Customer Reviews

The Casablanca Years

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It's not TRULY the best of Casablanca without the final act, her overlooked "BLACK ROSE" CD! But that's o.k., I found the import version (which lacks the cool cover art, but hey, I can deal). But some of these songs on CD sound better than on the scatched album copies I had. "Wasn't It Good" with the vocoder is fun and her teenybopper rap in the middle is cute. Of course you get the classic "Take Me Home" - - what about the retro-40's, swing tempo'ed kitchy "Shoppin'?" Kind of fun especially during the break where she goes "No, it's Cher! Just Cher!" And the almost new wave-y, weird fast song "Boys & Girls?" Where'd she get that one and who the hell is the writer, Billy Falcon? David Paich from the band Toto (former boyfriend, I believe) is all over the "Prisoner" cuts and that cut has a great early 80's rock arrangement. Love it, love the concept, execution and cover art. Enjoy!

I love this CD. The songs are great and many have a great dance beat : Prisoner, Wasn't It Good, and Take Me Home. I love the Full version of Take me Home and how someone could not like Wasn't It Good, is just beyond me. But hey to each their own.

I don't know why some people take these two albums so seriously. they are DISCO people. I think they are hysterically fun. I love the synthisizers and big drum beats, the wonderful part where she talks in 'wasn't it good' and the just silly fun of 'prisoner' and 'hell on wheels'. This is vintage camp Cher at her best! the only complaint is where are the original pictures from these two albums. It would have been a big plus for the viking pictures and the ones of her in just hair and chains (two of her sexiest photot shoots ever!) had been included.

In April of 1996, Cher had still been on a four year long hiatus, still doing commercials for facial cream and exercising equipment, but she wanted fans to have a little more of her music. So, she put out another compilation. This one is entitled, THE CASABLANCA YEARS. This album is actually contains every song from both the PRISONER & TAKE ME HOME albums. Calling it THE CASABLANCA YEARS was due to the fact the songs on this album were recorded on the albums that were with Casablanca Records. This album is just absolutely incredible. Not quite as great as I had hoped, but it was outstanding enough for me to just sit back and enjoy.

TAKE ME HOME
From the album TAKE ME HOME (1979). This will always be one of my favorite Cher songs. I just love the disco sound that was featured in the song. Many fans will still recognize this song even today. And why shouldn't they? If you saw Cher on her LIVING PROOF: THE FAREWELL TOUR, you will have seen Cher perform this song on that tour. That performance featured Cher in a long red open sequenced vest, where most of her stomach was shown, a long red sequenced skirt, with her thighs revealed, and a red tassled wig. Her dancers were dressed in red outfits, and giving seriously risque dance moves. This performance was one of Cher's, in my opinion, most stunning performances.

WASN'T IT GOOD
From the album TAKE ME HOME (1979). Not bad.

SAY THE WORD
From the album TAKE ME HOME (1979). Not bad.

HAPPY WAS THE DAY WE MET
From the album TAKE ME HOME (1979). Not bad.

GIT DOWN (GUITAR GROUPIE)
From the album TAKE ME HOME (1979). Amazingly done.

LOVE AND PAIN
From the album TAKE ME HOME (1979). Great.

LET THIS BE A LESSON TO YOU
From the album TAKE ME HOME (1979). Great.

IT'S TOO LATE (TO LOVE ME NOW)
From the album TAKE ME HOME (1979). Great song.

MY SONG (FAR TOO GONE)
From the album TAKE ME HOME (1979). Not bad.

PRISONER
From the album PRISONER (1979). Awesome tune.

HOLDIN' OUT FOR LOVE (1979).
From the album PRISONER (1979). Not bad.

SHOPPIN'
From the album PRISONER (1979). This song fits all the women in the country, who love to do nothing but shop their little a**es off. Just kidding. Great song.

BOYS AND GIRLS
From the album PRISONER (1979). Not bad.

MIRROR IMAGE
From the album PRISONER (1979). Whenever I hear this song, I think of what people would think about themselves when they look into the mirror. Most people will look into the mirror and find an image that makes them think of themselves as too ugly. Let me tell you now that you are who you are and it doesn't matter what you look like on the outside. It is what's on the inside that counts. So, check out this song.

HELL ON WHEELS
From the album PRISONER (1979). I don't know if Hell is on wheels, but I know that Hell is doing it's dirty work on this planet because of all the bullsh*t we're seeing happen all around us. Murders, shootings, drug deals, drinking & driving, the events on 9-11, etc. This is a song that I always make sure to listen to.

HOLY SMOKE
From the album PRISONER (1979). Not bad.

OUTRAGEOUS
From the album PRISONER (1979). Great. No, Britney Spears did not re-record this song. The two songs have the same title, but are totally different and separate. Don't forget that.

I wouldn't call this album a Grammy winner, but this album is definitely worth your time. Most of the songs on here on okay, but the album is still worth buying. So, take the time to be the album that will TAKE YOU HOME and make you a PRISONER.

After several murky albums that followed the breakup of S&C, Cher moved briefly to Casblanca, who gave her a colorful make-over on a pair of DISCO albums released only 6 months apart in '79. I liked the results more than most of the dance-stuff that littered the airwaves-- and those "costumes" she almost wasn't wearing on the covers didn't hurt, either! Who could forget the revealing golden "Viking bikini" on TAKE ME HOME? I wondered how she could wear less-- and on PRISONER, I got my answer, as she appeared, in an obvious tribute to a BORIS painting clad only in chains-- and her hair. (Whoa!) "Take Me Home" and "Wasn't It Good" (sort of a before-and-after combo) and "Git Down (Guitar Groupie)" redefined Cher as the kind of woman who would-- with anybody-- and just made you want to get in line. Sadly, they missed the chance to include the single versions, as "Wasn't It Good" actually had RACIER lyrics on the 45 than on the LP! (There's a switch.) Of course, "Prisoner" had one of the catchiest beats I'd ever heard for a dance tune, while "Holdin' Out For Love" was almost a "back-to-sanity" piece for someone who's been partying too much. Okay-- it's not the greatest. But I love it for what it is. And I sure wish I had wall-posters of those covers for my room!

Cher is featured mostly in a disco mode on this 2 lp compilation from the disco era. The production is slick and predictable, and Cher sounds like she had to cut these lps! There is a feeling of the artist not really making the most of her god-given contralto. There are some numbers that deserve a listen. The hits " Take Me Home", and "Wasn't it Good", are commercial stand-outs.The Bob Esty penned "Shoppin' is a real 40s' tribute and is Cher biographical too. Chers' paen to Greg Allman, "Too Far Gone" is one of the few songs she ever wrote to be featured on an albumn.It is a simple moving vocal, and probably the most emotive cut. "Hell on Wheels" and "Outrageous" are absolute trash, and are material noone could revive, not even the mercurial Cher.

The Casablanca Years and Take me Home/Prisoner are the same album The Casablanca Years is cheeper buy this one Take Me Home/Prisoner

As bonus tracks, it would have been great to have the single version of "wasn't it good", with the alternate 'uncensored' lyrics. But even more crucial would have been the song "Bad Love" produced by Giorgio Moroder, which only appeared on the Casablanca vinyl soundtrack to the movie "Foxes," and which would have fit snuggly on this set. It doesn't look like that soundtrack will ever surface on CD.

This Cd concists of the 2 albums Prisoner and Take Me Home Cher recorded for Casablanca! The songs are pure airhead disco and showcase the ditzy side of Cher we love! The song "Shoppin" alone is worth the purchase and of course "Hell On wheels" from Roller Boogie! My only problem is that the record company tried to dress this cd up with a tasteful cover picture. This music deserves the outlandish photos from the original lp's. Oh Cher we love when you're having fun!!

...ESTE CD ES SIMPLEMENTE GENIAAAAAL! AUNQUE YO NI SIQUIERA NACIA CUANDO ESTAS CANCIONES ERAN HITS, SIENTO COMO SI LAS CONOCIERA DE TODA UNA VIDA...SON MUY BUENAS, EN ESPECIAL WASN'T IT GOOD! Y POR SUPUESTO TAKE ME HOME...COMPRALO!