Monsters in Love is the fifth studio album by the French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 rock

Rock music

Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

 band Dionysos

Dionysos (French band)

Dionysos is a French rock band formed in 1993 in Valence, Drôme; they formed at their lycée. They perform songs in both French and English, and have released six studio albums. They are well known in France for their surrealism and eccentricity....

, released 29th August 2005 and produced by John Parish

John Parish

John Parish is a British musician and producer best known for his work with singer and songwriter PJ Harvey,. His sister is the actress Sarah Parish.-Partial discography:Solo*Rosie *How Animals Move...

. The album features songs in both English and French.

Background

This album was written by the band's lead singer after the death of his mother. A lot of the songs and characters began as short stories which he was writing to help deal with his bereavement. A book by the lead singer also accompanies the album: Maintenant qu'il fait tout le temps nuit sur toi.

There has also been a live album and DVD released (Monsters in Live) featuring many of the songs that appear on this album.

Tracklisting

All songs: music and lyrics by Dionysos, except where stated

1. "Giant Jack's theme"
2. "Giant Jack"
3. "La métamorphose de Mister Chat"
4. "L'homme qui pondait des œufs"
5. "Broken bird"
6. "Miss Acacia"
7. "Le retour de Bloody Betty"
8. "Mon ombre est personne"
9. "I love Liou"
10. "Lips story in a chocolate river"
11. "Giant John et le sanglophone"
12. "Tes lacets sont des fées"
13. "Old child"
14. "Monsters in love"
15. "Midnight letter"
16. "Neige" + hidden track "I did acid with Caroline"

The band

Mathias Malzieu – vocals, acoustic guitar

Mike Ponton – guitar

Eric Serra-Tosio – drums, percussion

Élisabeth Maistre – violin, vocals

Stéphan Bertholio – keys, musical saw, melodica, glockenspiel, banjo

Additional musicians

Sophie Whitehead – 'claquettes' (on "Le retour de Bloody Betty")

Silke Volland – violin and string arrangements

Tobias Unterberg – cello

Yvonne Fechner – violin (on "Broken bird", "Mon ombre est personne", "Monsters in love" and "I love Liou")

Bethany Porter – cello (on "Giant John et le sanglophone")

John Parish – tambourine (on "La métamorphose de Mister Chat" and "Broken bird"), maracas (on "Le retour de Bloody Betty), glockenspiel (on "L'homme qui pondait de œufs" and "La métamorphose de Mister Chat"), spoken word (on "Giant John et le sanglophone")

David Vernon – brass arrangements

Mike Daden – trombone (on "Tes lacets sont des fées")

Dolan Jones – trumpet (on "Tes lacets sont des fées")

Dan Jones – tuba (on "Tes lacets sont des fées")

Production

Produced and mixed by John Parish

Sound engineer Paul Corkett

Assistant Nick Joplin

Mastered by John Dent at Loud Mastering