Gdzie na mapie jest... Valerie Dore

Arthurian Disco - I kid you not!, May 7, 2002
Reviewer:deepkimchee (Seattle, WA USA)

Although Valerie Dore is little known in the US, in the mid-80's she created a sensation in Europe with her Arthurian-themed album, LEGEND. All ten of the Arthurian songs from LEGEND plus a few singles from her other albums have been gathered together as THE BEST OF VALERIE DORE.

The music for the Arthurian-themed songs is by Marco Tansini and it's disco all right but it's "Italo Disco" -- more melodic and less aggressive than American dancemusic from the 80s. Imagine a cross between CAMELOT and FLASHDANCE and you've got the idea. The production values are not
all that great but there are some bright and attractive dancetunes here as well as a couple of romantic and evocative slow songs.

The lyrics by Simona Zanini confure up a medieval never-never land of knights in shining armor, magic, and romance. "Lancelot" was the big hit single from the album, but there are other songs that I personally like better.

"The Wizard" paints a vibrant picture of Merlin at the height of his powers, full of confidence, exuberance, and life -- far from the stereotype of the doddering old man! This would be a great
song for anyone wishing to tune into the youthful/Mercurial energies of The Magician archetype.

Arthur's relationship with Morgause/Morgaine is not spelled out but is hinted at in "The Magic
Rain," in which somebody (Merlin?) catches ominous glimpses of the web of spells being woven around the king ("I see shadows fight alone on the ground, I see maidens calling out with no sound, I see signs in the air telling me what I've found...").

"Guinevere" is a dreamy reflection on the troubling beauty of the troubled queen ("Guinevere
your eyes are like the sun... can they see through the shadows?"). Musically it reminds me of "Melody Fair" by the Bee Gees.

"The Sword In The Heart" is a love duet that sounds a lot like a Lionel Ritchie song. The theme of pain and betrayal and the image of the sword in the heart recall the scenes of Arthur's betrayal by Guinevere and Lancelot, and Merlin's betrayal by Morgan in EXCALIBUR.

And the cycle comes to an end with "The End of Story," as we close the storybook and come back to (sigh) real life.

In contrast to most disco songs, Zanini's lyrics are memorable for their poetry and imagery. Unfortunately, you can hardly understand them because of Valerie Dore's thick accent (she's from Morocco). My wiseguy roommate says that when she sings about King Arthur, it sounds like
she's saying "King Ethel!"

And while Dore's voice is pretty enough -- it's nice to hear somebody sing instead of scream -- I find
it rather thin, girlish, and unimpressive. Quite honestly, I think these songs would sound better if they were sung by somebody else! In my opinion, the strong point of this album is the songs, not the performance.

The non-Arthurian songs that fill out the album have standard disco lyrics and they don't do much for me. But I understand they were big hits in European dance clubs in the mid-80s.

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http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005K8KL/002-7043520-0729627?v=glance