When Gainsbourg was 'on' he could be very good; he could also produce the kind of terrible recorded pap that makes struggling new bands wonder how he kept employed. This CD spares much of the agonizing misses and gives us a generous hand of surprising hits that mythologized a true pop-icon.

Anyway, if Serge is forever a talented hack, a visionary who can't sing and coasted along on playboy faux-cool, well it is his ultimate triumph that he pulled it off. Chutzpah, the mother.

I like the strange little guy. He was a perv and a freak but he represented a certain breezy raison d'etre, and nailed various hot ladies eventually to co-produce Charlotte, a daughter as lovely and charming as... such a man could hope for.

COMIC STRIP is the one Gainsbourg you'll ever need - fun and silly and so very French. Good to confound houseguests who won't know it that well but will asume it must be hip.

Great collection of hits by the biggest...... in the history of pop music. This collection includes none of the questionable new-wave and neo-reggae efforts of the later 70's and 80's, so it's great from beginning to end. Interesting to see just how innovative Gainsbourg was, especially rythm-wise. The classic "Initials BB" makes some of the best modern hip-hop beats seem trivial.

Requiem pour un c... has an interesting rhythmic texture, whilst Bonnie and Clyde (a duet with Brigitte Bardot) is a slow, meandering ballad. Initials B.B. is another slow number with Serge in talking vocal style over an orchestral backing.

The title track Comic Strip is a lilting pop number with interesting vocal effects and a catchy tune. Chatterton has nice organ lines, Bloody Jack is a singalong ditty embellished with great female vocals, Docteur Jeckyll et Monsieur Hyde is typical 1960 European orchestral pop and Torrey Canyon has a bouncy pace.

Shu Ba Du Ba Loo Ba is an uptempo ditty whist the slow ballad Ford Mustang has an interesting interplay between the male and female vocals. The rock feel and urgent pace of Qui est In, Qui est Out are welcome at this point and are also evident in Hold Up, a lively pop song. Marilu is lighter, but with a charming melody, bright vocals and some great handclaps.

Sous le soleil exactement is a gentle soulful ballad in Serge's sexy style, which is echoed in 69 année érotique with its languid female vocals framing Serge's ruminations. L'anamour is another gentle ballad with a memorable tune. The album concludes with Je T'Aime, his famous ballad with Jane Birkin, the erotic masterpiece that was a huge hit worldwide.

Compared to the same era's pop music from the Anglosphere, there seems to be more emphasis on the lyrics than on melody throughout the album. The music is more orchestral than François Hardy's tuneful folkie style from the same period. Comic Strip is an interesting window on the talent of Serge Gainsbourg who will always be remembered for the magnificent Je T'Aime (Moi Non Plus) in the rest of the world.