The lucid madness of Jean Leloup transferred to a book
For more than three decades, Jean Leloup has fascinated the Quebec public, including cultural journalist Olivier Boisvert-Magnen. IN Great moments of lucidity, book over 300 pages filled with photographs, testimonies and delicious anecdotes, the author looks back on the entire career of this mythical figure Music of Quebec.
The book opens with a touching and very heartfelt foreword by Hubert Lenoir, an eccentric artist who honorably carries on Leloup’s legacy. This is followed by 10 chapters focusing on the making of each of Wolf’s albums, Liarpublished in 1989, on Strange country in 2019
If Leloup himself had not participated in the book – he would have been in Costa Rica, we have not heard from him for several years -, Olivier Boisvert-Magnen invited several of his collaborators over the years (and God knows there were many) ).
The magic of journalism
The journalistic work required to dive deep into a 30+ year career is admirable, especially when it’s so incredible. The nerds music lovers, of which Boisvert-Magnen is obviously a part, will be delighted to learn the very technical details of the creation of several of this musician’s legendary works. Readers more interested in the human dimension of the character will find an artist who is both inspiring and frustrating. Because yes, the book is a tribute to the singerI lost my babybut we are also presented with some of his flaws, especially this tendency to delete and replace people in his life, in his work, without giving them any explanation.
Subtly, citing several reviews of Leloup’s albums and shows, journalist Olivier Boisvert-Magnen also offers a nice tribute to cultural journalism, testifying to its importance.
Universal inheritance
Each chapter for each album begins with quotes from the artists explaining the resonance of this body of work for them. Collecting testimonies from Loud and Larry Kidd, as well as from Émile Bilodeau, France D’Amour or Dumas, the author of the book gives a measure of the influence that Vuk will have on artists of all styles, regardless of generation.
Returning to this universe, we realize the importance of finally devoting an entire book to the phenomenon, a book with an exploded presentation, full of colors and patterns, like the one that inspired it.
