At the end of the summer on France Inter, almost at the same level of information as the Thalys shooter, we are informed that, that's it, Renaud is in the studio! In Brussels, with his faithful guitarist, he is fine-tuning the songs that will make up his 17th album in exactly 40 years of career.
Renaud/Pernod, a rich rhyme
Like many artists who have become immensely famous, Renaud completely derailed and turned his private life into a true wasteland. Going back to the studio must be quite far down on his priority list. You can imagine the scene: a living bottle of Pernod trying as best it can to spew out its lyrics in a pitiful parody of himself, it sends shivers down your spine just thinking about it. Especially since before that, he'll have to write, and his recent and equally tearful contribution to Grand Corps Malade's project, "Il nous restera ça," does not encourage optimism.
In the lineage of Brassens
Let's be clear: Renaud has written and performed some of the most beautiful, funny, and moving songs in the French repertoire. For a good twenty years, he made us laugh and think at the same time, in the pure tradition of a Brassens. But honestly, who needs a Renaud album in 2015: you? me? Good Lord, no. On the other hand, for the music industry, namely his record company, the media, streaming platforms, distributors of cultural goods, and all the hangers-on, Renaud is a very good customer, with his swagger, drama, redemption, and record sales.
The whole shebang
So, we should expect the whole shebang: double 180g colored vinyl record, limited edition CD with 2 bonus tracks (including a David Guetta remix), end-of-aisle displays at Fnac, pre-orders on the iTunes Store, exclusive playlist on Spotify, endless tour deep into rural France, Drucker in a trance, De Caunes in... (oh no, he got fired), etc., etc. We'll drink until we're nauseous and wring the guy dry like a beer barrel at Les Vieilles Charrues.
Renaud turned 63 in May this year, shouldn't he deserve to live peacefully, leaning on a pinball machine, from his SACEM rights until the pastis stock runs out?
Bonus: our top 5 Renaud songs
Hexagone
Laisse béton
Mon HLM
Mon beauf
Morgane de toi
