VARIOUS Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited Polydor ****

How mad is this: Serge Gainsbourg remained a demigod in the Francophone music market because he didn't want to turn into a Sacha Distel or a Charles Aznavour and dilute himself for the English-speaking masses. What, then, do a bunch of today's hugely talented musicians do on this tribute album? They translate all his songs into English. Which is not only missing the whole point but is a bit of a creative betrayal. Just how difficult can it be to sing phonetically for three minutes?

Gainsbourg was punk long before there was punk. He was the man Jim Morrison tried but failed to be. A willfully experimental poet, singer-songwriter, actor, director and boulevardier of some note, Gainsbourg's massively important Histoire de Melody Nelson concept album (1971) is always shockingly overlooked in the Best Album Ever stakes. Like most great albums, it didn't sell on release but is now name-checked by everyone from Sonic Youth to Air to Beck to Pulp. Sometimes a louche ballad singer, other times a reggae artist/pop singer/orchestral rock'n'roller, Gainsbourg may have been too early for the Eurostar generation but he remains a hidden influence for many. Even bloody Madonna.

As some indication of his following, take a look at who is present and correct on this tribute: Michael Stipe, Portishead, Franz Ferdinand, Jarvis Cocker, Tricky, Sly and Robbie and Marianne Faithful. Some don't really do much with what they're given - and, really, Stipe and Franz Ferdinand might have put a bit of a thought into their contributions. Where this takes off, though, is in unexpected places: Cat Power and Karen Elson (Jack White's missus) turn Je T'Aime into some hot girl-on-girl action, while Jarvis Cocker sleazes it up and really does capture a bit of the essence of the great man on I Just Came to Tell You That I'm Going. Elsewhere, The Rakes turn in a great cover of Just a Man with a Job, while Portishead are subdued but effective on Requiem for Anna. Placebo could have done a bit more with The Ballad of Melody Nelson, but The Kills really nail I Call It Art.

If the four stars above seem a bit generous, it's more because, given its semi-stellar line-up, this album will attract a lot more people to Gainsbourg's work. And great songs remain great songs, though, at times, this can feel a bit like a Hollywood remake of a European film. After this, head straight to the Initials SG album for a proper French introduction course.

Brian Boyd