VA - Disco Sessions - Celebrating A Legendary Era In Music [2CD Set] (2003)

Distilling an entire genre, style, era, or even scene down to one representative compilation is almost always an impossible duty. The people who put together these Sessions discs, through the U.K.-based Union Square, know this. These people also realize that what they're doing has been done hundreds -- if not thousands -- of times over, but most of the discs that came before have failed in providing something more than just another quick cash-in. Like all of the other volumes in the Sessions series, Disco Sessions takes up two discs, alternating well-known favorites with less-recognized underground singles. The inclusions are often provided in their 12" mixes, as they were meant to be enjoyed; most disco compilations cram as many single edits onto one disc as possible, figuring that the sheer number of tracks will be the key selling point. The Bee Gees, Gloria Gaynor, Chic, and KC & the Sunshine Band are not featured. Instead, there's Pam Todd & Love Exchange ("Let's Get Together"), Vaughan Mason & Crew ("Roller Skate"), New Jersey Connection ("Love Don't Come Easy"), and AM-FM ("You Are the One") -- groups whose songs continue to be spun by keen disco/house DJs. Al Green, Heatwave, MFSB, the Fatback Band, and the Whispers represent the instantly recognizable sect of contributors, making the set more attractive for those who aren't necessarily looking to pick this up to fill tiny gaps in their disco collection. Another benefit is that Sessions doesn't view disco as a style with a strict beginning and end; in their eyes, it's more of a continuum.