Monsieur Gainsbourg Originals

Before he was an international star, Serge Gainsbourg was a songwriter’s songwriter—as this collection amply attests. He was both a consummate storyteller—he imagines his way into the life of a ticket-taker in the early gem “Le poinçonneur de lilas”—and a reckless provocateur: “Je t’aime moi non plus” is as shocking today as it was in 1969 (and that’s not even the steamy original with Brigitte Bardot). With his liquid baritone and flair for melody, Gainsbourg still holds us rapt, decades after his passing.