Customer Reviews

Macho Man

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

 

 

If you are a hardcore Village People fan, then this CD is probably already in your rack. If you're one of those casual Village People fans who think one of the "Greatest Hits" collection will suffice, well... slightly adjust that thought by throwing this piece of work into your shopping cart along with that "Best of" compilation. The song "Macho Man" is enjoyable on its own, and those familiar with its radio play are used to hearing the tune fade away at the end. On this album, the song doesn't really end, but makes a powerful transition into "I Am What I Am." After hearing these tunes connect, "Macho Man" alone is not the same for me! "I Am What I Am" is also, in my opinion, one of those under appreciated Village People songs. While the rendition of "Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" does little for me, the rest of this CD jumpstarts my batteries during the sleepiest of mornings. Both "Key West" and "Sodom and Gomorrah" are nice lengthy pieces that are great whether you're dancing, listening closely, or just using as peppy background music during chores or computer games (I often spin this CD while blasting, bombing, and chainsawing evil-doers when I'm playing "Doom"). Trust me on this call; this is a worthwhile buy in addition to the compilations!

I can't believe I found this for fifty cents at a flea market recently...at that price, how could I resist? After all, I was the whole of maybe 17 years old when this originally came out and it got played a lot at high school dances.

On the other hand, I didn't remember that the whole affair barely clocked in at more than a half hour, or that the two songs on side one were a little longer than 10 minutes. But for those ten minutes, the glorious bubble-gum disco of "Macho Man/I Am What I Am" completely obliterates the old arguments about disco, and makes a great statement about being who you are, no matter what society tells you. And it's still catchy as all get out.

After that, "Macho Man" is cheesy filler. "Key West" is marginal, but the dopey remake of "Just A Gigalo/Ain't Got Nobody" actually makes you long for David Lee Roth, and "Sodom and Gomorra" is dreadful. I picked this up strictly for nostalgia purposes, and I'm glad I did, because that first 10 minutes takes me back. Causal onlookers can probably be served just as well by "The Millennium Collection" or by any of the dozens of Village People greatest hits collections out there.

I'd give the B-side one star, it's very lame, but side A is just golden, golden. I dig this so much that it doesn't leave the turn table, it's making all the other records collect dust and grow old. Now don't get me wrong, I am a macho man, many times have I dubbed this onto a tape and mashed to it at the health club, lifting mad wieghts and sweating profusly. I get kinda sad near the end when cool cat tells us "DO YOU DIG MY CHEST? MY THICK MOUSTACHE?" cause I can't grow chest hair and my mustache is weak (people wonder why I haven't shaved my stubble, but it took me 3 weeks to grow that!). If you are a macho man, you will dig this, it will make you want to find the first guy you see and... give him a high five, that is if he is macho. If he is weak and fat, then you will want to pound him, cause he is weak and is edge is not strong! But my edge is the strongest of the strong! I power mosh to this in the morning, then I take a bubble bath and think about how strong the edge is! Oh this LP is so good, I spun it three times in a row when I first heard it, the B-side is weak though! Sodom and Gohmorah is faking the funk, you know the Village People just wrote this cause the label was like "stop looking so gay" and they were like "well I guess a blble song would make us look less gay." I am What I am!

The Village People performed many songs full of energy; and their music was great for dancing or just when I wanted to listen to some special disco tunes back in the day! Indeed, they were so good then that their music still sounds wonderful in our time; I always enjoy putting an album like this into my portable CD player and listening to this over and over again! They were and remain upbeat gay men, very much out of the closet and proud; and this was reflected in the vast majority of their tunes. Yet even straights can enjoy these songs; if anyone likes disco this is a CD they should get for their collection! The sound quality could be a little bit better but overall this remains a strong album.

"Macho Man" starts the CD off with an awesome number that lots of people will like. The chorus they sing balances the lead vocals and I like that. "I Am What I Am" is very well done; and there's yet another golden nugget in "Key West" which brings up images of this gay friendly community. As with all these songs, the beat really grabs me and pulls me in; it makes me want to dance to the music practically without my even thinking about it!

"Just a Gigolo" and "I Ain't Got Nobody" are actually old standards; but you'd never guess it by the way The Village People deliver these with lots of get-up-and-go and a perfect beat! The CD ends with The Village People performing "Sodom and Gomorrah;" this is well done even if it doesn't truly fit in with the openly-gay, $ex having male flavor of the album.

Village People fans should get this CD; it may not have the best sound quality and "Sodom and Gomorrah" may not completely fit in, but the overall quality is so good and full of campy fun that you won't regret it.

The Village People generally are not recognized for doing very much by most. These days, it would seem that even the gay community does not pay much heed to them, yet it was by sheer chance that I happened upon this not to well known gem.

Though everyone knows the Village People for their three most famous hit singles (one of which is on this album), not many give much reconition to their political side. No one, for the most part, would expect a disco group to even distribute anything that goes much deeper than perhaps being able to survive without their former lover or coming up and wanting the world to know.

On hearing this group's three most famous singles, we only get a hint of the depth of intelligence that this group actually posses. Overall this is a surprisingly good studio recording.... Starting with the song everyone knows and loves, Macho Man, on this album is actually a bit longer than the regular single version and nicely blends into the next and best track on the album, I am what I am. With that track I was totally blown away! I can't get enough of it.... It was as if they wrote it for me, containing lyrics of such depth as "I did not choose the way I am," and "I am what I am," overall this song is a political statement on human rights, the likes of which we don't have...

The album then moves on to Key West, a decent song about getting away from everything and going to a glorious new paradise. I ain't got Nobody and Just a Jigolo are actually one single track split into two and is a cover song, mostly put on the album to fill it up. It is nicely performed and does not take much from the rest of the album; at least it's interesting to hear another cover of this besides the famous David Lee Roth version, but the album's high piont is with the final song, Sodom & Gommorah, another beaty political statment song which is a lot more serious than most general disco songs people are more used to. One has to hear it to believe it.

Overall, I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't buy this album. Pricewise, it is practicaclly a steal. Most certainly worth buying! Why then, did I penalize it one star...? Only for one reason actually: the album is a bit short, clocking at under 30 minutes, but otherwise a consistant album from beggining to end.

Back in the day, when we spent the night going from club to club, dripping gold chains and polyester, sporting the most intricately blow-dried hairstyles of the day (...and the girls looked nice, too!) this was most often the music that got everyone away from the bar and onto the dance floor.

If you loved the Village People, no amount of trashing by the critics will change your mind. This is some awesome, unforgettable disco music that will make you get up and dance again. (But I'll never wear those 6" heels with the rhinestone ankle straps ever, ever again!!)

One of the best disco acts of the 70s. I already had this album on tape but i still prefer hearing this album on cd with highs and lows noticeably clear enough on digital transfer. Their style of music was so unique and very much different from other disco albums of the 70s, bouncy and truly danceable.

I wish those producers in the business will appreciate the quality of their style and possibly release all their albums. Many fans will surely be delighted to collect their albums not just the usual compilations available in the market today.

I followed their career for quite a long time and can assure you that their music will never be forgotten. I can honestly say that 70s disco music was THE BEST and can never be duplicated. Who can forget Macho Man, In The Navy, Sex Over The Phone, YMCA, etc. This album will surely remind you of the 70s, a well deserved place in your collection.

I love this album and the title song. This will get your heart pumping with this one. Like on American Bandstand, when these guys appeared, it has a nice beat, and is easy to dance to. My sister brought the album home one time, and listened to it like crazy. Village People was and still is the hottest group ever. I would get this album on my wish list. Their costumes are kool. Buy this puppy, and you will never stop listening to it!!!

i can't believe that jaques morali left to die the ritchie family to get involved in this project. the ritchie family was one of my favorite acts from the 70's. 75, 76 & 77 where their best years, with 4 albums & great success. it comes this album & they become a second act to village people. this record is boring, loud, undanceable unles you're drunk & you want to stomp on the floor for 10 minutes away. the only song that i found interesting is i'm just a gigolo/i ain't got nobody, that comes in 2 numbers, so when i pass it to my MP3 is gonna show with a break after the first minute+, so i'm not interested. victor willis voice is horrible. looks like he has a cold & he tryes to strain his voice to sing, & the worst is seing in the back of the inlay cover a picture of the whole group with jaques morali, incredible producer of acts like ritchie family & 2 albums of patrick juvet(i love america, viva california, got a feeling, lady night). what was he thinking? obviously on money from certain comunity. hope it served you well mr. morali & mr. belolo, because you changed the art of disco, that you managed so well, for s#!t.