Disco.

by Albert Goldman

Hawthorn Books, Inc., New York [Published 1978]. Hardcover, 174 pp.Goldman's authoritative account of 1970's American discotheque culture. Written in the late '70's, the book traces the origins of disco music, positing that 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. Goldman traces the origins of the discotheque from to America in the early sixties. From there the book focuses mainly on discos in New York discotheques like Studio 54, Loft, etc. Goldman also focuses on the disco stars, i.e. figures like Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Cerrone, Alec R. Costandinos and so forth. Laden with black and white photos throughout, the book also includes a 30 page section in the center with full color photos.

Genres: Music, History

174 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[M Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

For many years this rare coffee table book - harder to find than a quaalude - was basically the only serious study of disco. By now there have been several deeply researched dives into this deeply divisive musical genre but Disco still delivers an indelible taste of the late 1970s, in all that era's decadent glory. The late Albert Goldman was a Columbia University professor and an anti-rock critic, reviled for his takedown bios of Presley and Lennon. And surely his high-octane New Journalistic prose can be hard to swallow in today's hyper-sensitive climate but Disco's over-the-top descriptions and heavy-breathing tone will transport contemporary readers to the night clubs and dance floors of yore. Not to mention the gorgeous and revealing photos. Underneath the polyester rhetoric Goldman supplies an accurate timeline of the scene, from 1960s discotheques to the groundbreaking early 70s NYC club Sanctuary and its DJ Francis Grasso to the imperial phase of Studio 54 and Saturday Night Fever. I'd say the photos and Goldman's gonzo analysis of Love To Love You Baby by Donna Summer alone are worth the price of admission but this indispensable artifact sells for insane collectors-item sums. So if you ever see a reasonably priced copy gathering dust somewhere - snap it up.

[D.A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mediocre writing and scholarship, but fabulous pictures