mardi 7 juillet 2026
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - On The Strength (1988)
On the Strength is the second and final studio album by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Released in 1988, it was the full line-up's last album together. Although contributing to the album itself, Cowboy (Keith Wiggins) was not present for the album or single photo shoots.
The album was reissued in the US on CD in 2005 (Collectors' Choice Music, CCM-585-2) but once again (see Ba-Dop-Boom-Bang) omitted the bonus track (*) that was originally included on both the original CD and cassette versions of the album.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Message (1982) (Expanded Edition)
The Message is the debut studio album by American hip-hop group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, released on October 3, 1982, by Sugar Hill Records. It features the influential title track and hip-hop single "The Message".
The Message was released in October 1982 by Sugar Hill Records.[9] The album charted at No. 53 in the United States and at No. 77 in the United Kingdom.[9]
Reviewing in December 1982 for The New York Times, Robert Palmer hailed The Message as the year's best album and explained that while the emerging rap genre had often been criticized for confining itself to "bragging and boasting ... The Message is different. It's a gritty, plain-spoken, vividly cinematic portrait of black street life...social realism has rarely worked well in a pop-music context, but The Message is an utterly convincing cry of frustration and despair that cannot be ignored."[10] Robert Christgau ranked it as the 21st best album of 1982 on his list for The Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop critics' poll.[11] In Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s (1990), he wrote that, although "She's Fresh" is the "only instant killer", each song's attempt to experiment and "touch a lot of bases with a broad demographic ... justifies itself".[3]
According to music journalist Tom Breihan, The Message was a "singles-plus filler cash-in" that proved "a fascinating time capsule of rap's early attempts with the album format" as well as "a full-length artistic breakthrough, a rap album that earned respect on its own terms".[12] In a retrospective review, AllMusic's Ron Wynn called it the "ultimate peak" for Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, naming the title track as its highlight.[2] Miles Marshall Lewis, reviewing the album's 2002 British reissue in The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), cited "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" as the "clincher" and "the only prime-period example of Flash's ability to set and shatter moods, with his turntables and faders running through a collage of at least 10 records that sound like hundreds."[5] Mark Richardson from Pitchfork said that The Message featured "two absolutely essential songs"—the title track and "Scorpio," which he dubbed "the greatest early electro track." However, he felt the rest of the songs were inferior.[6] The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (2006).
lundi 6 juillet 2026
samedi 4 juillet 2026
vendredi 3 juillet 2026
jeudi 2 juillet 2026
Village People lead singer and founder Victor Willis dies at 74
(July 1, 2026) He was a flamboyant one-of-a-kind singer who fronted a pioneering, one-of-a-kind group. Victor Willis, the lead vocalist and founding member of Village People, has died at age 74. The group announced on social media that Willis passed on June 30, 2026, following what was described as a “short but aggressive illness,” one day before his 75th birthday.
For millions of listeners around the world, Willis was the unmistakable voice behind some of the most memorable songs of the disco era – with a look that was 100% unique. As the man in the police uniform possessing powerful pipes, Willis led the Village People through a series of unlikely, but now iconic, dance hits. “Y.M.C.A.,” “Macho Man,” “In the Navy” and “Go West” moved well beyond the disco floor, finding life at just about any gathering where a crowd could raise its arms and sing along. “Y.M.C.A.” later received major institutional recognition, including induction into the Library of Congress National Recording Registry and the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Born in Dallas, Willis came from a musical and church-rooted background before finding his way to the stage. His work in theater helped lead him to producer Jacques Morali, and from that meeting came the foundation of Village People, a group that turned costume, character and dance music into a worldwide brand.
Willis’s journey was not without its difficult chapters. He left Village People after the group’s initial peak, later faced personal struggles, and spent years fighting to reclaim proper control and recognition for his contributions. His eventual legal victories regarding songwriting rights became an important late-career chapter, underscoring that behind the camp and spectacle was a serious songwriter protecting his work. In 2017, Willis returned to the Village People name and stage, fronting a new lineup and bringing the songs to another generation of audiences.
What seemed at first like a novelty act ended up an act with incredible staying power. Both today and the next time you attend a friend’s wedding where “Y.M.C.A” is blasted from the stage, give a toast to this great performer and visionary, who saw the power of both the music and the spectacle in entertaining audiences, and took that approach to a level that still gives absolute joy nearly a half century after it began.
mercredi 1 juillet 2026
mardi 30 juin 2026
Complete Your Masterpiece Series & Save Up to 30%
 |
| ||
| ||
Masterpiece Vol. 38 Is Here – Complete Your Series & Save Up to 30%
Masterpiece – The Ultimate Disco Funk Collection Vol. 38
The Masterpiece Collection returns with another outstanding selection of rare and timeless disco funk gems. Masterpiece Vol. 38 features 13 carefully selected tracks from artists such as Anthony Watson, Quinn Golden, Shirley Brown, Akiko Kobayashi, RSVP and many more.
From smooth modern soul and boogie grooves to uplifting disco funk classics, this new volume delivers the signature Masterpiece sound that collectors and music lovers have come to expect.
lundi 29 juin 2026
Inscription à :
Articles (Atom)