It’s 1978 and the disco fever is still high but getting trapped around it’s own rhythmic monotony; it is losing creativity and, beyond the dancing floor, gone is most of its ephemeral appeal.
And still, you can find really good music on the dial, as some react against disco with almost minimalist, very raw productions (new wave, anyone?) and other artists take a different kind of risk and adapt to the commercial circumstances with different levels of success.
Among the successful, two very different British groups come to mind immediately: Queen and Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). Both of them had their own piece of glory before disco, mainly because of the genuine value of their music and artistry, and because they were capable of absorbing and combining the instant gratification of disco orchestration and rhythm with more permanent musical elements from rock, pop, swing, and hey, why not, classical music. The combination works so well that these recordings still sound fresh and relevant today, especially when compared with so many other more disposable exhibits of the same period.
Take Discovery, an album by Electric Light Orchestra published on the summer of ’78 that made several number 1 hits. I am listening to it after a few years while I type this and, putting aside any personal memories or associations, it sounds so fresh and full of ideas! The famous legacy of The Beatles carried on by ELO is there in many of the orchestrations and some of the lyrics and melodies… and somehow, it combines very well with the playfulness and banality of the dancing floor and creativity and commercial success of the 50’s and 60’s pop. There are touches of Bee Gees and Elvis Presley’s geniality, on top of their own. Nice music for a Wednesday morning!
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