Jacques Brel: The Best Of CLR

LP Record Brel either wrote or co-wrote all the songs on this compilation between the mid-1950s and mid-1960s. As it is a true mix of hits and rare obscurities, this compilation is probably a very good starting point for discovering Brel's work. A few songs here (Les Bourgeois and Les Singes) seemingly tackle the class system, but in retrospect, they are probably just as much about the generation gap. Others are simple love songs or anthems to nature and the beauty of Belgium. Brel's songs are regularly covered by artists as diverse as Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, David Bowie, Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, and Marlene Dietrich, to name but a few.