Italo Disco - Essential Italian Disco Classics 1977-1985

It’s hard to know what the various artists on Italo Disco thought of disco, new wave, and fusion — genres that had followings that were often at odds with each other in the U.S. and England — but it’s clear they felt free to mix and match sounds as they saw fit. This fun-loving comp is made up of zany pop tracks where the ridiculous rubs up against the dance-floor sublime. Red Dragon Band’s “Let Me Be Your Radio” combines the edginess of post-punk outfit Liquid Liquid with a funky Hi-NRG arrangement that features inventive horn charts and goofy lyrics. Animal sounds, percussion, disco bass, and chanting that recalls The Wizard of Oz mark the intro to Gepy & Gepy’s “African Love Song.” Moments later, strings rush in and the vocalist intones, “Jungle, jungle, jungle of love, jungle of love.” The Hi Fi Bros’ “The Line” features an awkward vocal duet between male and female singers that’s strangely riveting: imagine an Italian David Byrne shakily emoting while his partner-in-song carefully gives voice to wisps of melody. The album closes with the super-tight, jazzy funk of Peter Micioni’s “Let’s Disco Dance.” A must for dancers with grins.