Disco Giants

Far less reliant upon obscurities and forgotten low-rung chart hits than Masterpiece and Nighttime Lovers, the PTG label's other long running series of '80s club-oriented R&B, the Disco Giants series contains several outright smashes, yet it's not close to novice-level, especially enticing for those who never made the transition from vinyl or have worn out copies of Thump's Old School series (and the like). Some of the bigger cuts on the first volume of Disco Giants are the System's "You Are in My System," Chaka Khan's "I Feel for You," Mary Jane Girls' "Candy Man," Five Star's "Love Take Over," and Tramaine's "Fall Down," but the real gem here is Yvonne Gage's "Garden of Eve," a prime slice of boogie released in 1981 on Atlantic (quite possibly its first time on CD). Later, lower-performing singles from BB & Q Band, Con Funk Shun, and Aurra aren't slouches, either. That some of these 12" mixes are mastered from vinyl could be problematic for some listeners, but they can't really expect pristine sound from independent label rarities. ~ Andy Kellman