Customer Reviews

Larry Levan Live at the Paradise Garage

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This double CD set is absolute essential listening for anyone who has anything to do with the dance music industry, and for all who simply love dance music.

Simply put, Larry Levan was one of the most creative and influential DJs in the world. Widely regarded as the man who gave birth to the art of DJing, he was one of the first to attempt to "mix" records live in the DJ booth and to create "remixes" utilizing instrumental mixes of songs. He was also known for blending widely divergent styles of music (i.e. gospel, reggae, Philly soul, Euro-disco, rock, post-punk/New Wave, and ambient/environmental, among others) into an other-worldly soundtrack--a style which later became known as "garage," named for the nightclub he presided over for the bulk of his career. Though he died in 1992, his influence and inspiration lives on today, and this nearly 90-minute set merely begins to explain why.

Digitally remastered from the original reel to reel tapes recorded live in Levan's DJ booth in 1979, this set captures the essence of an era in dance music that has long since passed but will never be forgotten. The CDs are being released in conjunction with Mel Cheren's autobiography "Keep On Dancin (My Life and the Paradise Garage)," which both serve to tell the history of one of dance music's most influential and renown nightclubs, Manhattan's Paradise Garage (1976-1987), and of its star DJ, Larry Levan.

The track listing includes such classic names as Ashford and Simpson, T Connection, Stephanie Mills, Crown Heights Affair, Shalamar, Melba Moore, the Supremes, and the Chi-lites, and classic hits like Cher's "Take Me Home" and John Gibbs and the US Steel Band's "Trinidad," amongst 18 others. To today's ears, Levan's mixes might sound more like trainwrecks at times, but given the time period in which he was working, his efforts were nothing short of revolutionary.

The CDs are accompanied by a compelling 36-page liner note booklet with oodles of quotes, anecdotes and tidbits of DJ/club culture history. Listen to these discs, read the book, and learn your history.

Larry takes us through a time portal to one night in 1979 with disco mixing at NewYork's famous Paradise Garage. This is not a set of radio saturated disco songs, however a set that truly represents the great diversity of underground disco. Larry begins the rollercoaster ride with the classic feel good "bourgie bourgie". The twists and turns continue on disc 1 with other gems such as "At Midnight", "Right in the Socket", "Take Me Home" and "Get on the Funk Train". Disc 2 continues the ride with the almost impossible to find gem "Bad Mouthin". "Let Yourself Go", "Angel in my Pocket", "Smack Dab in the Middle" and "Trinadad" are also worthy inclusions. Larry really hands out a smorgasboard with this recording with its great variety unlike current dance music that endeavours to be monotonous with the least change as possible. Larry Levan, one of the worlds most prominent djs knew how to work the crowd and stir their emotions, its a pity today's djs can't do this [as well]. This 2 disc set also comes with a booklet that writes about the history of the club from beginning to its closure.

being 18 yrs old i'm not supposed to know about the emotions old skool can bring up.my aunt put me on to larry levan....she used to go to the paradise garage. this album is ingenious and special. a time portal back to the past in the mind of a doctor. it made me experience....

This is a great collection of classic tracks as spun by legendary DJ, Larry Levan. At first listen, I wasn't too thrilled with this purchase, but when I realized five months later that I was still listening to it everyday, I knew I had to re-evaluate my first response. The CD's are filled with some amazing songs, including the beautiful and melodious Ashford and Simpson song which starts out the first disc, and Stephanie Mills' "Put Your Body In It." Every time I hear this song, I never fail to put my body in it, even when I'm on the subway...

It is also a great collection because you get to hear Larry's style of spinning, which, although stellar, is not seamless as you would imagine. Instead, he spins high drama, crashing new songs into the mix and taking you on an incredible disco journey. A must-have for any disco fan.

The Garage legend is partially captured on this double CD. Larry was a master DJ. He always knew what to play & when to play it! One night I was in the booth watching him spin(I don't remember HOW I managed that!) He had total control of the crowd. The sound system was unreal! Stacks of Macintosh power amps in the booth, speakers so high you could commit suicide and bass that I was sure would literally split me in half!

This collection is a must-have for all that remember or anyone interested in learning how it all began. The mixing may seem primitive, even awkward at times but who cares? The tracks are so good! I'm thankful to have been a part of a place so special because it will never happen again!

If you were never lucky enough to have been there, try to imagine a club where all that mattered was the music. My standard outfit was t-shirt, shorts & sneakers. Dancing without a partner was common, but you never danced alone.

Buy it for a trip to Paradise!

being 18 yrs old i'm not supposed to know about the emotions old skool can bring up.my aunt put me on to larry levan....she used to go to the paradise garage. this album is ingenious and special. a time portal back to the past in the mind of a doctor. it made me experience....

i give this cd 4 stars simply for existing! as a paradise garage core member for years, my life was seriously diminished in quality when king st closed. larry was the finest dj ever - he knew how to mix without ever cutting out the break in each selection. he showcased the music, not his dj skills. my only criticism of the cd and all the backround info i read is that it seems watered down to me. the real story was this:
DANCING ROOM ONLY -too dark to see -too sweaty to be pretty- girls in high heels dont belong there- grinding your body against complete strangers of both genders is expected. It was a group orgy of dance-worship to the tribal music gods. are there any clubs anywhere in the usa even close to that these days? if so, save my life and email me the 411. i'm dying to be dancing.

This is a great album for Larry Levan fans or just those wanting to hear the mixing skills and music taste of one of the most influential deejays of dance music - from disco to garage to house and beyond.
The mixes may not be as 100% beat perfect as you would get on a CD mixed by one of todays' deejays, but remember that this is a live set with the minor flaws adding to the authenticity and charm. No studio software creation of perfect (and sometimes bland) mixes here. To my mind - and unlike the Studio 54 style - Larry never seemed to pick tracks purely on their "mixability" but rather selected his tracks on musical merit and then did a good job mixing them anyway.

I particularly like his very subtle use of two copies of Stephanie Mills "Put Your Body In It" where Larry starts the record not at it's rather cold intro but at much later vibey break and then continually mixes the same break over and over (if you listen at around 54 seconds and 1 minute 10 seconds and 1 minute 30 seconds into this track you can just pick this).
It's easy to see how he was such an influence on the current house style of sampling and repeating key elements of classic disco tracks.

This is an astounding set, all the more impressive when you realise it was recorded in 1979 and a piece of history well worth owning.
Buy it now and play it loud!

This is great stuff, but make no mistake, it's pure break-out-the-flares disco. If you're looking for something from this early 80's era with a bit more funk / early House Music sound, try David Mancuso's 'The Loft' instead.

If you are into any kind of dance music, then this cd is an essential one. Outstanding track selection and mix by Mr. Levan himself. A rare and special recording that will last for many years to come, guaranteed to put you in a dancing mood everytime you listen to it!!! This is the real thing. Go for it!!!!!!!!!!!!