Vanessa Paradis - Vanessa Paradis Au Zenith

For those who thought the star of the lithe and nubile French chanteuse Vanessa Paradis had waned when she turned 20, think again. At the age of 29 she appeared at the Zenith in Paris with a crack band that included the Attractions' Steve Nieve on keyboards. And as this set will attest, she tore the joint to shreds. Sure, the hits are here so that lowers the ante, but given how easy it would be to run through the classics for a live record, this is remarkable. From the gorgeously staged duet intro with Nieve to the crunching guitars that usher in "L'Eau et le Vin," with its funky horn breaks and roots rock guitar riffs, Paradis knows how to stage a show in front of the hometown crowd. Read More