Disco

by Albert Goldman

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0801521289
• ISBN13: 9780801521287
• Release Date: January 1978
• Publisher: Dutton Books
• Length: 174 Pages
• Weight: 2.40 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A must have book

After a long period of searching for this book, I was mighty pleased to get a copy albeit without a sleeve but so what? A great read with plenty of nice pics to peruse over. I wish I WAS THERE!

The Big Party of the 70s

A brilliant view of all that disco represented in the 70s - the explosion of sound, light, rhythm, drugs, clubs, celebrities and lifestyles of an era. For Goldman, discomania was just another outburst of what he called 'the buried life' - the underground tradition of primitive tribal religious rites, the Greek dionysiac cults and bacchanals. He therefore considered disco as a manifestation of the dancing sickness or the ever-renewing quest for ecstacy and transcendence. The difference with the rock experience was that the dancers themselves became the stars, instead of the performers up on stage. Goldman describes the scene from the perspective of a psychologist, sociologist, musicologist, anthropologist and participant, and it is this last view which makes this book such and excellent and highly readable document of an era. He talks about the personalities, the clubs, the producers and the music in an intelligent but engaging, almost chatty style. Disco genres and musicians like Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Cerrone, Alec Castandinos, Kraftwerk, Meco and others, and the Saturday Night Fever phenomenon. The black & white photographs enhance the enjoyment of reading, and the middle section holds stunning colour pics of disco fever in action, celebrities and musicians like Grace Jones. I think Goldman has succeeded well in preserving a lively and cinematic record of a happy era. It's also interesting to discover the roots of the techno-rave movement in these pages. Of course, the abundant varieties of today's dance music have not only their roots, but their spirit as well, in good old disco.

Disco by Albert Goldman

The origins of disco music are the central issue of this book, which was written in the late seventies. The idea of discotheque was originally created in France and was taken to America in the early sixties. The first disco DJ in America was Slim Hyatt. DJ Terry Noel, however, took deejaying to another level and eventually, in the late sixties, Francis Grasso introduced the technique of slip-cueing, which orginated modern mixing. Also, very popular discotheques like Studio 54, Loft, etc. are treated here. Besides, Goldman focuses on the disco stars, i.e. figures like Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Cerrone, Alec R. Costandinos and so forth. Highly recommended if you are interested in how disco came about.