REVIEW: Soundtrack, 54 (Vol. 1 and 2) (Tommy Boy)
- Bob Gajarsky
Long ago, in a galaxy far away, the high and mighty - and those who wanted to be - partied well into the morning hours at Studio 54. Now, at its 254 54th Street location, the 'studio' might get more notoriety for lost Seinfeld tourists looking for 'the soup man's shop'. However, that might change - yet again - with the release of the soundtrack to the film 54.
Don't be misled by an old motto; for those who hated disco 20 years ago, time isn't likely to heal the wounds that this collection could easily reopen. The diva sound, driving beats, and funky soul are all here. In their full glory.
From classic songs later covered ("I Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet" by Gonzalez; Thelma Houston's "Don't Leave Me This Way) to classics covered (the Animals' "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" by Santa Esmeralda); songs sampled for a new generation of dancehall freaks (Chic's "Dance Dance Dance", Dan Hartman's "Vertigo / Relight My Fire"), songs still played today (the S.O.S. Band's "Take Your Time", New York's own Blondie's "Heart of Glass", Sylvester's "Mighty Real") to a fine collection of hard-to-get cuts, they're all here. You'll be hard-pressed to find Brainstorm or Jimmy Horne, now or then, near the pop charts. However, they - and all the artists on here represent a feeling, a vibe, a groove which can't be captured with gold records, or American Bandstand appearances.
From the new material, a cover of "Knock On Wood" hits the mark, while the "Studio 54" megamix on Volume 1 could relight a fire for disco the same way that ESPN's "Jock Jams" mix did for rock. Gordon Lightfoot's country classic "If You Could Read My Mind" is turned into a Hi-NRG 90s song by Stars on 54 (no medley with this one, despite the clever inverted group name), better known as Amber, Jocelyn Enriquez and Ultra Nate.
It would have been so simple to create the 'Best Disco Album in the World, Ever!', but this soundtrack chooses to focus on a feel rather than hit singles. In so doing, it helps to create more of the atmosphere from the late 1970s when disco was flourishing, as opposed to a wedding dance today. And next time you're looking for the Soup Kitchen International (it's on 55th Street), take a walk one block south to check out the place where it all took place 20 years ago...
