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Critic's Review
Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
Love and the Beat, Vol. 2 picks up where its predecessor left off, being not so much a sequel as a direct continuation with overlapping years. Given how few of Serge Gainsbourg's recordings are available in the United States, this is a second treasure trove of his European hits, but it's not as satisfying as Vol. 1 because of the inclusion of numerous remixes rather than original versions. This does not mean, however, that Love and the Beat, Vol. 2 is without merit. Indeed, the inclusion of "Du Jazz dans le Ravin," "Joanna," "Lunatic Asylum," "Coco and Co.," "Requiem pour un C...," "Black Trombone," and "You're Under Arrest" from 1987 make it quite desirable. Of the remixes, the Dax Riders' take on "No Comment" is the most satisfying and the "Dub Style" mixes of "Lola Rastaquouère" and "La Nostalgie Camarade" are interesting if not necessarily compelling. Still, for the price, these two volumes make an excellent introduction to the work of a nearly mythical figure in European pop.
