The Disco Files 1973–78: New York's Underground, Week by Week

Any lover of 70s disco needs this book.Vince Aletti's Disco File columns for Record World chronicled the rise and commercial peak of disco in the US from 1973-8. A weekly list of new releases and some brief assessments, these simple lists reveal how disco evolved into a cultural behemoth ultimately threatening the macho hegemony of rock; it's really staggering when reading this to realise how revolutionary this music really was. Aletti himself debated the relationship between disco and the wider culture, but even he didn't see the vicious backlash coming, even as he wondered where it would all end.The Disco Files is more of a chronicle and reference than a great narrative read, but even within those narrow parameters it's often fascinating. Although the scene and sound evolved quite rapidly, it was nowhere near as fast as today, and the charts moved far more slowly; this is probably one reason there's no index, as literally hundreds of artists are mentioned dozens of times.The rise and fall of individual artists and styles within the period is also fascinating; my favourite is Aletti's chronicle of Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band. DBOSB made a huge splash with their first self-titled album and single Cherchez La Femme, rightly being recognised as uniquely important. The endlessly-delayed second album kept Aletti impatiently champing at the bit - until it was finally released. What followed was a lengthy, positive but ultimately very disappointed review by Aletti, with a promise of further reflections that never arrived. And then DBOSB were gone, another blind alley in the endless quest for the next new and perfect sound. It's striking how accurate Aletti was about the merits of individual releases - most of his predictions still hold up.This is a hefty book, even if not all of the columns are included (the editors apologise and state that they only left out the boring bits!), so it would have been nicer if the flimsy paperback cover was a little sturdier. A closer proofread would have also benefited, but the layout is clear and friendly, and there are a few supplementary essays and interviews that help to contextualise the music (and there's also historical validation: Australia's soul legend Renee Geyer (misspelled in the book) gets a namecheck from a prescient scenester).The music world is a fraction richer with the release of The Disco Files.

An exhaustive study of seventies disco club sounds. I have used this to create superb playlists from specific years. Many of the tracks mentioned in the book I had forgotten about. It as great to rediscover them.

Great read

Disco bible

Great book

A fantastic resource that records the disco era as it unfolded week by week. It gives a true contemporary view of what was happening and the latest records as they happened. A real nostalgia rush. Prepare to be immersed for hours!