ALAN SIMON Gaia (Pomme Music) Rating: NN Rating: NN
A well-meaning project by French author/composer Simon, Gaia is intended as an environmentalist call to action. Nifty in theory but a muddle in practice. Simon recruited a motley slew of performers, from French stars Jean Reno and Jane Birkin to Aussie tree-huggers Midnight Oil and members of Supertramp (!), all of whom contribute odd multi-genre interpretations of Simon’s pseudo-world music song cycle. It’s painfully earnest, with predictable lyrics (“Shall we strive as one, hand in hand with the world ”) and sappy soundscapes. The only real highlight is Cesaria Evora’s awesome vocal acrobatics on Jangadero. Sigh.
Simon is joined by Jeremy Spencer and John Helliwell to launch Gaia at the Rivoli, tonight (Thursday, May 29).
