Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy is the fourth live album by Mylène Farmer, released on 4 December 2006.

Background Six years after her Mylenium Tour, Mylène Farmer came back on stage with a tour in 2006 which included 13 shows at Bercy, in Paris. This very successful series of concerts started on 13 January and ended 16 days later, on 29 January. As after each of her tour, Farmer decided to launch a live album retracing her concert. Thus, Jérome Devoise mixed the 20 songs performed on stage and the album "Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy" was eventually released on 4 December 2006 as CDs and DVDs, under various editions.

The album contains songs from all Farmer's studio albums, except Cendres de Lune and Innamoramento. The production enjoys very high quality in terms of sound effects. Some of the old hits were re-orchestred in a much modern version, while the slow songs from the last studio album are recorded in a more stripped style.L'Intégrale Mylene Farmer, Erwan Chuberre, 2007, City Ed., p. 49 ()

The various formats, particularly the DVD box, had huge success: the video was certified Diamond after a single week of release.

The two singles from this album, "Avant que l'ombre..." and "Déshabillez-moi", achieved a minor success in term of sales, but were both top ten hits in France.

Critical reception

This album was, on the whole, well received by media and contemporary pop music critics. Nicolas Gardon, in L'Echo Republicain, said that this album offers an "fair performance, but only a few surprises: the shimmering and coloured universe of Mylène Farmer is perfectly reproduced in this double CD.L'Echo Républicain, December 2006, "Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy", Nicolas Gardon Devant-soi.com (Retrieved 23 March 2008) The release of this DVD was regarded as "the event of the week" by the magazine Télé Star.Télé Star, December 2006 Devant-soi.com (Retrieved 23 March 2008)

Dvdrama qualifies the DVD as "sublime" video, specifying: "The image of this concert exceeds in all respects the nevertheless perfect image of the previous two already available concerts. The red and the black, the dominant colors, are staggering of beauty". On the other hand, it expressed some little criticisms on the quality of the sound.Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy, Dvdrama Dvdrama.com Retrieved 4 April 2008

Commercial performance In France, the DVD was sold to 98,000 copies in its first week of release — what constitutes a record. On the French Videos Chart, it debuted at number 1French SNEP Musical DVD Chart from 03.12.06 to 09.12.06 Ifop.com (Retrieved 12 January 2008) for four consecutive weeks and stayed in the top ten for 13 weeks. It managed to remain in the top 40 until 17 November 2007. Certified diamond,2006 DVD certifications Disqueenfrance.com (Retrieved 12 January 2008) this DVD was, only 15 days after its release, the second best-selling video of 2006, just behind the musical Le Roi Soleil.2006 French SNEP Musical DVD Chart Ifop.com (Retrieved 12 January 2008)

The CD was sold to 41,034 copies in the week of its release, and, as for the DVD, it went straight to number 1 on the French Albums Chart on 9 December 2006. However, it dropped to #8 the following week, stayed only for eight weeks in the top 50 and left the chart (Top 200) after its 18th week.Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy, French SNEP Albums Chart Lescharts.com (Retrieved 12 January 2008) So the DVD was preferred by the buyers. The album was nevertheless the 57th best-selling album of 20062006 French SNEP Albums Chart Ifop.com (Retrieved 12 January 2008) and totaled approximately 130,000 copies sold. It was certified Gold disc by the SNEP.2006 Albums certifications Disqueenfrance.com (Retrieved 4 April 2008)

In Belgium Wallonia, the CD entered the album chart at #9 on 16 December 2006, and reached its peak position, #3, the week after. However, it dropped quickly then and stabilized in the last positions. It left the chart (Top 40) on 6 April 2007, after 12 weeks of attendance.Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy, Belgian (Wallonia) Ultratop 40 Albums Chart Ultratop.be (Retrieved 12 January 2008) The DVD started directly to number 1 and kept this position for eight consecutive weeks. It stayed in the top ten for a total of 32 weeks. So, in Belgium too, the DVD was more sold than the CD.

The live CD was also charted in Switzerland, but had a moderate success in this country. It went to #20 on 17 December 2006 and reached its peak position, #18, the following week. After that, it kept on dropping and left the Top 100 after its 11 week.Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy, Swiss Albums Chart Hitparade.ch (Retrieved 12 January 2008)

Track listings CD

DVD

Introduction (7:32) "Peut-être toi" (3:22) "XXL" (5:27) "Dans les rues de Londres" (4:16) "California" (5:15) "Porno graphique" (4:07) "Sans contrefaçon" (4:48) "Q.I" (6:50) "C'est une belle journée" (4:14) "Ange, parle-moi" (4:32) "Redonne-moi" (5:36) "Rêver" (7:41) "L'Autre" (7:25) "Désenchantée" (9:08) "Nobody Knows" (5:36) "Je t'aime mélancolie" (4:47) "L'amour n'est rien..." (4:59) "Déshabillez-moi" (3:54) "Les Mots" (5:05) "Fuck Them All" (8:18) "Avant que l'ombre..." (7:45) Générique de fin (3:56)

The second DVD contains several bonuses ("L'Ombre des autres", "Scene by scene views", "Works by Escalle", "Haute Couture", "Live Alternative"), and a hidden bonus: "La Cassar mobile".

Album charts

Weekly album charts + Weekly chart performance for Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy Chart (2006) Peakposition European Albums (Billboard) 14 Swiss Albums (GfK Romandy) 40

Year-end album charts + 2006 year-end chart performance for Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy Chart (2006) PositionBelgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) 90French Albums (SNEP) 57 + 2007 year-end chart performance for Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy Chart (2007) PositionFrench Albums (SNEP) 180

DVD charts

Weekly DVD charts Chart (2006)PeakpositionBelgian DVDs (Ultratop Wallonia) 1French DVDs (SNEP) 1Chart (2010)Peakposition

Year-end DVD charts Chart (2006)PositionBelgian DVDs (Ultratop Wallonia) 4French DVDs (SNEP) 2Chart (2007)PositionBelgian DVDs (Ultratop Wallonia) 6French DVDs (SNEP) 15Chart (2008)PositionFrench DVDs (GfK) 43Chart (2009)PositionFrench DVDs (SNEP) 33Chart (2010)PositionFrench DVDs (SNEP) 32

Certifications and sales

Credits Text: Mylène Farmer Except: "Déshabillez-moi": Robert Nyel Music: Laurent Boutonnat Except: "L'amour n'est rien...": Mylène Farmer and Laurent Boutonnat; "Déshabillez-moi": Gaby Verlor Editions: Requiem Publishing Except: "Sans contrefaçon": Universal Music Publishing / BMG Music Publishing France; "Déshabillez-moi": Intersong Record label: Polydor Production: Stuffed Monkey Recorded and mixed by Jérôme Devoise, with Tristan Monrocq, at Studio Guillaume Tell Executive production: Paul Van Parys Mastering: André Perriat, at Top Master Management: Thierry Suc Photography: Claude Gassian Design: Henry Neu / Com' N.B

For more details about credits and personnel, see: Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy (tour).

Formats

Audio Double CD Double CD — Collector Quadruple 7" Audio & Video Collector edition (2 CD + 2 DVD) – Limited edition (7,500)

Video Double DVD Double DVD — Collector Blu-ray (since September 2008)

References