Les Sinners- Vox Populi

Vox Populi translates as "Voice of the People," but most of the people aren't hip to Les Sinners...which is unfortunate. It isn't the most psyched out, the most out there, or the coolest 60's record....but there is something about it. Imagine The Who's Sell Out LP, francophone style. It is very pop, but there are plenty of fuzzed out guitars and hypnotic pulses that take it out of the realm of, say Herman's Hermits. The majority of the Vox Populi LP is sung in French,but is pretty far above most French music at the time, exceptions being Michel Polnareff, Jacques Dutronc and early Serge Gainsbourg. What's really interesting is that Les Sinners aren't even French, but are from Quebec. How many Quebecois psych pop bands do you know of? (The Haunted and The Ugly Ducklings are actually two more amazing Quebecois psych groups.)

The first track, C'est L'Espoire D'une Vox Populi (It's the Hope of the People) seems to actually be a section from what can best be described as French "raga rock," kind of a trancey, repetitive song commenting on the everyday and how different types of people react to their surroundings (I know, deep!). The song is cut into segments and is peppered in between the songs on the album. These interstitial tracks are probably the most "psychedelic" part of the record.

One standout track is Le Fou De Roi (The King's Fool). which is just amazing. It is the best parts of the early Who, Kinks, great drum fills, amazing vocals, really upbeat, sounds good, right?

The other killer track is Devoir Partir (Don't You Run Away); killer fuzz guitar, great arrangements, almost sounds like Clinic or (again) early tracks by The Who like "I Can See For Miles" or "Jaguar." There's an underlying melancholy, but it is totally upbeat and driving. Other similar bands that come to mind include Q65, The Outsiders or The Yardbirds.

What is really great about the Vox Populi album is that almost every song is really solid, which was rare at this point in the sixties, where the majority of albums wee driven by singles, with filler to fill up the rest of the LP. This album was part of a trend to change that, with albums like Pet Sounds and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band obviously at the forefront of this change in the way albums were conceived. There are some more ballad-esque songs like Depuis Longtemps Deja (The Days Are Gone), which are great, similar to more mellow tracks from The Outsiders or an early Dylan goes electric type of sound. Then there are songs like "Monsieur Ding Ding," a real bouncy, humorous song about some really cool fellow named Mr. Ding Ding, who everybody apparently needs to meet. Their main songwriter/singer Francois Guy has a really cool voice and a really unique outlook on the subject matter of his songs. Guy totally projects this almost adolescent innocence to his singing and lyrics while at the same time being very clever and satirical.

Anyway, do yourself a favor and listen to Vox Populi by Les Sinners. There are vinyl copies on ebay, but they can be kinda pricey (mine costs a little more than I'd like to admit ;))

There are a couple of sites online with download links, like these:

http://mza-garage.blogspot.com/2008/09/les-sinners-vox-populi-can-1968.html

or

http://chocoreve.blogspot.com/2008/01/les-sinners-les-sinners.html


I am NOT condoning using these sites for a download, I'm just sayin..

Until next time, Allons y Alonzo!

Lieutenant E.