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Artist – Album: Chic – C’est Chic
Released: 11th August 1978
Sounds Like: Disco’s shimmering, expertly assembled
peak
“If you’re a fan of
Chic, consider yourself unique”
So goes the opening
lines of ‘Chic Cheer’, the
self-aggrandizing first track on Chic’s sophomore effort, C’est Chic. Whilst
the sentiment didn’t quite ring true when it was released – disco was still the
height of fashion in 1978 and Chic scored a couple of huge hits with ‘Le
Freak’ and ‘I Want Your
Love’ – it wouldn’t take long
for punk to rear its ugly, self-pierced head and purge all remnants of the
spangled jump suits era. Amidst all those snarling, sneering anarchists, those
who hung on to the cult of the Chic Organisation Ltd must have felt pretty
lonely. But everything in music is cyclical (which is why I’m keeping hold of
my keytar, shoulder pads and flock of seagulls wig in expectant readiness), and
Chic is now chic again. Nile Rodgers had a starring role in the Daft Punk’s
anthem of the summer ‘Get Lucky’, and
the group produced possibly the standout set of a wonderfully celebratory
Glastonbury.
As a result, more
and more people are dipping into the group’s back catalogue and, whilst the
newly released greatest hits Up All Night may be the easiest way in, you could
do worse than banging on this classic album. Whilst everyone knows the hits,
the album tracks are hardly filler. ‘At Last I Am Free’ is a quiet ballad, a reminiscence
of a Black Panther rally disguised as a love song. ‘Happy Man’ and ‘Sometimes You Win’ are exultant, whilst the
instrumental ‘Savoir Faire’ has
an elegant cool.
Rodgers and Bernard
Edwards seem to have struck upon all encompassing formula for creating joyous,
groovy perfection, and they’ve calculatingly utilised it to huge success for
both themselves and for other artists (Diana Ross, David Bowie and Modjo to
name just a wildly diverse three). To call this album their crowning
glory is difficult as they’ve had so many highlights (and follow up album
Risque is arguably even better), but it is still irresistible.
Albumaday...
rating: 8/10
1. Chic
Cheer – 4:42
2. Le
Freak – 5:23
3. Savoir
Faire – 5:01
4. Happy
Man – 4:17
5. I
Want Your Love – 6:45
6. At
Last I Am Free – 7:08
7. Sometimes
You Win – 4:26
8. (Funny)
Bone – 3:41
Listen to ‘I Want Your Love’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeFqVtFCJEk
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