Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Aero Opening (Scene 1)
2. Oxygene 2 (Scene 2)
3. Aero
4. Equinoxe 8 (Band in the rain)
5. Oxygene 4 (Scene 3)
6. Souvenir Of China (Scene 4)
7. Aerology (Scene 5)
8. Equinoxe 3 (Scene 6)
9. Equinoxe 4 (Scene 7)
10. Last Rendez-Vous (Scene 8)
11. Zoolookology (Scene 9)
12. Aerozone (Scene 10)
13. Magnetic Fields 1 (Scene 11)
14. Chronology 6
15. Rendez-Vous 4 (Live Version)

Disc 2:

1. Aero Opening
2. Scene 1
3. Oxygene 2
4. Scene 2
5. Aero
6. Equinoxe 8 (Band in the rain)
7. Oxygene 4
8. Scene 3
9. Souvenir Of China
10. Scene 4
11. Aerology
12. Scene 5
13. Equinoxe 3
14. Scene 6
15. Equinoxe 4
16. Scene 7
17. Last Rendez-Vous
18. Scene 8
19. Zoolookology
20. Scene 9
21. Aerozone
22. Scene 10
23. Magnetic Fields 1
24. Scene 11
25. Chronology 6
26. Rendez-Vous 4 (Live Version)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19586 in Music
• Released on: 2004-09-20
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: CD+DVD, Enhanced
• Dimensions: .27 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Aero is Jean Michel Jarre's first experiment in surround sound as well as being the most respectable "best of" album in 13 years. The album features reworked versions of his golden oldies and three new pieces. The result of the new orchestration is a modern-sounding remix album, rather than a definitive greatest hits.

The album was designed and recorded in multi channel surround-sound and is therefore presented on both a CD and DVD in the same package (including Dolby Digital and DTS tracks allowing playback on a standard DVD video player in 5.1 surround sound). Sound quality is top notch as you'd expect although sometimes the transitional pieces between tracks overdo the surround effects for the sake of demonstrating the technology.

The music itself, as a collection of greatest hits tracks, is a surprising choice, presumably designed for the best 5.1 surround sound. There's no "Revolutions", "Chronologie 4", "Ethnicolor", "Calypso", "Oxygene 8" or "Hey Gagarin", for instance. We are treated to fresh, excellent reworkings of classics: "Oxygene 2", "Equinoxe 3" and "Last Rendez-vous". Aging tracks such as "Oxygene 4", "Chronologie 6", and "Rendez-vous 4" have all been brought up to date. The three new tracks recall Robert Miles and Orbital. They're good but there's a feeling they were left over from previous projects. There are too many synth presets sounding too clinical and lacklustre compared to the high standard of sounds used in Jarre's other studio albums. Moreover, there are finer unreleased tracks that could have been included.

Also included on the DVD is a visual track. A close-up of the actress Anne Parillaud's (Nikita) eyes while she listens to the music for the full 73 minutes in one take is typical of Jarre's subtle, minimalist and "non-MTV" visual style. Aero will appeal to those wanting to test their home cinema equipment and those seeking some of the greatest hits of France's electronica wizard. --Colin Neal

Album Description
As a pioneer of electronic music for over 20 years, Jean Michel Jarre continues to be at the forefront of sound evolution with his forthcoming release Aero – the world's first album fully constructed, note for note, in 5.1 surround sound. Revisiting his greatest hits, together with three new tracks and a series of interlude scenes, the Aero experience is like nothing heard before. Aero places the listener 'inside' the music, rather than outside the flat 'wall' of stereo. By moving from 2 channel (Stereo) to 5.1 channel), it takes the music into a whole new dimension. With this album Jean Michel offers the possibility to listen to his music, including classic tracks such as "Oxygene" and "Equinoxe", in the way that he always imagined sharing it.

Aero is a double CD format, a DVD and CD in one package. The DVD is recorded in 5.1 DTS, Dolby AC3 and PCM 9624 KHz Stereo and the CD is recorded in Super Stereo. There is also an optional visual element on the DVD format, which offers an unusual visual experience. A pair of beautiful eyes, shot in high-definition cinema scope, gazing out at the listener and reacting emotionally to the music... for the entire 75 minutes of the album.

CD Description
'Aero' brings together tracks from French, electronic pioneer Jean Michel Jarre's back catalogue. With the advent of new surround sound technology, Jarre has re-recorded each track note for note so the listener can experience Jarre's synthbased compositions in true 5.1 surround sound. The DVD alsoincludes a 73 minute film of French actress Anne Parillaud's eyes as she listens to Jarre's work.

Customer Reviews

Simply Superb
I was a bit sceptical about buying this album at first due to the review given on Amazon. I threw caution to the wind and paid my money and I am glad I did. Being a huge Jarre fan (composing my own music electronicaly so he is a huge influence also) I was greeted with classics such as SOUVENIR OF CHINA and LAST RENDEZVOUS. If you have heard any of these tracks on the CD before, when you hear them on Aero you will know that Jarre has, should I say Re-composed them using new equipment, that's not to say the pieces aren't the same, they are very much the same, just new gear. I'm sure there is a Triton in there! It realy is a pleasure to listen to and the DVD with the eyes video gets your freinds asking.

Aero - Anthology Exaggerated Re-worked Over-rated
Being a fan for more years than I wish to remember and with the recent below-par output (Sessions 2000, Geometry of Love), Aero comes as somewhat of a further disappointment.

Anthology - this is a collection of Jarre's 'greatest tracks', with some questionable inclusions and some huge tracks overlooked (e.g. Equinoxe 5, Magnetic Fields 2, Chronologie 4, etc.) Maybe Jarre felt the tracks featured give some consistency to the flow of the album, which is probably true for the first two-thirds of it, until it loses it's way somewhat during the last third. The scenes that link tracks are a highlight; however these were produced by Joachim Garraud (Jarre's right hand man for Metamorphoses).

Exaggerated - greatly, recomposed note for note? The tracks have been re-worked (with Jarre's hand forced) and a number of Jarre's classics that have been included do not sound up-to-scratch (I let you decide which ones). As for the new tracks, they are nothing to write home about it, and yet again we have "Jarre the Environmentalist", with yet another track from the much under-rated (and superb) Metamorphoses, have you noticed it yet?

Redone - some of the tracks selected do not sound up-to scratch, with a poor choice of sounds (presets, and bad presets at that), and he seems to be obsessed to have effects for the 5.1 mix and it does distract from the listening experience. Listen to the original albums for how the tracks should sound, or even live concert recordings (pre-2000).

Over-rated - despite great sales, the album is very much over-rated. For Jarre to state this is the first 5.1 album, well he must not heard of The Altogether by Orbital. There are some good elements to Aero, but considering this is meant as both a compilation and a new experience, it disappoints considerably and could have been so much better in so many ways.

As for the DVD, there is no DVD-A track (despite assurances there would be) and the video content can be best described as minimalist. Fine for a cocktail party with cheese on sticks, but not something you can intently watch for over one hour.

Hence I can only give the album 3 stars, it is the best thing to see light of day since Metamorphoses, but it does not even come to close to Jarre's last studio album in terms of compositions, diversity and production level. I hope to be surprised in the positive sense when a new 'real' studio album is released in the future.

Great use of 5.1 Surround
This album is great stuff, not just for the Jarre fanatics, but also for people wanting to hear what the future of music listening is undoubtedly going to become.

It features a regular music CD along with a DVD which plays in your home theatre system.

The CD & DVD contain the same musical content, although the DVD is the main focus of this review. It is basically the result of Jean Michel Jarre re-recording some of his classic tracks in 5.1 surround sound. For the Jarre purist out there, the tracks are re-creations of the originals, using the same electronic sounds and effects of the original album pieces (give or take a few updated drum beats and added effects) and thankfully not total remixes.

Tracks included here are from his early albums, including Oxygene, Equinoxe, Magnetic Fields, Souvenir of China, Zoolook along with 3 new tracks, all of which make maximum use of the 5.1 sound space.

Instead of the usual music DVDs in the past, in which the content is basically dressed-up audio-visual recordings of live concerts where you hear audience noise and some ambience of the concert behind you, this DVD has been recorded note-for-note in 5.1, placing each instrument and melody line at different positions around the listener which creates an effective illusion of actually being 'inside' the music.

Jarre uses surround sound to great effect, enveloping the listener inside a sonic landscape, and not just resorting to cheap surround tricks which was the case in the early days of stereo albums. Hearing Oxygene 4 swirling round your head really cannot be described without listening to it.

Along with the music on the DVD, there is a video 'track' which is eerily just the eyes of an actress recorded in high definition, reacting in response to her listening live to the DVD. I found this to be distracting from the overall effect, and ended up just turning my TV off and enjoying the music for what it was worth.

As I said earlier, you also get a CD version of the album, which is great when you don't have a home theatre system, or just want to listen in the car.

I ordered a disk in the US, without thinking about the usual region coding limits. Thankfully, the disk is region free and plays on my NTSC TV, even though the box says PAL.

Also, kudos go to Amazon.Co.uk for getting it to me here in the USA in just 3 DAYS!!!

5 out of 5!!!