The late 1980s saw another trio of young female singers dominate the European charts. Yes almost two decades ago and long before Spears, Duff and Lohan the pop charts were dominated by Debbie Gibson, Tiffany and ... Paradis.

I grew up in the United Kingdom where French music gets a little more airplay than it seems to in the United States. So whereas people in the U.S. had the (apparently nonexistent) rivarly between Debbie and Tiffany as a hot topic in 1987, for those of us in Europe and Canada another female singer was the hot topic among schoolboys everywhere - Vanessa Paradis.

I first saw Vanessa perform on the now-defunct British show "The Roxy" in 1987 (think a more raunchier European version of `American Bandstand'). Here was this incredible looking (and very young) girl singing the song "Joe Le Taxi" on a stage alongside a full-size real yellow taxi cab. I was so entranced by her striking looks that it was only later that I heard the song.

Since that fateful night I have collected everything I could get my hands on connected to this French singer/actress (who is perhaps best known in the US more for her relationship with Johnny Depp rather than her career). From this album to her movies like "Noce Blanche" and "Une Chance Sur Deux" she has developed a large following and it's easy to see why.

Some criticize the tracks on this album as sounding child-like, but what do they expect? Vanessa was 14 when she sang "Joe le Taxi," certainly she deserves credit for not falling into the cookie-cutter marketing product trap that her contemporary Tiffany fell into. Over the years she has shown that she is willing to take some risks. And after all the venom that was slung her way by female admirers of Johnny Depp, jealous that she was his partner, she has maintained a mature posture that underlies the fact that she is more than just a pretty face.

The one song everyone must know from this album is the international hit "Joe Le Taxi" which still rocks nearly 15 years (can it be that long) since its recording. The other songs on the album are just as catchy (and no, it really doesn't matter if you don't understand French - besides, there is *one* English language song at the end). They range from slow songs ("Le Bon Dieu est un Marin") to the more upbeat like "Coupe Coupe". Vanessa's voice brings a life to the songs which certainly made the previously mentioned "Joe Le Taxi" such a hit. In comparison to her subsequent albums ("Variations sur le meme t'aime," for instance, or her Live album), this naturally pales, but as a debut, it still impresses.

e-mail: shomar@shomar.co.uk

When I heard Vanessa's voise at first (it was her song "Joe le taxi") I didn't pay much attention to her, but then I heard her again and understood, that I really love this girl. And so now I am her fan. I think, that she is the best singer and actress in the world. This album is great. And I... just love her.

my first song i ever heard from vanessa was "be my baby", and then the second one was "joe le taxi". i fell immediately under her spell after that. this cd is great. even though her voice sounds so young. you can tell her voice has matured now. but it has very nice rhythms to it, and even though i can't speak or understand a word of french, it's still a fantastic cd! buy it if you're a vanessa paradis fan, or buy it just because it's awesome. either way, you're not missing out.

I love: Marilyn and John, Joe le Taxi and Soldat, very good songs for such a young girl.