Bleu pétrole


Bleu pétrole is the twelfth studio album by the French rocker Alain Bashung, released in March 2008 on Barclay Records. It was the last studio album released during his lifetime.

Production

Great expectations surrounded Bleu pétrole after L'Imprudence, issued in 2002, and the live album La Tournée des grands espaces, issued in 2004. Bashung took time to work on it, before deciding finally to not work with his lyricist Jean Fauque, choosing instead to work with Gaëtan Roussel of Louise Attaque and Gérard Manset. After the more experimental works of the 2000s, Bashung decided to go back to a more traditional rock-sounding album, closer to his works of the 1990s.
The album is dedicated to Mick Larie, a member of Bluegrass Long Distance, who died in July 2007, the mandoline player and friend of Marcel Dadi and Patrick Sébastien. The first single from the album was "Résidents de la République".
Bashung began touring to promote the album and sang "Comme un lego" by Gérard Manset as the opener of his concerts. On 7 July 2008, an expanded vinyl collector edition of 1,000 copies was issued.
Bleu pétrole was Bashung's last studio album;, who died on 14 March 2009.

Reception

Critical reception

In 2010, the French edition of Rolling Stone magazine named this album the 46th greatest French rock album.
The French magazine Les Inrockuptibles called the album an "immense chef-d'œuvre".

Personnel

Musicians

Production

  • Jérôme Witz, element-s: cover art and graphisms
  • Ludovic Carême: photos

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart Position
Belgian Albums 14
French Albums 19