As if the genre didn't have enough stigmas to transcend, countless nostalgic compilations have done disco additional disservice by reducing the canon to a handful of obvious tunes trotted out endlessly. Fortunately, by including lesser-known gems like the Gibson Brothers' "Que Sera Mi Vida" next to classics by Sylvester, Dan Hartman, and Chic, the music supervisors of 54 have assembled irrefutable proof that the late '70s weren't the musical wasteland those idiots who torched their Donna Summer LPs claimed. However, the producers apparently weren't entirely immune to the commercial leanings that undermined disco via overexposure; program your CD player to skip the annoying cut-and-paste medley "Studio 54" and Mary Griffin's updated "Knock on Wood," which pales next to Amii Stewart's chart-topping 1979 reading. --Kurt B. Reighley
1. The 54 Allstars - Studio 54 (03:49)
2. Gary's Gang - Keep On Dancin' (05:21)
3. Diana Ross - The Boss (03:48)
4. Chic - Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah) (03:35)
5. Dan Hartman - Vertigo/Relight My Fire (08:01)
6. Sylvester - You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) (03:42)
7. Destination - Move On Up (05:28)
8. The Miracles - Love Machine, Pt. 1 (02:51)
9. Edwin Starr - Contact (03:37)
10. Mary Griffin - Knock On Wood (03:42)
11. Bohannon - Let's Start The Dance (03:34)
12. Instant Funk - I Got My Mind Made Up (05:12)
13. Candi Staton - Young Hearts Run Free (04:03)
14. Odyssey - Native New Yorker (05:28)
15. Gibson Brothers - Que Sera Mi Vida (06:04)
16. Rose Royce - Wishing On A Star (03:57)
Review
The second round of sounds from 54 kicks off with Stars on 54--the powerhouse trio of club canaries Ultra Naté, Amber, and Jocelyn Enriquez--breathing life into a house reinvention of Gordon Lightfoot's tepid "If You Could Read My Mind." What distinguishes the 15 subsequent tracks is a sparkling symbiosis of artist, melody, and musical invention. Could anyone but the towering Grace Jones have growled "I Need a Man" with such ferocity? And the syncopated bridge of Bonnie Pointer's "Heaven Must Have Sent You" oozes more juice than most contemporary R&B hits. Thoughtful sequencing, with an emphasis on the oft-overlooked stylistic breadth disco achieved under the best producers and performers, makes this an even better bet than volume 1. --Kurt B. Reighley
1. If You Could Read My Mind - Stars On 54/ Ultra Nate/Amber/ Jocelyn Enriquez
2. Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet - Gonzalez
3. Heaven Must Have Sent You - Bonnie Pointer
4. Loving Is Really My Game - Brainstorm
5. Disco Nights (Rock-Freak) - GQ
6. Found A Cure - Ashford & Simpson
7. Don't Leave Me This Way - Thelma Houston
8. Come To Me - France Joli
9. Take Your Time (Do It Right) - S.O.S. Band
10. Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood - Santa Esmeralda
11. Spank - Jimmy 'Bo' Horne
12. Galaxy - War
13. I Need A Man - Grace Jones
14. Heart Of Glass - Blondie
15. Cherchez La Femme/ Se Si Bon - Buzzard's Original Savannah Band
16. Fly Robin Fly - Silver Convention

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