Track Listing

1. Moskow Diskow (English)
2. Underwater
3. Disco Circus
4. Axel F
5. In The Bottle
6. Let It All Blow
7. Vertigo/Relight My Fire
8. Love Machine
9. I'm Ok, You're Ok
10. Moskow Diskow (French)
11. The Message
12. Rapture
13. She Can't Love You
14. Medicine Song
15. Trapped
16. At Midnight
17. If You Feel The Funk
18. Dr. Beat
19. Love Is Just The Game
20. Say Yeah
21. Can You Handle It
22. You Can't Hide (Your Love From Me)
23. Specialize In Love
24. Was That All It Was
25. So You Wanna Be A Star
26. Don't Go Lose It Baby
27. Conga
28. Twilight Zone
29. Last Dance
30. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
31. Can You Feel It
32. Popmuzik
33. 19
34. How About It
35. On The Beat
36. Spin It
37. Don't You Want Me
38. Don't Go
39. Glamorous Life
40. I'm A Man

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #101763 in Music
• Released on: 2005-05-09
• Number of discs: 4
• Formats: Import, Box set
• Dimensions: .42 pounds

Customer Reviews

Ben Liebrand's Labour Of Love pt 2
Following up the collection "Grand 12 Inches" with subsequent volumes was always Ben Leibrand's plan and volume 2 follows the same kind of formula as the first. It's a collection of the tracks that the DJ was inspired by and also wanted to collect and put out the best quality version on CD. He describes them as "the roots of my career in music".

The four discs of volume 2 really do seem a little more adventerous and eclectic than the first one. There are fewer big hits and the classic nature of the tracks is likely to appeal more to a slightly more serious minded devotee of dance. That said, almost everything here is of high quality.

The first disc includes a selection of Leibrand's early influences and favourites. Tracks like "Underwater" have lost none of their slightly over-the-top feel and this is also almost impossible to find on CD. There's an electronic theme here as well as a smattering of Euro classics. Martin Circus' "Disco Circus" still sounds stunning and Telex's "Moscow Disko" manages to sound like "Trans Europe Express" meeting "I Feel Love" and is something of a forgotten early electronic gem. Included with both English and French versions the French is infinately stronger. Others worthy of mention are COD and a reminder that Motown had one very fine band on their books in the early 80's in the shape of The Dazz Band.

Disc 2 is supposedly "Funky Grooves" although some of these are somehwat surprising as I wouldn't call either "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five or Blondie's "Rapture" particularly funky. That said the extended 10 minute version gives the band the chance to prove they were adept at putting out a good groove. Elsewhere there is a mix of familiar and obscure. The inclusion of LaToya Jackson's "If You Feel The Funk" being most welcome.

Disc 3 has more favourites. The inclusion of the full 16 minutes of Santa Esmarelda's "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" and Sharon Brown's "I Specialise In Love" being the pick of a rather strong bunch. Also worth a mention is Hugh Masakella's "Don't Go Lose It Baby" which still sounds good almost 25 years later.

The last disc is billed as pop tracks although some were not familiar to my Brit trained ears. That said, the contributions of Sunbelt and MDMC have a rather pleasant euro dance feel to them. Yazoo, M, and Felix are the obviously familiar names in this set which whilst varied, hangs together well through the disc.

The key conlusion is this set is both more eclectic and much more European feel than the first one. The inclusion of Martin Circus, Santa Esmarelda, and "I'm A Man" by Macho gives 3 tracks all clocking in at around, or well over the 15 minute mark, which can seem arduous if you don't happen to like their particular brand of Euro-disco. That said, four discs with some real hard to find gems and some big classics still makes this a compelling purchase for anyone who enjoys, or enjoyed 70's and 80's dance music.

*information about the themes of each disc came from Ben Leibrand's Grand 12 Inches website which provides useful notes from him about each of the tracks included on the discs.