11th August - Chic's C'est Chic

Artist – Album: Chic – C’est Chic

Released: 11^th 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

10th August - Michael Jackson's Off the Wall

Artist – Album: Michael Jackson – Off the Wall

Released: 10^th August 1979

Sounds Like: MJ comes into his own

 

Michael Jackson released his first Greatest Hits album in 1972, with the US only released A Collection of Michael Jackson’s Oldies. The boy was aged just fourteen. Incredibly, this compilation came seven years before Off the Wall, ten years before Thriller and a whopping fifteen before Bad. The King of Pop had already had amassed a legacy in need of a Best Of eons of years before Pepsi (kind of) ruined his nose, before anyone had heard of vitiligo and when Bubbles was just some spark in his chimp daddy’s eye.

 

Of course, the little boy Michael was quite a different proposition from the full grown, mega-super-dooper star of the Eighties and Nineties. Back then his trademark had been bubblegum pop, where his prodigiously soulful voice was made to croon over songs about Rockin’ Robins and pet rats called Ben. But with 1979’s Off the Wall, the boy became a manchild.

 

Jackson gave notice of his change of direction with the first single ‘Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough’, a shimmering masterpiece that would be disco’s pinnacle if it wasn’t some sort of funk, rock, R&B and, yes, disco amalgamation. The opening “ooooh” is one of the greatest introductions to a record in history. He keeps up the bright and exciting performance throughout, littering the album with his trademark yelps and vocal ticks, whilst the Quincy Jone’s produced and Jones, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Rod Temperton (among others) written collection was the most consistently strong he’d got his hands on yet. ‘Rock With You’ is sophisticated and smart, ‘Off the Wall’ is another funky classic, whilst ‘Workin’ Day and Night’, ‘It’s the Falling in Love’ and ‘Burn This Disco Out’ are great soul and disco album tracks.

 

The album is indeed a classic and it’s fascinating to view it as a transitional record. However, it would be a nonsense to suggest that it’s perfect. The songs are still fresh and exciting, but some aspects of the production are slightly dated and clunky. Further, and I know there are huge fans inexplicably out there, but ‘She’s Out of My Life’ may well be the most horrifically schmaltzy tosh I’ve ever heard. Blergh, I'm fake vomiting here.

 

Albumaday... rating: 9/10

 

1.       Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough – 6:04

2.       Rock with You – 3:40

3.       Workin’ Day and Night – 5:14

4.       Get on the Floor – 4:39

5.       Off the Wall – 4:05

6.       Girlfriend – 3:05

7.       She’s Out of My Life – 3:37

8.       I Can’t Help It – 4:29

9.       It’s the Falling in Love – 3:48

10.   Burn This Disco Out – 3:41

Listen to ‘Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yURRmWtbTbo