SISDA being very introspective

[Céline's Blues]

A simple thought haunted my mind just recently. I thought that _D'eux_ as a whole was a masterfully written and sung and of course delivered project but Jean-Jacques "merely" build a sold, very very solid, base with _D'eux_. A base he would later on use to capture Céline's persona in SISDA.

 

"D'eux" introduced Céline Dion to the whole worldwide audience selling so many copies and most of all - being talked about. There was this certain singer from Quebec who wanted to RE-introduced herself in France after a long break and a couple of commercial missteps (Dion Chante Plamondon) and she succeeded. On this album there was an intro to her roots (Destin), the differences between Quebecquois and the French were addressed (J'irais Ou T'iras), her ultimate love anthem (Je Sais Pas) has been written, a Jewish touch that remined us who the other part of "D'eux" was there (JJG's "Memoire d'Abraham", written in 1984) as well.

 

Noooooooooooooow while SISDA was being planned during 1997 and recorded in these 6 days of January 1998 Céline was at the peak of her commercial and international career. She had it all and she reached a great popularity which is till today more than apparent and ubiquitous. Yet Jean-Jacques still managed to deliver something very different and opposite to what was happening around Céline at that time. Somewhat a more deep insight of Céline was granted on this magnificent underapreciated CD. The whole concept this time was also to give something from "d'eux", from both sides like JJG's seemingly detached inclusion of "Sur Le Meme Bateau" which has been written previously for a never released musical about Communism. Then there were more of elaborating the persona of this little Quebec girl that conquered the whole Europe with "D'eux". Who is she? What is she all about? Does her story continue?

 

Well, it does! The story goes on and this album proves to be an artistic counter balance to the monster multimillion selling behemoth "Let's Talk About Love" - this one was about her voice, her perfect skills as a singer, about duets and about firming her position as hella vocalist in the eyes of the broad public. But was there something more behind her voice? Jean-Jacques is a wise man and knew exactly what was going on with her around the Titanic craze and I think SISDA and its lyrical contents base on the firstly questioned longevity of D'eux and its contents. She could sell anything she sang in 1998 but still even after the success of FIY he chose an elaborate approach to explain what Céline is about by digging further into her. And undeniably he chose the theme of "love" for the album. Somewhat of an extension of her love theme "Je sais pas" - which as we know describes an unconditional love that even hurts sometimes, positively and negatively.

 

They wanted to name the album "S'il suffisait q'on s'aime" but went a more general way naming it "S'il suffisait d'aimer" which is not necessairly better but certainly not that bad. The initial tile (If loving each other was enough) was to depict the love bond between human beings...so to say their approach to one another. It was actually what JJG thought Céline is about and decided to explain to the ppl what is so special about it and how Céline wants to convey the message. What I find funny is how elegantly he transported the lyrical theme of "Let's Talk About Love" into a French counterpart. It was the same thing she sings about always and forever in English but given Céline Dion's special Quebec personal traits and the results of JJG's thoughts and conclusions regarding her - all this collected throughout the years of friendship. So having all that in their heads they went recording this CD and it turned out something really special.

 

"On ne change pas" talking about the backgrounds of this happy "golden voiced" girl from "Destin" being in the biggest possible commercial whirlpool back then reminded that she will not be fooled by the current über-fame. He knew that cuzz he knew her well enough. She remained herself till today. What I find interesting about this album is that there are many allusions to her English recording career that may be seen as JJG's answer to what he sees is happening "dans une autre monde, dans une autre vie", it's something that has to be, has to happen and this blues that was actually NOT especially for her ("Tous les blues" depicts an awakening of hers) the way JJG does it. No one ever wrote for her the way JJG does and she understood that perfectly mixing the French and English lyrics which was really interesting to hear, especially bearing in mind she had two multimillion English albums out just recently. On SISDA she's more explicit than on "D'eux" by presenting many shades of grey of the word, feeling, emotion LOVE revealing the pure pleasures of love ("L'abondon), the sheer almost not understandable intoxication for your partner ("Je crois toi"), the hopelessness, naivite of love that may or will never come ("En attendant ses pas", at first glance a joyful answer to D'eux's "J'attendais"), the sheer insanity of colours of love ("Papillion"), the greed/egoism of love ("Terre") and the answer to "Destin" - will she continue what was meant to be for her? Yes, she will and JJG knew that, "Je chanterai" only confirmed the spiritual way paved by the long road between Quebec and Paris, the airports, the concert halls of "Destin". She will sing, in her essence she will sing and continue what she has began with D'eux. JJG helped to reveal herself and confirm a singer that wanted to "sing", really sing. About love but with a special Dionic twist.

 

That twist we have on the last track. It ain't all that dramatic, it ain't all that simple like one may think listening to the lyrics of "Let's Talk About Love". Or even: One may even ignore the lyrics and listen to voice only just for a thrill. That little Quebecoise's "answer to Brel's Quand On N'a Que L'amour" as she said is her little masterpiece. Her quintessence, the epitome of what she's about and what she wants to tell her fans, the listeners. That is actually why she remains serious on the album's cover knowing exactly what life is about. Life = Love? "Life is not waterproof" she sings in the title track. We go away, we love, it ain't always perfect. It affects all of us, love affects every single soul and in this songs JJG helped her express....her concern? her hope? her yearnings? her deep fears? All of that encapsulated in this one single song! The whole album "S'il suffisait d'aimer" CAN be found in these lines. It's gorgeous, it's amaziong but also frightening and not that optimistic, yet not pessimistic. What is that then? I think that we can answer this question by listening to this album and then when the last song ends ask ourselves a question what would be if loving were really enough?

 

From Edward with L-o-v-e.

[René 2]

I am absolutely moved by your comment

[Bellamy]

Edward is the GENIUS!

[Rania]

It can't be more true than that....

[celinedrop]

Simply remarkable. You've translated D'Eux and S'il Suffisait D'aimer in comparisons and parallels that were extremely deep and original...Both albums have indeed a relation of question/answer, which was very interesting to notice by reading your text.

Everything Céline and JJG do as a team is special, profound and matchless: basically what they do is not only music. Or maybe it is, but music with all the meanings, shades and messages that art can assume.

[Tal]

Maybe SLMB almost became some sort of play on her two statuses in the world. As a young impoverished child growing up in a small town in Quebec, to a flithy rich woman of high status.

 

That or there was just a need for some orgasmic screaming and a choir full of old people

[xo1hrt4celineox]

wow. i think im speechless. that was really moving siur, thanks for sharing your insight

[Krys]

that's a HELL lot of words

[Davey84]

I think Seb just had an SCF-orgasm!!

 

S'IL SUFFISAIT D'AIMER IS HER MASTERPIECE!!!!

[Esty]

How beautifully put! I'm touched!

AbBeautiful album deserves this kind of praize!

[Celinemaniac]

Great job!

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! There's a lot of things you've written that I've thought about too, many times before!

[Koolan]

The power of Edward

 

that was one heck of an essay! Deux and SSD were my first 2 French albums. thx for sharing your insights, it's always welcome

[ticktock]

That or there was just a need for some orgasmic screaming and a choir full of old people

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

yeah we sure needed that essential whining orgasmic screaming!!!! i want more!!!! please do another one like SLMB!!!!