[Review] Jean-Michel Jarre: Les Concerts en Chine (1982)

Jarre becomes the first Western performer to visit China in years and doesn’t forget to bring his spectacles.

Kronomyth 6.0: China syndrum.

The impact of new art has been lost with the advent of mass media (radio, television). In the past, a new exhibit or musical performance would attract the wealthy and educated (the original social influencers) and its impact would be almost immediate, ranging from ennui to anarchy. I think I miss the shock and awe that new ideas brought with them. I mention all this because Jean-Michel Jarre is one of the few twentieth century musicians to cultivate that sense of scale and spectacle. In some ways, he’s not very different from performance artists like Laurie Anderson (who would appear on Jarre’s next album, Zoolook). His music, although eminently listenable, is meant to be experienced. His massive audiovisual concerts in France were the stuff of legend. In 1981, Jarre was invited by the People’s Republic of China to present a series of concerts in Peking and Shanghai, marking the first time that a Western musical artist had been invited to perform there in years. The performances were high-tech events on a grand scale featuring lasers, fireworks and the latest in electronic music technology. For the performances. Jarre brought supporting musicians and showcased several new songs, including three based on Oriental music themes: Fishing Junks at Sunset, Orient Express and Night in Shanghai. The event was packaged as a double-elpee in 1982, The Concerts in China, and re-issued on compact disc the following year. The sonic quality of the performances is excellent, sticking very close to the originals. In addition to the oriental-themed songs, Jarre showcases several new pieces: The Overture, Arpegiator (one of my favorite tracks on the album) and Laser Harp (featuring, you guessed it, the laser harp). In between the performances are bits of spoken Chinese dialog and local sounds, although the “uniqueness” of the Chinese culture may have been lost on its initial audience. With its mix of old and new material, The Concerts in China is not your run-of-the-mill live album any more than these concerts were just another concert. It was a monumental affair from a master of audiovisual spectacle. Even as an audio-only experience, you still get a sense of that spectacle.

Original 2LP version

A1. L’Ouverture (The Overture) (4:48)
A2. Arpegiatuer (Arpegiator) (6:54)
A3. Equinoxe IV (7:49)
B1. Jonques de Pecheurs au Crepuscule (Fishing Junks at Sunset) (9:38)
B2. L’Orchestre sous la Pluie (Band in the Rain) (1:29)
B3. Equinoxe VII (9:54)
C1. Orient Express (4:22)
C2. Les Chants Magnetiques I (Magnetic Fields I) (0:21)
C3. Les Chants Magnetiques III (Magnetic Fields III) (3:48)
C4. Les Chants Magnetiques IV (Magnetic Fields IV) (6:49)
C5. Harpe Laser (Laser Harp) (3:35)
D1. Nuit a Shanghai (Night in Shanghai) (7:02)
D2. La Derniere Rumba (The Last Rumba) (2:07)
D3. Les Chants Magnetiques II (Magnetic Fields II) (6:30)
D4. Souvenir de Chine (Souvenir of China) (3:54)

All songs composed by Jean-Michel Jarre.

The Players

Jean-Michel Jarre (Fairlight, Eminent, OBXA, Taurus, AKS, VCS 3, Elka, Lynn drum, Micro Synthe electroharmonix, Harpe laser), Dominique Perrier (Moog liberation, Prophet 5, Eminent, Korg polyphonique, Kobol), Roger Rizzitelli (electronic percussion and Simmons drums), Fredieric Rousseau (Polysequencer MDB, RSF, Yamaha CS60, boites a rythme Korg ARP 2600) with Huang Feili (orchestra leader), Pierre Mourey (regie des instruments), l’Orchestre Symphonique du Conservatoire de Pekin, M. Wang Zhi and Mme Li Meng (artistic collaboration). Produced by Jean-Michel Jarre; engineered by Patric Auffour and Rene Ameline; mixed by Rene Ameline and Jean-Michel Jarre.

The Pictures

Interior photo by Red Saunders. Photos taken in China by Marc Garanger.

The Plastic

Released on 2LP in May 1982 in France and the UK (Dreyfus, FDM 18110) with gatefold cover and innersleeves. Reached #6 on the UK charts.

1. Re-issued on compact disc in 1983 in West Germany (Dreyfus, 811 552/3-2).
2. Re-packaged separately as Volumes 1 & 2 on remastered compact disc in 1992 in France (Dreyfus, 191 115-2) and the US and Canada (Francis Dreyfus Music, FDM 36143/4-2).