008)
- ISBN 978-2-35288-108-7)
- ^ 7 Extra Belge, 8 May 1991, "L'Autre Mylène Farmer", T. de H. Devant-soi.com[permanent dead link] (Retrieved 29 March 2008)
- ^ a b Star Music, 1991, Devant-soi.com[permanent dead link] (Retrieved 29 March 2008)
- ^ a b Le Dictionnaire des Chansons de Mylène Farmer, Benoît Cachin, 2006, Tournon Ed., p. 46
- ^ Télé 7 Jours, 8 June 1991, Cécile Tesseyre Devant-soi.com[permanent dead link] (Retrieved 29 March 2008)
- ^ Le Dictionnaire des Chansons de Mylène Farmer, Benoît Cachin, 2006, Tournon Ed., p. 106
- ^ France Soir, 13 April 1991, "Mylène Farmer: "Je suis encore plus impudique"", Monique Prévot Devant-soi.com[permanent dead link] (Retrieved 29 March 2008)
- ^ AllMusic review
- ^ France Soir, 29 November 1991, "Johnny, Mylène, Michael et les autres" Devant-soi.com[permanent dead link] (Retrieved 29 March 2008)
- ^ Midi Libre, 21 April 1991, "Mylène Farmer" joliment désenchantée", J.-F. Bourgeot Devant-soi.com[permanent dead link] (Retrieved 29 March 2008)
- ^ Télé Loisirs, 1991, "Mylène Farmer a changé de coiffure... et de peau", Véronick Dokan Devant-soi.com[permanent dead link] (Retrieved 29 March 2008)
- ^ Smash Hits, 1991 Devant-soi.com[permanent dead link] (Retrieved 29 March 2008)
- ^ Mylène Farmer certifications Chartsinfrance.net (Retrieved 8 February 2008)
- ^ L'autre..., Swiss Albums Chart Hitparade.ch (Retrieved 8 February 2008)
- ^ L'autre..., Swedish Albums Chart Swedishcharts.com (Retrieved 8 February 2008)
- ^ GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ Le Dictionnaire des Chansons de Mylène Farmer, Benoît Cachin, 2006, Tournon Ed., p. 24,25,124,180,193,194
- ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 24. 15 June 1991. p. 46. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Mylène Farmer – L'autre..." (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 38. 21 September 1991. p. 46. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ "Les "Charts Runs" de chaque Album Classé" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Mylène Farmer – L'autre...". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Mylène Farmer – L'autre...". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ "European Top 100 Albums – 1991" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 51–52. 21 December 1991. p. 24. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ "Les Albums (CD) de 1991 par InfoDisc" (in French). InfoDisc. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Robert Tilli (27 April 1991). "Spotlight - Mylène Farmer" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 27. p. 13. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ Jonathan Hamard (3 January 2016). "Mylène Farmer : quel est son album le mieux vendu ?" (in French). Webedia. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ "French album certifications – Mylène Farmer – L'autre..." (in French). InfoDisc. Select MYLÈNE FARMER and click OK.
- ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('L'autre')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
- ^ "Les spectacles: Mylène Farmer, les dessous du mythe". Le Parisien (in French). 11 September 2009. Retrieved 5 February 2018.