Disco Music

I bought this CD simply because I have liked the Newsboys CDs in the past, but was very suspicious of their disco-theme. Nonetheless this CD is full of great songs with a very groovy beat and sound lyrics.

"Love Liberty Disco" (1999) is the eighth album by Christian pop/rock band Newsboys. It is a deviation from the style of their previous albums, and has more of a 60's and 70's rock feel to it. Even so, it's still obviously Newsboys. The overtly Christian lyrics are still here, as are (to a lesser extent) the catchy tunes.

The Christian lyrics, as they did on "Step Up to the Microphone" (1998), hit you over the head, and not in a good way. Lyricist Steve Taylor is still gone, and still missed. The ultimate problem with "Love Liberty Disco" is that there just isn't anything here that's good enough to be memorable. Songs range from okay to boring.

All in all, "Love Liberty Disco" is just okay. It's certainly a long way from the Newsboys' best work.

Several years ago, I was a huge fan of the Newsboys. More specifically, I loved the Take Me to Your Leader and Step Up albums. Needless to say, I was ecstatic for Love Liberty Disco when it came out, and was even more excited when I won a copy of it from the local Christian radio station.

Well, I'm glad I didn't pay money for it, because this album, to be frank, blows.

Let me just say that I don't necessarily have a problem with the off-the-wall musical style they chose. I don't necessarily have a problem with kitsch. What I have a problem with is uninspired and just plain bad songwriting, which you get in spades on this CD. "Show what we know and let that good stuff flow"? What does that even mean?

The only saving grace of this album is the wonderful, intricate Beautiful Sound. It's very much a five-star song with its great hook, good lyrics, and the addition of the strings which sends it soaring.

However, the rest of the CD isn't worth the money, so just buy the MP3 of Beautiful Sound instead.

this c.d was very good.i don't agree at all "dead girl " ! your friend must have lied because the newsboys are nice!so you keep your pile hole shut!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(really 3.5 but that's not an option here)

I feel too many people have seen the cover of this album and thought "ok, I'm staying away!". I didn't actually think anything like that when I first became a Newsboys fan and saw this album. I did think the cover looked a bit funny, but I didn't think it meant the music would be weird. I checked it out this morning, and first half of it is REALLY AWESOME. The Newsboys are my favorite band and I love them, but I didn't think I would be giving this album a 3.5 out of 5. That was because, throughout the last half, the originality slowly died out. They weren't bad songs, just not very good as Newsboys songs. Anyway, let me review the songs...

Beautiful Sound: This was one of the first Newsboys songs I heard, and it was just right after I became a fan. Every time I hear it, it feels like the first time I ever heard it (that's a very good thing). It's one of the Newsboys' very best songs, and it's one of my favorites. Beautiful song! Great worship, too.

Love Liberty Disco: Ok, don't let the title fool you. This is more like rock/pop with a good disco touch. Anyway...I've gotta say that this is an awesome song! If you think the song sounds funny, just wait until you see the music video. Very fun song, great lyrics, great tune. Gotta love it!

Forever Man: Great song! Very original, it starts out a bit mellow, but then it gets heavy and rocked out. Great vocals and tune! Good beat, too.

Good Stuff: VERY good stuff! Always one of my favorites. Phil Joel took the lead vocals, and he sounded great! Very fun song, always great.

Everyone's Someone: Ah, wonderful song. It has a good classic rock touch to the sound. Good strings, too. The lyrics really stand out!

Say You Need Love: Ok, this is disco! I really forgot how much of a disco sound it had. But that's not always a bad thing. The lyrics are great, the vocals and tune are great, but I can't listen to the tune of the chorus without thinking of this "children's song" I heard when I was little (thankfully, there is not another Newsboys song that sounds like that to me). Otherwise, it's a good song.

I Would Give Everything: Starts out with a bit of an '80's sound and tune, but that's never a bad thing to me. Phil Joel's background vocals sound great. At first in the song, I was really afraid it wouldn't go through a change of sound, but it very slowly changes. Great song!

Break: Well, this isn't a bad song, but I feel like the Newsboys lost some originality in it; the beginning sounds far to much like dc Talk's "The Hard Way". Thankfully, it changes and gets better as it goes on, and I'm able to get used to it. Not a bad song, but not my favorite.

I Surrender All: A slower song, with a bit of an R&B type of beat. But again, that isn't always a bad thing. It does have a very different sound for the Newsboys, but it's very good! It's another song that slowly changes and gets a little better. Jody Davis and Phil join in on the vocals later on and they sound great!

Fall On You: Great lyrics, good song. Sadly, it didn't hugely impress me as far as the sound goes. The lyrics are, of course, great. Peter Furler's vocals closed it nicely, though.

Well, I never ever thought there would be a Newsboys album that I wouldn't like on all levels, but this one didn't do a ton for me. The first five songs were absolutely AWESOME, but I felt the last five were lacking a lot of originality. The album sort of left me off thinking, "ok...that's all?". This album was not "mind-blowing" all the way through, which is funny to me, because the Newsboys' albums usually stay fresh the whole time. I'm sure I could probably get used to it after listening to it a few more times.

It was ten years since Sister Sledge debuted with Circle of Love and five years since Nile Rodgers had spun pure musical gold with them.And fresh off of work on Chic's unheralded Believer and Madonna's blockbuster Like a Virgin Nile officially brings Sister Sledge into the mid 80's with this album's strong new wave funk overtones. The title song,"Dancing On The Jagged Edge","The Boy Most Likely","Following The Leader" and "Peer Pressure" capture that spirit which finds the flourishes of DX7 and synclaviar synthesizers colliding with live drumming for a sound that's very MTV generation friendly."Frankie",a bouncy little pop ditty makes a brief detour from this sound with a slightly more organic feel to it. Same can be said for "Hold On Poppy" and all the songs here are packed with unbeatable hooks and vocals. Strangly enough this never got a follow up for more then a decade;by 1985 Sister Sledge's sound had been eclipsed by modern day female singers,some of whom were Prince proteges so the Sledge's were starting to be seen as a bit over the hill. So again I am glad Wounded Bird reissued this and allowed this album to be enjoyed by a new generation who've been seperate from it long enough to appreciate it's charms.

Tracklist for this CD is as follows:

1. When the boys meet the girls
2. Dancing on the jagged edge
3. Frankie
4. You're fine
5. Hold out poppy
6. The boy most likely
7. You need me
8. Following the leader
9. Peer pressure

Back in the 80s, before there was TLC or Destiny's Child, girl groups like The Pointer Sisters and Sister Sledge ruled. The latter hit it big in 1979 with their Nile Rodgers/Bernard Edward produced "We are family" album which had 2 big US top 10 hits.

They paired with Rodgers again in 1985 on this album, "When the boys meet the girls", following a chart revival of hits from the "We are family" album, particularly in the UK.

The sound here is razor sharp synth/dance with loads of drum machines working overtime, horns, and echo-ey vocal effects, prime examples being the title track, "Dancing on the jagged edge", and "You're fine" (which oddly featured Rodgers on vocals and the sisters singing backing vocals. It has a fantastic trumpet solo).

The albums smash was "Frankie" a fun slice of cabaret pop which was a UK #1 hit (and features that catchy "Frankie.. do you remember me" refrain).

"Hold out poppy" and "Peer pressure" are energetic Pop numbers, while the chiming "The boy most likely" finds the sisters singing together a la Bananarama.

The albums lone ballad is the sultry "You need me" (with Joni Sledge on vocals) while the standout in my opinion is the Kathy Sledge co-penned horn peppered "Following the leader" which finds Kathy's dusky vocals floating over a sparse yet groovy bassline and Rodgers trademark scratchy guitar work.

I'm so glad this album is finally available on CD as I used to own it on vinyl.

Right up there with "All American Girls," the hooks on the track, "When the Boys Meet The Girls" (along with some of the best call-response arrangemnts ever) are the best of their career. This Niles Rodgers produced album is a long time coming in being available on CD!!

This is REAL music--MUSIC that will nourish your heart, soul and spirit. Unlike today's watered-down and soul-less "Urban Contemporary"v souns this is great music from beginning to end. The songs by Cheryl Lynn, The Jones Girls, Rodney Franklin and Peabo Bryson are sure to please.

I have the first three volumes, but this is by far the best. I have had it in my car since the first day, and it has been in my cd player every day since then!!! I can not get enough of this cd, it is well worth the money.

This tryptich is well worth spending your money on. It is a great compilation of the finest and styliest music that was en vogue in the 70 s and 80 s. I bought this one because I actually have most of the songs on the other two, and because I wanted to listen to the "Nights over Egypt" song performed in its original version (Incognito has done its own version in its latest "No time like the future"). You will also find one of the greatest songs from the Ohio Players (one of the emblematic bands of what I call "heavy funk", playing it cool here), a great song from the late Minnie Ripperton, two extraordinary tracks from Rodney Franklin (Howard Smith on vocals sounding just like Al Jarreau) and Ronnie Laws. Plus the mythical "the lady wants to know", from one of Michael Franks's best albums. The sleeve reminds the "I want you" (Marvin Gaye), and there is a lot of interesting information inside the booklet.

If you like soft sounds, high quality things that were done 20 years ago, these three albums are for you and will help you to discover or rediscover artists and sounds from that period.

At this point I haven't bought the CD, but I bought this on LP many, many years ago. Just so happens I was able to download these tracks on an mp3 site I subscribe to the other day and had a wonderful trip down memory lane listening to these talented individuals. I forgot how great these guys can SING! Only three of the songs on this CD are raps...the rest are songs they are actually singing (and these guys have some really beautiful voices too!) You got to check out the slow jam "Here I Am"...that's a beautiful old school ballad that reminds me of something that the Isley Brothers could have done easily back then. It's like an Isley slow jam from the 70's and these guys NAIL it. Mid tempo tracks like "Bad News" and especially "Passion Play" are really good toe tappers. Amazon needs to get some mp3s of this CD up here fast--even though I d/l'd these tracks elsewhere, it sounds like they ripped it directly from the LP--they're not remastered. I may end up buying this CD anyway so I can get better quality. But all in all, this Sugarhill Gang CD is something you'd want to own if you love ***classic 70's R&B music*** as well as the raps (BTW, "Rappers Reprise" and "Sugarhill Groove" are the bomb! I remember them playing @ the club back in the day...brings back great memories!) Every single song on this CD sounds GREAT!!!

The name of the label that former gang member turned Latin Soul icon Bataan co-founded and created the name for sums it all up:
SALSOUL - - the fusion of "salsa" and soul...

Though in his early years MAMWOP would perhaps have better described it (the fusion of Mambo and Doo Wop), this album visits Bataan circa the era when he was fusing Jazzy disco, soul and latin music experiences.

Though a weak point of the album is that 16 tracks are far too view to sum up the best of of his productions/recordings, even from this era alone, the strong point is that its still a great album, and focuses on the era that "free soul" fans such as myself happen to know him best for, and the tracks are all good and show many sides of his groove, from funk, to disco, and even a straight salsa track...

A high point of the album features his instrumental arrangement of Gil Scott Heron's THE BOTTLE - - though the entire band cranks out on it, percussion and horns especially, the juicy bass playing is what really gets me going... note however that there is actually an even better mix available on some compilations featuring the BOTTLE coupled with him singing CHICO AND THE MAN... Of course two versions of his 1980 hit SADIE (SHE SMOKES), one with Jocelyn Brown are an added bonus... and I like all the tunes that showcase his incredible "Lenny William's"-ish powerful sweet soul voice... (take WHEN YOU'RE DOWN for example.) - - however, on all the tracks, vocals aside though, typical to a lot of Latin music of that era, no matter how "commercial" it gets something is always happening on an instrumental level, whether its a great flute, rhodes or guitar solo... The percussion is always hot... and all the tunes (give or take one or two) bump.

All in all, if you're looking for an introduction to Bataan's music circa his "disco soul" era, this is definitely it...
So whether your a fan of the Johnson Brothers, Chic, or the many groups he produced on SALSOUL and are finally ready to rediscover THE MAN... I say get this... Also check out Leroy Hutson another great disco era sweet soul singer...

I have only gotten interested in disco in the last few years, but now I am a huge fan. some of my faves include: Salsoul 12", P&P Records Best of, Disco Connection Series, best of WestEnd, & 12" Grand Series. However, even compared to these releases, this CD is the bomb. The first few tracks really jump out at you as infectious dance floor groovers. Although the tracks on this CD are clearly Latin in influence & style, on a musical spectrum I would put the music on this disc somewhat closer to the Salsoul sound than I would to Fania All-Stars disco-era salsa music.

I purchased this box set of CDs in 1993. It is still the best music purchase I have ever made. It has all of the great Earth Wind and Fire songs (to that time) and a couple of live versions and some previously unreleased material. Listening to the live versions brings back memories of the EWF concerts I've been to. The only thing I would change would be to add a few of their songs they have released in the years since this boxed set came out, and some more live material. Get this set and "Greatest Hits Live"... you deserve the best!

This is a good anthology although some of my favorite tunes
were sorely missed. Let's face it, I'm sure it was a hard
choice being the compiler for this project as EW&F recorded
so many stellular tunes that were not singles like "Would
You Mind" "You Went Away" "Jupiter" and virtually anything
included on 1981's "Raise". I hate "Boogie Wonderland" but
it was a big hit! The omission of "Lover's Holiday" though
is quite puzzling.

The Eternal Dance is the power that holds Earth, Wind, & Fire legacy. It's the legacy that is on 3 discs. I can say that this set made me explore a dark, trippy, and exciting adventure. I love this box set but, it could've been better. It has a lot their hits like That's The Way Of The World, Reasons, Sun Goddess, and Power. It could've been 4 discs because I've heard some rare stuff by lead singer and percussionist, Maurice White. I've heard him play on some other records but, I don't own any of them. Some of the fans would like to hear more of their rare stuff but, 3 discs are enough. The booklet has two different stories on the band, you get some commentary by Maurice White about his experiences on the starting the group, rare photos, tracklisting, and a discography. The booklet is informative. This box set starts at 1970 to 1990. I brought the Best Of EWF...Vol.1 first before I listened to this anthology.I really love this box set because you get a lot of their before and after hits. So buy it if you're record collection of Earth, Wind, & Fire is worn out or if you want to listen to the power of EWF.

Timeless. Transcends age and culture. This group brought people together. This collection has almost everything a true fan could ever ask for. Although I am not old enough, I know there was nothing like an Earth, Wind and Fire and Parliament stage show in the 1970's. Any real music fan should have this in their collection.

The Eternal Dance is the power that holds Earth, Wind, & Fire legacy. It's the legacy that is on 3 discs. I can say that this set made me explore a dark, trippy, and exciting adventure. I love this box set but, it could've been better. It has a lot their hits like That's The Way Of The World, Reasons, Sun Goddess, and Power. It could've been 4 discs because I've heard some rare stuff by lead singer and percussionist, Maurice White. I've heard him play on some other records but, I don't own any of them. Some of the fans would like to hear more of their rare stuff but, 3 discs are enough. The booklet has two different stories on the band, you get some commentary by Maurice White about his experiences on the starting the group, rare photos, tracklisting, and a discography. The booklet is informative. This box set starts at 1970 to 1990. I brought the Best Of EWF...Vol.1 first before I listened to this anthology.I really love this box set because you get a lot of their before and after hits. So buy it if you're record collection of Earth, Wind, & Fire is worn out or if you want to listen to the power of EWF.

I would have given Vol. 2 5 stars if they stuck with the classics in Disc 2 but even with that it still is worth the purchase.

Are you a child of the disco era? Did you miss the disco era completely but do you dig the music? Look no further cause Centaur & Michael Fierman delivers the goods. Mickey serves up some delicious disco on disc one of this two CD scorcher. France Joli's COME TO ME pumps its disco synth finest, sing along with me

"And I love you And I want you And I need you And I want you Come to me . . . . "

Jackie Moore's THIS TIME BABY, track 2, got that 70's flavor. Listen for the bells in the intro. (Ring MY bell baby!) But Fierman digs in the crates and serves up fabulous disco on track 3, YOU MAKE ME FEEL (MIGHTY REAL). If you don't like track 6 by Marlene Shaw, you must at least dig the salacious title TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING. Donna Summer fans, listen for her delightful MacArthur Park. Finally, Fierman sets the roof on fire with Gloria Gaynor's I WILL SURVIVE. I know you know the words:

First I was afraid I was petrified Kept thinkin I could never live Without you by my side

Disc two grooves even harder than the first with Paris Red's GET WIT ME, a subtle 4/4 groove with a haunting background. Other top tracks you'll find: Cevin Fisher's YOU GOT ME (BURNIN' UP) and the song of the summer, Pete Heller's BIG LOVE.

It's 6:30 a.m. You have just spent your entire Saturday night dancing at the Pavillion. You are walking down Fire Island Boulevard back to your house in the Pines with what has to be the most-beautiful guy in the world. There's not a care in the world as the sun rises on another gorgeous Sunday out on the Island. And there's a song stuck in your head; a fun, happy, up-beat song that makes you want to keep dancing forever. A song that makes you remember this moment where everything is completely perfect. A song that makes you feel proud of who you are.

This CD has that song.

DJ David Knapp, of Roxy, Limelight, Twilo and Salvation fame, injects the CD with high energy high quality dance music. The ultra filtered super funky TESTIFY by M People kicks of this compilation. SO HI by Peak featuring Beverly Houston shines on track 3. Listen for the buildups, breakdowns and drumrolls and collect 10 points. Track 5, the ultra moody, minimalistic house/trance/progressive gem entitled 9pm TILL I COME by ATB thumps! Freestyle fans, no worries, Judy Torres is back with OUT HERE ON MY OWN. Sing along with me

"Sometimes I wonder Where I've been Who I Am . . . Out here on my own"

You'll also find MOMENTS by Noisemaker and WHENEVER THERE IS LOVE by Donna Summer and Bruce Roberts. The White Party, Anniversary Edition, a celebration of dance music!