AMG Review of Master Series, Vol. 1

Marisa Brown
All Music Guide

Verve's Jacques Brel Master Series is identical to the first disc of Polygram International's Jacques Brel Master Serie, which means that the criticisms of the latter (for example, songs like "La Chanson de Jacky" and "Le Moribund" being excluded) are only magnified because, thanks to the lack of the second disc, "Les Biches" and "Rosa," among others, are missing. Still, what remains makes for a decent collection, with plenty of notable Brel songs, including "Mathilde," "Amsterdam," "Jef," and "Au Suivant."