This compilation focuses on the career of the Ritchie Family, a disco trio produced by the man behind the Village People and Jacques Morali. Although their pop chart success was limited, the combination of girl group vocals and lush Euro-disco production that characterized their finest work made them a regular on disco playlists during the mid- to late-'70s. Greatest Hits covers the group's output during that successful period: Its track selection isn't as generous as The Best of the Ritchie Family -- Best Disco in Town, but it makes up for this flaw by focusing on the album-length versions of the tracks it does include. The highlight of the album in this respect is the epic "Arabian Nights Medley," a 15-minute medley that weaves the standards "Instanbul (Not Constantinople)," "Lawrence of Arabia," and "In a Persian Market" into a coherent, danceable mini-symphony where Euro-disco orchestrations coast along the top of huge drumbeats. Another impressive medley arrives when the Ritchie Family's grandiose cover of "Big Spender" gives way to "Good in Love," a danceable original tune with an infectious, handclap-driven beat. The remainder of the album covers other high points from the group's mid-'70s heyday, including dancefloor favorites like "Brazil" and "The Best Disco in Town" (however, it curiously omits the successful "Life Is Music"). All in all, Greatest Hits is a solid and danceable collection. Casual listeners may want to go with The Best of the Ritchie Family -- Best Disco in Town, but Greatest Hits is definitely the Ritchie Family collection of choice for hardcore disco fanatics.
Greatest Hits
The Ritchie Family
Share on
Greatest Hits Review
by Donald A. Guarisco
Track Listing
Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | The Ritchie Family | 06:37 | Amazon | |||
2 | The Ritchie Family | 05:11 | Amazon | |||
3 | The Ritchie Family | 06:29 | Amazon | |||
4 | The Ritchie Family | 05:59 | Amazon | |||
5 | The Ritchie Family | 05:49 | Amazon | |||
6 | The Ritchie Family | 06:48 | Amazon | |||
7 |
|
The Ritchie Family | 04:26 | Amazon | ||
8 |
|
The Ritchie Family | 03:58 | Amazon | ||
9 |
|
The Ritchie Family | 05:59 | Amazon | ||
10 | The Ritchie Family | 05:22 | Amazon | |||
11 | The Ritchie Family | 08:17 | Amazon | |||
12 | The Ritchie Family | 04:47 | Amazon | |||
13 | The Ritchie Family | 04:13 | Amazon |