AMG Review of Amsterdam: The Best of Jacques Brel

Jose F. Promis
All Music Guide

This two-CD collection of Jacques Brel's most famous recordings is a wonderful place for beginners to be introduced to the legacy of one of Belgium's most famous and gifted composers. Many of Brel's most famous songs, which have been covered by countless artists in many different languages, are represented, among those "Quand on Na Que L'amour," "Amsterdam," "La Fanette," "La Valse a Mille Temps," "Mathilde," "Jojo," "Le Vieux," "Le Moribond" (which became a number-one hit in America as Terry Jacks' "Seasons in the Sun") and "Ne Me Quitte Pas," arguably one of the most beautiful and heart-wrenching pop songs ever recorded. Unfortunately, however, this beautifully-packaged collection contains no liner notes. For the uninitiated, a single-disc collection of Brel's music is too brief -- this two-CD set, however, provides an excellent (but by no ways complete) overview of some of his finest songs.