If rock ’n’ roll, or just “rock”, officially exploded into life in France with Johnny Hallyday in 1960, several French artists had already tried this new American music genre as early as 1956. It was a rare vocation, with the appearance of Richard Anthony, Danyel Gerard and Claude Piron. Most other observers saw it as dance music (the jazz bands), as an opportunity for parody or pastiche (Henri Salvador, Moustache), or else as a source for a lively melody (Luis Mariano, Georges Guetary). The best of French rock, flashing outbursts and short-lived careers included, has been collected here by Francois Jouffa and Pierre Layani, together with a French-Canadian selection (the first to be released to date) as a tasty bonus for this rock anthology “A la francaise”. Patrick FReMEAUX