C'est la vie

""C'est La Vie" is actually two records of vastly differing quality. The first half feels like an attempt by Khaled to crack the Anglo-Saxon pop market and add it to the Francophone one he already has. His method? Hire a hot shot producer who knows every trick in the pop/R&B book ... "Elle Est Partie" (...) is undeniably cool and full of lush instrumentation. On "Andalucia" the feel is again, dare I say it, a bit more authentic and Khaled lets rip with some proper rai. "El Harraja" is also good. Then it's over and the album ends itself with som more - slightly better - Eurovision stylings. It's clear that Khaled could have made a good record if he wasn't so deliberately aiming half his tunes at "the kids" but, as it is, we're left with a definite mixed bag. Oh well, c'est la vie".