Customer Reviews

The Disco Files 1973-78: New York's Underground Week by Week By Vince Aletti

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No revisionist history here!! These are the original weekly columns from Record World from 1974 to 1978. There are regional charts galore throughout the book so you can see where the songs were hits and how long they were popular. Unlike a lot of the billboard charts, the actual songs are listed instead of Grace Jones "Portfolio" (all cuts). The book is printed on heavy grade ultra white paper with tons of photographs of actual records both domestic and imports. There are also a lot of pictures too.

This is the ultimate reference book on Disco music, especially the early years from 1974-1976!!. There are weekly reviews of records and lots of disc jockey commentary. One (pre 12" single days) topic is the DJ's complaining about not receiving two copies of 45's that have a part 1 and part 2 on the other side. There are also pleas for universal formats of 12" singles so that the speed is listed and that they are always pressed at either 33 or 45. It is also amazing to read comments like, this week we have a new record by an unknown 16 year old named Stephanie Mills who has a powerful voice. You get to watch history unfold on a weekly basis when most people were not even taking notice.

The only major flaw is that this book is lacking is an index. Hopefully, someone will post one on the Internet or maybe a future revised edition will add this. The column was taken over by Brian Chin in 1979. It would be great for him to continue this with a sequel so that we can see the so called demise of disco.

An amazing 5 star book worth every penny. Thanks to all involved.

This book is Disco/Dance history from it's original cultural-rise. What better way to see how the great disco anthems unfolded then by actual Record World playlist, reviews and the savvy knowledge of then Disco Columnist Vince Aletti. The only thing that could have made it better is if it included every weekly Record World National Disco file chart. Otherwise there is every weekly playlist for the reporting Disco clubs of that era late 74-78. (Vince Aletti left RW the last week of 1978) Still a book of this kind can not be short-changed when it offers such an abundance of actual Disco Era info. Great job Mr. Aletti!!

Most of this awesome book consists of reprints, complete with photos and national and regional charts, of Vince Aletti's weekly Record World disco columns from November 1974 through December 1978. There are also over thirty pages of various disco articles Mr. Aletti wrote for other publications such as Rolling Stone and the Village Voice, plus an interview at the end of the book. A treasure trove of information about gazillions of disco records both massive and obscure.

A recurring theme through the couple of hundred pages I've read so far is that 12" singles had higher sound quality ("hotter", "brighter" mixes) than the versions included on the corresponding albums. Here's an example: "[a promo 12" of] War's "Galaxy", actually shorter than the LP version at 7:28 but minus the change-of-pace movement that made [it] difficult to play in the clubs...smooths things out and adds a crackling drum break, making one of our favorite funk songs (those lyrics!) even more accessible." (From January 21, 1978.) There are countless other examples describing the differences between various versions (12", 7", LP, imports) that are indispensible for the collector.

The reader can watch disco develop week by week, record by record. I agree with another reviewer that a companion volume of reviews into the '80's would be welcome. Although Mr. Aletti ended his column after December 16, 1978, Billboard magazine kept a column going. There were a lot of great records after 1978...yes, David Naughton, I'm talking about you...and I'd love to read about them too.

Any dance music fan will be astounded by this book; I am!

I was certainly a disco fan throughout the time period covered by this book, but because I was a young teenager I only knew the disco songs that had successfully crossed over to pop radio at the time. As the years have passed, of course, I have familiarized myself with many other disco tunes that escaped my notice back in the 1970s, but nearly every week's column as reprinted in this book brings to my attention records I've never heard (and frequently never even knew they existed). Just last night I learned that Lesley Gore apparently released a disco record in 1976; now I'm dying to hear that.

What's really great about this book is that it's easy to pick up for just a few minutes and then put down, since nearly every "chapter" is simply a reprint of a column that appeared back in disco's heyday.

This is a brilliant book for any fan of disco music.

An exceptional example of the real week by week disco story!
I've identify in these weeks my life into the great disco-funky-music as a "Disc Jockey"....not a "Dee Jay"!

Got this as a birthday gift for my husband who loves disco and is a great dj! He loved it! :-)

Fifteen seconds after opening this book, with all due respect to Joel Whitburn, I knew I'd found my new disco bible. It would have been nice if the publishers had included every Disco File Top 20 chart instead of one every three or four weeks. And it's too bad that the author didn't hang around at Record World one more year to document disco's implosion in 1979 in the pages of his column, for you do feel like part of the story is missing when the book comes to an (abrupt) end. But those are minor quibbles, because what is included here - top tens from legendary DJ's like Savarese, Gibbons, Levan, Benitez and Bleckman; a chronicling of a cultural and musical movement that transcends the author's album reviews; and a treasure trove of rare photos and record scans - is priceless.

A must have for any serious disco music enthusiast! A comprehensive chronical of the prime disco years. Brings back great memories.