Customer Reviews

Disco Years 4: Lost in Music

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

 

 

i really liked the selections of songs but i was dissapointed with the length of the songs, there all the edited versions, for a compilation like this with hard to find songs they should put the long versions it bought back some good memories but again i felt a little empty with the short versions here.

There's no other way to put it: this collection is a must for anyone who loves disco. The first six tracks are absolutely essential. French idol Sheila's Chic-produced hit "Spacer" is very hard to find, and is among the greatest of disco songs ever made. It has been sampled in Alcazar's 2001 hit "Crying At the Discotheque." Diana Ross' Chic-produced "I'm Coming Out" is another 1980 song that ranks in top disco essentials. "I Like Love" is classic Chic work--produced for former member Norma Jean. Change tracks are another bonus. Get this CD!

This is an excellent compilation of late 1970's dance music. Most of the tracks did make the sales charts, and some were huge hits, like Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff" (a gorgeous blend of disco & guitar rock), Sister Sledge's "He's The Greatest Dancer" and "Lost In Music", and Chic's "Good Times. " The smaller hitettes include the tracks by Change, "I'm Coming Out" by Diana Ross, "Spacer" by Sheila B and "I.O.U." by Freez. Sales charts aside, they were all huge on the dance charts and popular dancefloor fillers in the disco heyday - I remember Musique's sorta risqué "In The Bush" nestling atop the disco top 50 all those years ago. Some of these songs now sound better than then, like Norma Jean's excellent "High Society" and the gorgeous "I Like Love" with its tinkling bell sounds. This is a wonderful collection of female vocal disco that gave me hours of nostalgic pleasure in reliving a misspent youth!

Hey Donna Summer fans, this is the only place that you can find this extended version of Donna Summer Hot Stuff. Its the single version but she ad libs more at the end, its about a minute more and i have never found this version on any Donna Summer compilation. I dont know why this version isnt on any of her cds, but its truly cool with a different ending.

If you want a collection of radio hits, this disc will disappoint you, with a few exceptions. However, if you want a collection of cuts that the DEEJAYS played in the clubs, this is a great series. Yes many of these will be unfamiliar to you unless you were there, but I guarantee you they sound great with your amp cranked to '11' and 50 to 100 people all up on their feet dancing. If you missed that era and want to know what it was like I recommend this CD and some of the others in the series. This may not have been mixed by a deejay, but a deejay definitely provided the list.

Like all compilations by Rhino Records in the 90's, Disco Years Series, contain original versions, the sound quality is excellent, even today in 2010, with such technology, the mastering done in those years is impeccable. I bought them all. I made an excellent deal in money and product quality.

This CD takes you "beyond the hits" and will introduce you so some great stuff played, produced, and written by Chic, but not released under the Chic name. If you're a Chic fan, definitely check this one out.

Nice to see Rhino put out more than the same hits that are on every other disco compilation album.

The Disco Years, Volume 4: Lost in Music is one hour, seventeen minutes, and twenty-nine seconds and was released on May 12, 1992. Of the eighteen songs on this CD, only fourteen charted and of those fourteen, only seven hit number one. This makes the fewest number ones in this series so far. Also on this CD, there are more unknown artists as well. The music is great and unfamiliar as well. There are songs like Spacer, I.O.U, and Paradise that I never heard of. Some songs I did get lost in the music. The Disco Years, Volume 4: Lost in Music is well worth the money and gets an AAA+++.

Good Time-Chic
#1 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles
#1 U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles
#1 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play
#26 U.S. Billboard Easy Listening
High Society-Norma Jean
#19 U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles
He's the Greatest Dancer-Sister Sledge
#9 U.S. Billboard Pop Singles
#1 U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles
#1 U.S. Billboard Club Play Singles Chart
Spacer-Sheila & B. Devotion
I'm Coming Out-Diana Ross
#5 U.S. Billboard Pop Singles
#6 U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles
#1 U.S. Billboard Club Play Singles
I Like Love-Norma Jean
I Love You More-Rene & Angela
#14 U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles
Keep It Comin' Love- KC & The Sunshine Band
#2 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles
#1 U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles
Fresh-Kool & The Gang
#9 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles
#1 U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles
#1 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play
In The Bush-Musique
#58 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles
I'm Caught Up (In A One Night Love Affair)-Inner Life
#22 U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles
A Lover's Holiday-Change
#40 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles
#5 U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles
Don't Make Me Wait-Peech Boys
One More Shot-C-Bank featuring Jenny Burton
I.O.U-Freeez
#13 U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles
#1 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Stuff-Donna Summer
#1 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles
#3 U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles
#1 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play
Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1980
Paradise-Change
#80 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles
#7 U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles
Lost In Music-Sister Sledge
#35 U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles

THE FOLLOWING 18 SONGS BELOW ARE SONGS THAT ARE CONTAIN WITH THE ALBUM ABOVE. MANY OF THE TITLES BELOW MAY NOT BE FAMILAR TO YOU, BUT BELIEVE ME ,THIS IS A EXCELLENT SELECTION OF R&B DISCO TYPE COLLECTION OUT THERE FOR THE BUCKS. 1 Good Times - Chic 2. High Society - Norma Jean 3. He's The Greatest Dancer - Sister Sledge 4. Spacer - Sheila And B. Devotion 5. I'm Coming Out - Diana Ross 6. I Like Love - Norma Jean - (bonus track) 7. I Love You More - Rene And Angela + 8. Keep It Comin' Love - KC And Sunshine Band 9. Fresh - Kool And The Gang 10. In The Bush - Musique 11. I'm Caught Up - Inner Life 12. Lover's Holiday, A - Change (bonus track) 13. Don't Make Me Wait - Peech Boys 14. One More Shot - C-Bank w/Jenny Burton 15. I. O. U. - Freeez - (bonus track) 16. Hot Stuff - Donna Summer 17. Paradise - Change 18. Lost In Music - Sister Sledge THE 2 SONGS FROM "CHANGE" ARE EXCELLENT!! THIS WAS LUTHER VANDROS'S DANCE BAND IN THE LATE 70'S, BUT THEY BROKE UP AFTER HAVING THESE 2 HITS AND HE OF COURSE WENT SOLO TO SING LOVE BALLADS. HEY STOP READING THIS & GO GET IT ALREADY, I JUST DID!!!! DJ A.J. FROM NYC.....

Of all of the CD's Rhino issued in "The Disco Years" series, this is the only one that has an underlying theme. The majority of the songs are either by Chic, produced by Chic, or were heavily influenced by Chic. Here is a track by track review:

1. Good Times by Chic: Their last big hit, went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. A timeless classic.

2. High Society by Norma Jean: Former Chic vocalist. I am not sure why she left the group to go solo, but the question is, why did she bother? She certainly did not achieve any success as a solo artist and the songs were still written and produced by Chic. The song is great, but it is for all intents purposes a Chic song.

3. He's the Greatest Dancer by Sister Sledge: "We are Family" may have been a bigger hit, but to me this Chic-produced recording is the Sledge's best song ever. Another classic from 1979.

4. Spacer by Sheila & B. Devotion: Another song produced by Chic, but totally forgettable. Chic produced other, much better songs than this one that could have been included here.

5. I'm Coming Out by Diana Ross: From the marvelous Chic-produced "Diana" album. This was easily Diana Ross' best album and this track was one of her best songs.

6. I Like Love by Norma Jean: Another Norma Jean solo recording that is undistinguishable from her work with Chic. Another good song, but I think possibly the reason why Chic as a group started to falter after 1979 is that they started to spread themselves too thin. I mean, aside from their own records, they were working with Diana Ross, Sister Sledge, Norma Jean, etc.

7. I Love You More by Rene and Angela: Not produced by Chic, but decidedly influenced by Chic. A good song, even if it does seem like a bit of a rip-off.

8. Keep it Comin' Love by KC and the Sunshine Band: This song was a hit before Chic became popular, so you can't accuse them of stealing that guitar riff from Chic. Hmmm, maybe Chic stole from them? A great song that I remember having on a vinyl 45 back in 1977 when I was 9 years old.

9. Fresh by Kool and the Gang: Why oh why is this god-awful song here?! It was released way after the disco era (1985), it is certainly not a disco song, and it is quite likely Kool & the Gang's 2nd worse song ever behind "Cherish".

10. In the Bush by Musique: A very sexually risque song. Now, there was good sexual-inuendo disco music ("Love to Love You Baby" is the perfect example), but this song is just embarassing and it was music like this that sped up the death of disco.

11. I'm Caught Up (In a One Night Love Affair) by Inner Life: A good, if somewhat forgettable song.

12. A Lover's Holiday by Change: The Chic influences are quite apparent on this disco classic.

Tracks 13, 14 & 15 were released after the official disco era, they are technically not disco songs, they are categorically early 80's dance/techno tunes, they are not particularly good songs, and Rhino should be ashamed of themselves for including them on this CD.

16. Hot Stuff by Donna Summer: Rhino redeems themselves by including one of Donna's best songs. Even though she was dubbed the Queen of Disco, it is because of songs like this that Donna has survived and thrived after disco died.

17. Paradise by Change: Another great song by the dance/studio group Change, and once again heavily influenced by the Chic sound.

18. Lost in Music by Sister Sledge: This Chic production failed to have the same impact as "He's the Greatest Dancer" or "We are Family", but a great song nonetheless.

Buy this CD for the great Chic and Chic influenced music, but skip over the other tracks that are a waste of time.