Customer Reviews

Grand 12 Inches 2

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is truly an incredible collection, and you need not fear the quality. This is fully licensed material and is distributed by Sony Music. It's incredible that they've included some 12" versions that were actually FULL sides of a vinyl LP, running more than 15 minutes. I only have a couple of issues based on what I know about some of this original material. On disc 1, "Let It All blow" by Dazz Band is a minute shorter than on my original 12"!!! I can't figure out why they would edit one of the singles. I noticed the same thing with "Medicine Song" by Stephanie Mills...it's 20 seconds shorter than my original 12" (you can find the full 12" version on the CD "I Love Funky Disco"). And finally, although "twilight zone" by Manhattan transfer says it's the 12" version, this is the album length. The 12" version ran 30 seconds longer (believe it or not) and I've only seen it available on CD on an out-of-print CD called Atlantic Dance Classics. It's unfortunate that an almost flawless set of 12" singles on CD is, indeed, flawed. Track times are:

CD 1

1. TELEX - Moskow Diskow (English) (5:25)
2. HARRY THUMANN - Underwater (6:01)
3. MARTIN CIRCUS - Disco Circus (14:02)
4. HAROLD FALTERMEYER - Axel F (7:12)
5. C.O.D. - In The Bottle (6:03)
6. DAZZ BAND - Let It All Blow (5:51)
7. DAN HARTMAN - Vertigo / Relight My Fire (11:59)
8. SUPERMAX - Love Machine (8:38)
9. AMERICAN GYPSY - I'm OK, You're OK (5:24)
10. TELEX - Moskow Diskow (French) (7:28)

CD 2

1. GRANDMASTER FLASH - The Message (7:13)
2. BLONDIE - Rapture (10:02)
3. CHEMISE - She Can't Love You (5:04)
4. STEPHANIE MILLS - Medicine Song (6:20)
5. COLONEL ABRAMS - Trapped (6:28)
6. T-CONNECTION - At Midnight (9:42)
7. LATOYA JACKSON - If You Feel The Funk (5:11)
8. MIAMI SOUND MACHINE - Dr. Beat (6:31)
9 . PETER BROWN - Love Is Just The Game (7:00)
10. THE LIMIT - Say Yeah (10:34)

CD 3

1. SHARON REDD - Can You Handle It (8:58)
2. DAVID JOSEPH - You Can't Hide (Your Love From Me) (6:41)
3. SHARON BROWN - Specialize In Love (7:13)
4. JEAN CARN - Was That All It Was (6:31)
5. MTUME - So You Wanna Be A star (5:19)
6. HUGH MASAKELA - Don't Go Lose It Baby (7:35)
7. MIAMI SOUND MACHINE - Conga (5:55)
8. MANHATTAN TRANSFER - Twilight Zone (6:06)
9. DONNA SUMMER - Last Dance (8:10)
10. SANTA ESMERALDA - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood (16:12)

CD 4

1. THE JACKSONS - Can You Feel It (6:08)
2. M - Popmuzik (4:54)
3. PAUL HARDCASTLE - 19 (5:14)
4. MDMC - How About It (7:24)
5. THE BBQ BAND - On The Beat (5:55)
6. SUNBELT- Spin It (7:38)
7. FELIX - Don't You Want Me (5:54)
8. YAZOO - Don't Go (8:25)
9. SHEILA E - Glamorous Life (6:34)
10. MACHO - I'm A Man (17:34)

To Date This Is The Absolute Best Mastering Job I Have Heard Involving "Classics"!

Finally Someone Takes Quality Seriously. I Was So Impressed That I Emailed Me Liebrand To Congratulate Him.

A Very, Very Nice Box Set That Is Reasonably Priced And While I Am Not A Fan Of Every Song On Here (I Do Understand That Mr. Liebrand Has To Please A Large Audience) I Would Have Purchased It For The Following Rare Releases:

HARRY THUMANN - Underwater (6:01)

DAN HARTMAN - Vertigo / Relight My Fire (11:59)

COLONEL ABRAMS - Trapped (6:28)

T-CONNECTION - At Midnight (9:42)

SHARON REDD - Can You Handle It (8:58)

DAVID JOSEPH - You Can't Hide (Your Love From Me) (6:41)

SHARON BROWN - Specialize In Love (7:13)

JEAN CARN - Was That All It Was (6:31)

HUGH MASAKELA - Don't Go Lose It Baby (7:35)

PAUL HARDCASTLE - 19 (5:14)

THE BBQ BAND - On The Beat (5:55)

And Especially For: MACHO - I'm A Man (17:34)

And MARTIN CIRCUS - Disco Circus (14:02)

Not Only Do You Get Several Very Rare Releases But You Get Them In Actual CD Quality!

Bravo Ben!

I Love the collection that Ben Liebrand has put together. 40 tracks of disco heaven. They sound sooo good. I cherish every cd i have from Ben. Classics from Peter Brown- Love is just a game. Harry Thumann- Underwater & Dan Hartman- Relight my fire (Full 12 minute vocal version. Full twelve inch versions, the best sound quality. Very rare disco singles. Check out www.benliebrand.nl for more information. LOVE IT

There are simply too many mediocre songs in this collection. It seems to be an error in judgement on the compiler's part. They're not underground classics, either - just vaguely experimental disco songs. They often seem pedestrian, with poor structure. There's also a lot of early synth pop in here - rather mechanical German-sounding disco. When you come across a good song, like BBQ's 'On the Beat', you realise how disposable much of the rest of the material is.

The quality of the transfers is very high, there's no doubt about it. And to a certain extent it is a fun collection. But there's probably too much forgettable material here. Would it really be any great loss if we didn't have Macho's 'I'm a Man'? I haven't heard the first volume, and there seems to be more classics on that ('Get Down Saturday Night', 'Superfreak' and so on). Part of the problem may be its European origins - they often prefer inorganic sounding dance music, more urban-industrial stuff.

There's one more problem - I think. I might be wrong about this, but when the CD was mastered, the volume seems pitched a bit low. I noticed this one other time with a CD from the Netherlands - it's a bit irritating to have to turn it up. If you listen to Soul Jazz's CDs you realise how good a CD can be. Overall I'm tempted to say skip this. There are better disco and Old School collections out there - I'm looking forward to hearing Soul Jazz's "A Tom Moulton Mix."

I can't improve or add on to what the other reviewers have stated. I just wished they (Sony, or someone) had mixed these together to create a non-stop continuous mix. It's probably a good thing they didn't, I would have had a heart attack and died in ecstasy while dancing by myself in my living room.

The remasterd sound of the tracks is excellent!I might buy volume one even though I own all the tracks on other cd's just because of the sound. Some very hard to find tracks are on here.The oddball track is Felix-Don't You Want My Love?This track was produced in 92-93,and I wouldn't consider this a flaw.

a must for the Disco/House lovers. Brings back memories of U.S. Studio/The Warehouse: 206 South Jefferson, Chicago!!!

Each compilation is unique and has brought back many memories of what clubbing use to be. Of course some songs I don't like; probably went to the bar during that time when they were being spinned, but I still give Five+ Stars to Ben Liebrand. I believe you've done a good job of preserving the past. There are more hits than missed on each Grand 12-Inches. Native Love . . . man what-a-time what-a-time!!!

Folk will always have a yea or a nay in anything someone else is doing. You keep standing Ben anyhow. PEACE!

These songs bring back so many memories. They are all original versions and full length. There were songs that I knew but didn't know the title. I am so happy to own it.

An amazing collection of tracks with blistering sound quality.My 1500 watts 8 speakers with dual 15" sub-woofers stereo multi-channel system is just kicking..my brick walls are not happy with the vibration but iam not easing the pressure.