This latest release in the Sessions series is a double cd release which is “Celebrating a legendary era in music”. This series has traversed a majority of electronic and other mainstream genres ranging from breaks, soul to Latin club tunes. Each of these compilations aims to present a broad view of the genre and perhaps throw in a few representative anthems. The compilation claims that all the tracks throughout the double cd shaped the Disco sound which is now in some forms coming back into vogue especially in many current funky house tunes.

It is difficult however for me to judge the tracks as I did not experience the period in music and cannot relate to how many of these tracks would have went down in their time. Throughout the twenty three tracks featured on both cd’s are included classics from names such as MFSB, The Jacksons, and Gene Chandler and rarer tracks from Heaven and Earth, AM FM and Lloyd Price. The cd is not mixed unfortunately as it would be interesting how it would be put together otherwise and hence it makes the compilation one more for fans of the sound.

The compilation’s first disk kicks off with Fat Larry’s band – Act Like You Know, the first of many tracks to jump out with a funky classic disco sounds, slow beats and over the top vocals. From this point on it is a myriad of funky guitar hits, 80’s production sound, funky basslines and diva vocals. Listening to the production does however truly make you realise just how clean and complex dance music is today.

Despite not really being a sound that I enjoyed tracks I found interesting were The Jacksons – Shake Your Body featuring Michael Jackson with the voice from his youth that built him into a massive star and the feisty tribal percussion of Willi Bobo – Always There. The rest seemed to blend away in a funky blur of disco flavoured simple house beats.

Overall, this one was not for me considering it is a style I seldom listen too, but if you own a pair of flares, love your high pitched string stabs and funky sound then perhaps this one could be for you. It’s a pity there wasn’t any tunes of the flavour presented by Mark Dynamix in his recent Late Night Sessions release where some of the disco flavoured tunes with modern electro beats went down a treat. This one however is definitely one for fans of the style or for those who may have experienced the scene many years back.

Out now through Shock Records.

Track Listing:

Disk 1:
01 Fat Larry’s band – Act Like You Know
02 Heatwave – The Groove Line
03 Gene Chandler – Get Down
04 The Jacksons – Shake Your Body
05 Willi Bobo – Always There
06 New Jersey Connection – Love Don’t Come Easy
07 Glenn Jones – I Am Somebody
08 Pam Todd and Love Exchange – Lets Get Together
09 Heaven & Earth – I Really Love You
10 Bill Wolfer – Call Me
11 The Whispers – In The Raw

Disk 2:
01 MFSB – K-Jee
02 Jimmy James and The Vegabonds – You Don’t Stand a Chance
03 The Fatback Band – King Tim III
04 Chi-sound Orchestra – Windy City Theme
05 AM-FM – You Are The One
06 Vaughan Mason & Crew – Roller Skate
07 Linda Williams – Elevate Our Minds
08 Al Green – Keep Me Crying
09 Lloyd Price – Love Music
10 Brief Encounter – We’re Gonna Make It
11 Archie Bell & The Drells – Don’t Let Love Get You Down
12 Linda Clifford – Don’t Give Up