Customer Reviews

Menergy

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

 

 

PATRICK COWLEY ALONG WITH GEORGIO MORODER ARE THE VISIONARIES BEHIND ELECTRONIC MUSIC. FROM THE BEGINNING, PATRICK COWLEY WAS HANDCRAFTING HIS TRACKS AND IS THE MASTER. ALL THE TRACKS ARE SCINTILATINGLY ELECTRONIC. THE POUNDING THUMP OF THE BASSLINE AND A SEXUAL COMPUTERIZED RIFF COULD CARRY THESE TUNES EVEN ON TODAY'S DANCEFLOORS. THIS IS HI-NRG AT ITS MOST PURE AND DECADANT...ESPECIALLY NOTABLE IS "X-FACTOR" AND "I WANNA TAKE YOU HOME". IF COWLEY WAS CREATING THIS TYPE OF MUSIC IN THE EARLY 80'S IMAGINE WHAT HE WOULD BE DOING TODAY IF STILL ALIVE. HE IS TRULY A GENIUS. THANKS PATRICK FOR THE MEMORIES AND YOUR MUSIC.

This CD contains the orginial and best version of the song titled "Menergy", it was first recorded for Fusion Records label and this CD version sounds great!, this is a "must" for early 80's music fans and serious collectors! Enjoy it!

This is the first early 80's album that still keeps your feet moving and is truly unforgettable.

It's taken me years to get off my backside and buy this album, and I am so glad I did. Patrick Cowley was a visionary, and HI NRG fans owe alot to him.
He, took charge of Disco crafted by Giorgio Moroder and developed the progression to HI NRG.
Listening to the "Fusion" album or "Menergy" is like listening to the birth of Hi NRG in it's earliest and rawest form. The imperfections can easily be forgiven due to the early stages and experimentation by Patrick himself. In fact the flaws give the tracks such unique character, that is sadly lacking in many "perfect" productions that followed it.
My favourite track on this album is "X Factor", which is an instrumental slice of Electronic Hi NRG heaven.
Every fan of 80s HI NRG need to have this album, as it paved the way for what was to come from Megatone and extended to influence the likes of Bobby Orlando, Stock Aitken Waterman etc...

There is some clear tape hiss at times, which for me again, only adds to the raw unpolished sound which makes this a real diamond.

Masterpiece!!

I love this album. Even coming in at just over 32 minutes, it's a classic slice of San Francisco disco. All of these tracks were played in the clubs when I was a youngster and would consistently pack the floors - especially the title track. From the first glowing wave of gradually building drama in the intro, to the final explosion at end of the song, "Menergy" is a non-stop burst of pulsating dancefloor energy ( it also made a great mix with Patrick's classic Megamix of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" ). If you're a fan of electronic dance music, by all means buy this CD.

One caveat: The orange, red, and yellow cover pictured above ( at the time of this writing ) is from the first release of this CD ( circa 1992 ). This artwork replicates the cover of the Canadian release of this album on vinyl, and the sound quality of the CD reflects the technology of the time.

There is a second mastering whose cover imitates the stark black and white artwork of the original American "Fusion" Records label release. This version has superior sound with much more bass presence, and an overall increase in volume...the better to replicate the power of these songs as they sounded in the clubs. Also there is less of a variation in volume between the tracks on the newer edition ( there was a noticeable difference in volume between the first two tracks and the last three on the original CD release ).

Unfortunately, both versions of the CD suffer from some small mastering flaws, including some tape flutter, and the occasional brief dropout on one channel or the other due to the age and condition of the master tapes, but I found the defects to be slightly less noticeable on the newer edition of the CD.

Still, even with these minor flaws I recommend this CD. If you enjoy the big, fat, warm, and glowing sounds of old school analog synthesizers, or are a classic dance music fan in general, this CD is a treat.