Village People Album: “Best Of The Village People”

THE VILLAGE PEOPLE, of course, were not an organic band; they were deliberately created through a series of auditions and then costumed, choreographed, and unleashed in a collection of images that might have been dreamed up by gay erotic artist Tom of Finnland: muscular with theatrical costumes cut to show every possible bulge, voices that screamed with an excess of testosterone, and both unexpectedly combined with a bouncy beat. The result is a type of musical camp unlike anything heard before or since, and I'm still amazed that they got away with it.

Given the somewhat flabbergasting nature of the band, its easy to overlook the music--but strange to say, given the homoerotic slant, their recordings remain a staple of everything from highschool proms to stadium sports events: fun, and funny, and excessive, and extremely memorable. The sound is aggressive, to say the least, and determinedly so, and all the hits are here, and all of it packed with as much unsubtle innuendo as possible. There's "YMCA," and who among us can't jump up and immediately do the contortions required to spell out the letters? Not to mention, of course, speculate on the impact the Village People might have had on that venerable organization. There's the notoriously homoerotic "Macho Man" and the infamous "In The Navy," which poses the musical question 'What am I going to do on a submarine?' Many of the more popular recordings are presented in what is described here as the 12" versions--and what more can we say about that? For the most part, each recording blends over into the next, so the whole thing plays like one long leather bar dance floor mix.

THE VILLAGE PEOPLE's music will never be accused of being great art, and their albums were essentially filler collected around a couple of big-sell recordings, so don't feel you're missing out on anything by not buying the original releases--this is the way to go. The perfect recording to liven up a cocktail party, beer bust, biker rally... lots of bass-pounding, wall-shaking fun!

The memories alone make you smile! I didn't know that Village People had more hits than just YMCA, Macho Man and In The Navy. I saw a list of Hot Cop, San Francisco/Hollywood, Can't Stop the Music in "villagepeople-official" website and it got me to thinking that there was more to this group. The CD is clean, fun and very danceable. From start to finish, I could sing along. That's a fun CD.

What party would be complete, even today, without the DJ playing "Y.M.C.A." or "Macho Man"? I have to say that I have never been to a party where they haven't been played. Even at my daughter's high school dances they are always played, which goes to show the timelessness of fun dance songs. The great thing about this album, as well as having original album tracks, it also has 12" versions of some songs that have never been available on album before. As well as "Village People", the B-side of "San Francisco (you've got me)". If you are throwing a party in the near future, remember to grab yourself a copy of this album. A party is not a party without The Village People. Plus all the songs have been digitally remastered, and the booklet contains an essay on the group.

I really liked this marvelous album. It made me get up on my feet and dance like a recently freed stallion. At times its hard to finish listening to this joyous San Franciscan romp. Why? The seventies were a grand old time for everyone, so fabulous that I cry looking back at those golden years of glamour. YMCA and Macho Macho Man are loony lucy tunes that make me proud to admit that I am still living in steamy San Francisco. Now this place is Hot and Humid! Hard to live there? Yes! Some of the tunes have always been hard to swallow, but after some practice they all become so deliciously decadent and fun.

No doubt about it, the Village People were the original "boys' band"; they were put together by a marketing genius and each member of the band was there to correspond to a different fantasy. But boy, did they produce some great toe-tapping, dance-your-[rear]-off music! I still use this album to do aerobics, because from the first bar, you have just got to be moving when you hear them. Definitely the best group of the disco era. Buy the album!!!