Martin Gore gets published… in French!
There’s been a myriad of books published in the name of Mode over the years, but nothing quite like this has been done before. French Mode aficionado Jugurtha Harchaoui has collected 87 of Martin’s best lyrics, translated them into french under the title, “Martin L. Gore – Lays” (which I hope is French for songs). Read on for the full press release, and an EXCLUSIVE glance at the front cover. On a personal note, I’ve seen the finished product, and it looks stunning. Really nice!
COVER:
PRESS RELEASE:
“MARTIN L. GORE: LAYS” is a de-luxe edition featuring for the first time ever in the form of a book the virtually complete lyrics written between 1981 and 2005 by MARTIN GORE for DEPECHE MODE. The 87 songs — picked from DM’s past 11 studio albums and myriad B sides — span two and a half decades, and are gathered together in one volume along with their translation in French. The translation, which appears opposite each original lyric, has been painstakingly prepared by French DM aficionado JUGURTHA HARCHAOUI. The latter put the whole thing together over a several-year period with Martin Gore’s blessing. Legendary German artist KLAUS VOORMANN contributed half-a-dozen original illustrations made specifically for the book. The editor also received help from world-renowned Dutch photographer ANTON CORBIJN, who provided the rare black-and-white portrait adorning the cover. ~ The band’s greatest classics enjoyed such massive commercial success over the decades, it is easy to forget the masterful language, the timelessness and, quite often, the dry wit that characterize them. The translator annotated the French version with an unstinting eye for detail and rock history, allowing us to connect Gore’s unique voice as a British songsmith with the American blues-and-rock tradition that informs those songs. ~ The 87-song retrospective is compiled into one lavish volume, more akin to a fine vintage poetry book than a typical rock coffee-table tome. Foreword by rock journalist Gerard Bar-David (Rolling Stone France, Best) who de facto acted as France’s DM expert ever since their debut back in 1981. Translation by Jugurtha Harchaoui. ~ This rare, limited-edition item is a must-own for not only all DM fans around the world, but also any book lovers.
12 Comments
02 March 09 at 11:23am
1
hahaha...Agree with Peter: Lays must be songs/lyrics or similar.... : D
02 March 09 at 11:50am
2
Nope, it does not mean \songs\ it means lays, it's English. and being French myself i think it is ridiculous to translate Martin's lyrics in French...just for the average French Fan maybe
02 March 09 at 11:56am
3
This pic is from the Violator era, where Mart was only bleaching the ends of his hair, and leaving their stems / roots naturally dark.
02 March 09 at 1:41pm
4
lays is an english term for ballad
02 March 09 at 9:51pm
5
Something totally like this has been done before - in Poland in 2003.
07 March 09 at 12:36am
6
Mike's negative comment below ("the book's concept is ridiculous") is the very reason I put this book together. When it does come out, both DM fans & DM detractors will be surprised to discover the quality of it. The journalists' response so far (those to whom we sent early copies) has been overwhelmingly positive, and god knows how cold journalists usually are with Depeche. I personally enjoy the harsh critism from the people who haven't seen the book. They're the reason I fought so hard to release this thing....
07 March 09 at 12:40am
7
Between now and the 13-Apr-09 release, please check out the website www.lays-livre.com. The Amazon.com USA sales statistics were so humongous, we hastily put together our own website. This book is the only official complete-lyrics book that captures the Depeche catalog, so people from all over the planet have been ordering it. And I don't blame them.
17 March 09 at 9:46am
8
The title should be more correctly "Useless" :D
25 March 09 at 1:07am
9
That is correct, Cesare. People who haven't seen the book, all of them call it "useless". Strangely enough, every individual who has held the book in their hands have the exact opposite opinion. So what gives? Anyway, the reaction from the media has been super-positive. My website http://www.lays-livre.com is getting buried with pre-orders. Amazon USA has already gotten hundreds of pre-orders. And the reviews from critics who got a copy of the book have all been positive. So if that is what being useless is all about, I'm glad to be useless. Suits me just fine.
07 April 09 at 10:06am
10
Deluxe limited edition? What makes it deluxe -looks like an ordinary paperback to me? What makes it limited - how many copies are made? 300?
13 April 09 at 8:00pm
11
300 is the number we sent for free to the media people.
13 April 09 at 8:06pm
12
What makes it limited is the fact that the number of copies is finite. Once the inventory has run out, there will be no additional run; eBay will be the only place where to purchase it (second-hand, of course). No-one is forced to buy this book, or any other artistic product for that matter. Thank God, last time I checked, this part of the world was still a democracy! However, the individuals who wish to own it, can order it by their own volition on http://www.lays-livre.com. By the way, thank you to the hundreds of people who have ordered the item already. It's been a phenomenon, and I am very grateful for that.