Rating:
Genre:
R&B
Release Date: 10/30/2001
Debutante, a catalog division of
Universal's U.K. wing, made a smart move in deciding to turn
Magnum Opus into a series. A breath of fresh air in a suffocating stockpile of skimpy, cheaply packaged compilations that recycle the same 150
disco singles, and at the same time, a welcome reprieve from all of the discs that claim to feature criminally neglected classics that are anything but; the
Magnum Opus series has become one of the best sources for obtaining carefully-selected
disco anthologies that strike a balance between the obscure and the well-known (yet not played out). Although the average-'70s-'80s club-goer should be overjoyed to hear many of these songs again, it's the younger generations -- the type of people who want to dig deeper than the big dancefloor hits they've been exposed to through films and shopping-mall establishments -- who will benefit most from these sets. Chronologically speaking, this second volume takes the pre-
disco era into consideration and extends well past the point in time when
disco-haters declared the form dead. (As of 2004, it was still alive -- just turn on a radio or go to a dance club for evidence.)
The Voices of East Harlem's
"Wanted Dead or Alive," from 1974, is a definite obscurity, but it's notable for being produced by
Curtis Mayfield and
Leroy Hutson, and it doesn't hurt that it's also wonderful, maintained by a glorious arrangement that's embellished with vocals that demonstrate
disco's roots in
gospel. On the
electronic end,
David Joseph's
"You Can't Hide (Your Love From Me)" is one of the most radical moments of the post-
disco/pre-
house era, technically issued in 1983; the vocalist's sweet, high-pitched turn is unforgettable, and the polyrhythmic cluster of
electronic percussion amazes throughout, reaching a prolonged period of ecstatic rush that lasts the final 90 seconds of the track. Eighteen other selections, the bulk of which range from strong to magnificent, fill out the two discs. Rather than favor the shorter single edits for the sake of space,
Debutante once again includes the superior 12" mixes. As a further service,
"Last Night a DJ Saved My Life" co-author
Bill Brewster provides detailed liner notes that offer a scholarly perspective. While smashes like
"Stayin' Alive" and
"We Are Family" became a major part of popular culture during
disco's mainstream breakthrough, a high percentage of the singles that weren't nearly as big became important to a thriving subculture -- and there's a story behind nearly every one.
~Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
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