The Disco Years, Vol. 5: Must Be the Music

The Disco Years, Vol. 5: Must Be the Music Review

I have already written reviews for Volumes 1-4 of this series. I gave Volume 1 (which contained music from the beginning of the disco era) 5 stars because it was the best collection so far with only one "dud" track. Volume 2 (with music from the end of the disco era) received 4 stars because although it contained some great songs, it also contained 5 "dud"s. Volume 3 also received 4 stars because even though it only contained 1 "dud", it was all over the place and did not have a unifying theme. Volume 4 received 4 stars because it had a great theme (Chic and Chic-inspired music) but it contained at least 4 "dud"s.

Now we come to Volume 5. Another mess. If there were a theme to this CD, it would be the "Disco Diva" since 14 of 18 tracks are sung or performed by female vocalists. However, once again there are many songs that just don't belong here. Here is a track by track review:

1. Shame by Evelyn "Champagne" King
2. Star Love by Cheryl Lynn
3. Honeybee by Gloria Gaynor:

These first 3 tracks are awesome by some of the best Disco Divas of the time. What a shame that their careers were cut short by the fact that they were labled disco singers and had a hard time finding success after disco died.

4. I'm on Fire by 5000 Volts: This song climed to #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975. As Randy Jackson would say, this song is "just a-ight".

5. I Feel Love by Donna Summer: The Queen of Disco and often cited as the best song of the disco era.

6. Boogie Woogie Dancin Shoes by Claudja Barry: Another Disco Diva, not as good as the other Disco Divas represented here, but once again, "just a-ight".

7. Automatic Lover by Dee D. Jackson: The first true "dud" of this CD. Many disco songs tried to jump on the "Star Wars" band wagon with varying degrees of success ("Star Love" above being a success, "Automatic Lover" being a failure)

8. Boogie Motion by Beautiful Bend: Not a bad song, but fairly forgettable. Sounds like a generic disco song that they would use as background music on a 70's TV show like "Charlie's Angels".

9. Boogie Nights by Heatwave: The first song on the CD not to feature female vocals. However, it is such a classic, funky tune that it's inclusion is totally acceptable. It also emphasizes the difference between this song and the previous track. This song has real spark which the previous song lacks.

10. HAPPY Radio by Edwin Starr: Edwin must have been the original model for Madonna, since he kept changing his career to fit the times. He started in the mid-60's as an R&B crooner, then in the early 70's he turned political with his anti-war songs, then by the late 70's he had jumped on the disco bandwagon. This song was the follow-up to the far superior "Contact".

11. Must be the Music by Secret Weapon: Early attempt at fusing rap and disco, it succeeds at neither.

12. Upside Down by Diana Ross: We now return to the Disco Diva portion of our program, and what a way to return. Diana's best work has to be this album produced by Chic.

13. Feelin Lucky Lately by High Fashion: Created by the same people behind the studio group Change, and it shows. And, as with Change, the Chic influence also shows through. Not a bad song, and good strong female vocals.

14. Take Your Time (Do it Right) Pt 1 by The SOS Band: Probably the last great disco record before disco died. Killer female vocal.

15. I Can't Wait by Nu Shooz
16. Remember What You Like by Jenny Burton
17. Touch Me (All Night Long) by Wish featuring Fonda Rae:

These 3 songs are very good, but they are technically not disco. They are mid-80's dance/techno/new wave hybrids. They belong on a collection of the history of mid-80's dance music, not on a disco collection. I like the songs, but as a purist, I just don't feel like they belong here.

18. Mindless Boogie by Hot Chocolate: After a CD filled with mostly Disco Divas (except for tracks 9, 10 & 11), we end the CD back with a male vocal. Now, I like Hot Chocolate, but this is not one of their better tunes and this song kind of ends the CD on a downer note. Not the way I would have wound up this volume.

So, I recommend this CD for some of the killer disco tracks, but as usual, there are some "dud"s that could have been left off or replaced by better tunes.

The Disco Years, Vol. 5: Must Be the Music Overview

Chronicling the much-beloved/maligned genre from its rise in the mid-'70s to the early 80s, this seven-volume series features all of disco's greatest artists, biggest chart hits, and most important underground club smashes. Guaranteed to make you get up and boogie!

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