funky does Kylie: "DISCO" (2020)

I am merely conjecturing. She wasn't exactly going to get a Love Song soundalike out of it.
 
Anyway Rhythm Of Love is the first album where she works outside of the SAW stable (with mixed results - though I properly love one of the songs).
 
03 I'm Over Dreaming (Over You) - and we're back to the SAW pop. They should have given this to Sonia. The weakest so far. Objectively it's all very BIG in terms of pop numbers but I'm not feeling it. So far the first album is feeling much more important.
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Right it's a bit late but that news about Betty Boo has put me right in the mood for this.

I'm expecting all kinds of early 90s pop house gorgeousness, but that generic album cover and the discovery that SAW still produced the majority of the album has me worried.

NEVERTHELESS:



08 Better The Devil You Know
10 Step Back In Time
09 What Do I Have To Do
05 Secrets
07 Always Find The Time
08 The World Still Turns
10 Shocked
08 One Boy Girl
08 Things Can Only Get Better
07 Count The Days
08 Rhythm Of Love

Current Kylie playlist:
Look My Way (Kylie)
Enjoy Yourself (Enjoy Yourself)
Step Back In Time (Rhythm Of Love)
What Do I Have To Do (Rhythm Of Love)
The World Still Turns (Rhythm Of Love)
Shocked (Rhythm Of Love)
Things Can Only Get Better (Rhythm Of Love)
Rhythm Of Love (Rhythm Of Love)


Current Top Ten:
1. Step Back In Time (Rhythm Of Love)
2. Shocked (Rhythm Of Love)
3. What Do I Have To Do (Rhythm Of Love)
4. Look My Way (Kylie)
5. One Boy One Girl (Rhythm Of Love)
6. Things Can Only Get Better (Rhythm Of Love)
7. Enjoy Yourself (Enjoy Yourself)
8. The World Still Turns (Rhythm Of Love)
9. Rhythm Of Love (Rhythm Of Love)
10. Better The Devil You Know (Rhythm Of Love)
 
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08 Better The Devil You Know - I used to hate this, but time has been kind for me, as it reminds me of a good time in my life. I think I used to associate this with first two albums Kylie and you can see why given the prodution is still classic SAW, but this is more anthemic, more punchy than previous singles; it almost makes everything feel pale and diluted by comparison. It just feels BIG.
 
08 Better The Devil You Know - I used to hate this, but time has been kind for me, as it reminds me of a good time in my life. I think I used to associate this with first two albums Kylie and you can see why given the prodution is still classic SAW, but this is more anthemic, more punchy than previous singles; it almost makes everything feel pale and diluted by comparison. It just feels BIG.
the worst case scenario has officially been avoided
 
10 Step Back In Time - OK, here we go. I remember REALLY liking this when it was out. Even though, oddly, I wasn't really a "Kylie fan" in the the way I was as a 10 year old when she first emerged. I'd moved on, but this song was less a product of Kylie but more one of the many great pop-dance numbers at the time that were heavily influenced by the "2nd summer of love" coming out of the Ibiza movement of 1988 and 1989. Betty Boo, Dee-Lite, Kym Appleby, and influences from the Italo House crowd like Black Box, FPI Project and others. Despite being very much of its time it's held up perfectly and is definitely one of my favourite Kylie tracks.
 
09 What Do I Have To Do - on an absolute ROLL here, but we're still in singles territory. This has grown on me over the years - I always quite liked it, but I remember the song being absolutely overshadowed by the video and the UK media's attempts to discredit her for being too raunchy. The British patricarchy just determined to keep her in her Ramsay Street dungarees and curly hair. I was too young to appreciate the significance of this makeover, and also how fucking SEXY she was.. I seem to recall this song crossing over into clubs too, as I was now invested in the house mixtapes that were being passed around the playground and this track would feature. It's crazy to think she was just 2 years moved on from ISBSL at this point.
 
05 Secrets - this feels like a massive step back in every way; I feel like I'm listening to the first 2 albums again, but also it was starting to feel like her entire sound had shifted and it hasn't. But we're still only 2 years into her career which is something I have to remind myself. The production isn't a total return to zero though and I don't hate it. But I feel like I've just hit a bump after coming out the gates at full tilt.

I'm curious about the production partnership with SAW at this point, and whether there was a struggle going on to mix current sounds with the tried and tested, and how much that was Kylie pushing for it and how much SAW were happy and accepting of moving with the times. I have no idea. But you can feel the changes happening on this album.
 
09 What Do I Have To Do - on an absolute ROLL here, but we're still in singles territory. This has grown on me over the years - I always quite liked it, but I remember the song being absolutely overshadowed by the video and the UK media's attempts to discredit her for being too raunchy. The British patricarchy just determined to keep her in her Ramsay Street dungarees and curly hair. I was too young to appreciate the significance of this makeover, and also how fucking SEXY she was.. I seem to recall this song crossing over into clubs too, as I was now invested in the house mixtapes that were being passed around the playground and this track would feature. It's crazy to think she was just 2 years moved on from ISBSL at this point.
such a killer Kylie song. maybe the best of the first three singles. great hooks, beautiful hooks. and yet there's better to come... :disco:
 
07 Always Find The Time - ooh this is better. Italo influences here. Doesn't feel single worthy, but a strong album track in keeping with the evolution of her sound. Feeling more confident about the direction of the album now.
 
I'm not as big of a fan of RoL as many Moopers, but MY GOD what an impeccable run of singles it had.
 
08 The World Still Turns - Oh really like this too! It's like a pop version of Lisa Stansfield. Loving the R&B influences and the MASSIVE Saxophone interlude :disco: This almost could have been a single, but maybe a bit downtempo for what was the essence of her sound at the time. Her voice sounds GREAT on this. The album is feeling quite cohesive at this point. An album with actual creative direction as opposed to a collection of chart chasing singles. Kylie the artisté is emerging...
 
I'm not as big of a fan of RoL as many Moopers, but MY GOD what an impeccable run of singles it had.

So far this is what is striking me, and I hadn't even realised it before, but it must be her best singles run for me. I know there's still one more gem to come.
 
OMG

I've never EVER heard this version of Shocked! I had no idea that the version we all know is a "single mix"... which is not on this album...
 
I feel the need to rate both versions, so:

10 Shocked (album mix) - I didn't even realise it was Shocked when it started. I was enjoying the production, VERY 1990, almost getting a bit of a Primal Scream vibe. This feels epic, almost 5 minutes, I love how it takes its time to build to the chorus. I'm surprised I like it so much because the single version is so engrained in my brain.

10 Shocked (single mix) - I didn't realise this was remixed by DNA either, how amazing. This is the version I know. I always paired this with Step Back In Time - either of those songs could be from Deee-Lite's first album. Just great 1990 dance production. Is that Monie Love doing the rap?
 
08 One Boy Girl - BLOODY HELL :D this album is fire! This song is AMAZING! Early US Garage vibes here, Frankie Knuckles or Marshall Jefferson could have produced this. It's such a mish mash of the dance/pop/R&B chart stuff of the time, the rap part reminds me of Salt n Pepa doing Let's Talk About Sex, and the song itself could be Rozalla or Kym Mazelle. God this sound needs to make a chart comeback. It's so fun and accessible.
 
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08 Things Can Only Get Better - and we're back to the italo sound. This feels BIG. Could have been a single. But maybe a bit too similar to the other singles. This could honestly hold up against the italo-pop anthems of the time. Kylie the CLUB QUEEN came a lot earlier than I had any clue about...
 
I'm team ALBUM VERSION of Shocked. the dizzy build-up and eventual climax is indeed delicious.

Things Can Only Get Better is also the FUCKING TITS. the RoL album sync we did was a classic.
 
07 Count The Days - Ooh another 80s R&B bop, very similar to "Look My Way". Much like Madonna she fits into the 80s post disco sound like a GLOVE. And yes I'm surprised. This stuff really shows off her vocals. She really should be serving us some filler at this point and while this is not really a single, it's most definitely NOT skippable. The production on this is also great.
 
08 Rhythm Of Love - oh my eagle eye has noticed that she's closing her album with a title track again. This is very similar to the last track, with a bit more tempo. I mean probably at the time these two tracks might have felt a bit lazy, because this sound had been doing the rounds since the early 80s on the club scene from the days of Evelyn King, Stephanie Mills, Teena Marie and others. But this all feels very timeless now. Time has been much kinder to 80s R&B than I ever thought it would. And crucially, they still fit well on this album.
 
Well. I'm exhausted from all this PRAISE!

If I could sum up one word for this album, it would be ... FUNKY! Cohesive, fun, an artist very much in their comfort zone.

I don't think she can possibly top this album at this point. That was SUCH a ride. My Top Ten list is about to be decimated and I'm gonna have to extend it.
 
Updated. All about Rhythm of Love at this point. The next 3 albums will be interesting because, a few singles aside, I'm really not that familiar with her main 90s era...


Current Kylie playlist:
Look My Way (Kylie)
Enjoy Yourself (Enjoy Yourself)
Step Back In Time (Rhythm Of Love)
What Do I Have To Do (Rhythm Of Love)
The World Still Turns (Rhythm Of Love)
Shocked (Rhythm Of Love)
Things Can Only Get Better (Rhythm Of Love)
Rhythm Of Love (Rhythm Of Love)


Current Top Ten:
1. Step Back In Time (Rhythm Of Love)
2. Shocked (Rhythm Of Love)
3. What Do I Have To Do (Rhythm Of Love)
4. Look My Way (Kylie)
5. One Boy One Girl (Rhythm Of Love)
6. Things Can Only Get Better (Rhythm Of Love)
7. Enjoy Yourself (Enjoy Yourself)
8. The World Still Turns (Rhythm Of Love)
9. Rhythm Of Love (Rhythm Of Love)
10. Better The Devil You Know (Rhythm Of Love)
 
08 One Boy One Girl - BLOODY HELL :D this album is fire! This song is AMAZING! Early US Garage vibes here, Frankie Knuckles or Marshall Jefferson could have produced this. It's such a mish mash of the dance/pop/R&B chart stuff of the time, the rap part reminds me of Salt n Pepa doing Let's Talk About Sex, and the song itself could be Rozalla or Kym Mazelle. God this sound needs to make a chart comeback. It's so fun and accessible.
One of the highlights of the Anti Tour:

 
I disagree that Secrets sounds like a step back. The lyrics are far feistier than anything on the first two albums for a start.
 
To be fair I was really not paying attention to the lyrics much on this album and I should have been given I was talking about her musical evolution, but I was just so swept up in the early 90s production. It was such a journey.

I’ll definitely be going back to this album.
 
I disagree that Secrets sounds like a step back. The lyrics are far feistier than anything on the first two albums for a start.

I love Secrets (for me it’s the 5th single if there would have been one), but it definitely harked back to earlier SAW in its style.
 
Anyway, WELL DONE FUNKY. Though One Boy Girl as an album highlight and considering what else you’ve given to earlier things is, well, a CHOICE…
 
I love Secrets (for me it’s the 5th single if there would have been one), but it definitely harked back to earlier SAW in its style.
The lyrics about her cheating are a stark contrast to the girl next door persona she adopted on the first two albums.

Musically regressive perhaps but it still sounds more sophisticated than most of the earlier material.
 

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