Le Telefon

AMG Review of Le Telefon

Quint Kik
All Music Guide

Released as his second album, Nino Ferrer's 1967 release, Le Telefon, was in fact a compilation of singles and EP tracks made in the period between 1965 and 1967. Although a couple of these originated from earlier EPs (Mirza and Oh! Hé! Hein! Bon!), most of the songs were recorded in the wake of his highly entertaining live debut Nino Ferrer from 1966. Through Le Telefon, Ferrer proved to be inspired by a more than general understanding of the true spirit of soul music. Being a late bloomer -- he was already in his early thirties when he enjoyed his first success -- Ferrer cut himself a niché as a genuine soul man, his belt worthy of Sam & Dave and Wilson Pickett comparisons. Ferrer's insistent delivery and inspired backup by -- among others -- organist and future sound engineer Bernard "Le Baron" Estardy, make his early repertoire come off just as timeless as any Stax or Atlantic release of the same period.

Compared to his debut, Ferrer proved his earlier statement "Je Veux Erte Noir" wasn't just a catch phrase, but was really meant from the heart. Of all the self-penned selections here, this becomes most evident from the Southern soul styled allads, in particular the anti-war statement "Je Vous Dis Bonne Chance," and "Ma Vie pour Rien," where Ferrer taps into his own down and out depths and shares with the listener. The spine tickling results surpass earlier interpretations of James Brown's "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" ("Si Tu M'Aimes Encore") and the lues standard "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" ("Le Millionnaire") with ease. Equally spectacular are some instant mod classics, where Ferrer and Estardy go way beyond "Les Cornichons" (for which they used James Booker's "Big Nick" as a template) to come up with the impossibly catchy title track to this compilation. Its nonsense lyrics sketch an office situation where a certain Gaston is supposed to pick up the telephone as most of his colleagues are too busy doing nothing. It proved a hit in several European countries, undergoing translations in English and Italian. Elsewhere, Ferrer reinvents Motown as a one-man Four Tops for "Monsieur Machin," and litters the ultra funky "Mao et Moa" with absurd word plays on communism and red wine. Largely ignoring its tight backing by Estardy on Hammond organ and Manu Dibango on tenor sax, the public focus on his lyrics caused Ferrer to be viewed as a comedian rather than a serious musician. Adding to the confusion, the artist himself would regard 1972's Metronomie as his first real album, thereby making the status of his preceding albums somewhat unclear. At least Le Telefon deserves a better fate than to be viewed as one of many false starts in this musician's many sided career.