Vanity Subjects: Baxter Dury Picks His 13 Favourite Albums | Page 11 of 14 | The Quietus

Baker's Dozen

Artists discuss the 13 records that shaped their lives

10. Serge GainsbourgHistoire de Melody Nelson

I became popular in France prior to becoming popular anywhere else; for whatever reason they just adopted me. I didn’t speak any French, I didn’t tailor that in any way, but they said I was a bit like Serge and then I got into him as a consequence. The French are a weird culture, I’m really blessed that I’m popular there but I also think… fuck, it is quite uncool there. They’re the only nation in the world that clap on the one and the three, everyone else claps on the two and the four, so there’s something inherently corrupt about their understanding of music. They’re better at pastry than they are at music. Serge Gainsbourg understood how shit French music was, and he turned it around.

Selected in other Baker’s Dozens: Laibach, Youth
PreviousNext Record

Don’t Miss The Quietus Digest

Start each weekend with our free email newsletter.

Help Support The Quietus in 2025

If you’ve read something you love on our site today, please consider becoming a tQ subscriber – our journalism is mostly funded this way. We’ve got some bonus perks waiting for you too.

Subscribe Now