Max Bygraves - Discolongamax

Here's an an age old fave of mine and this must be around the third or fourth time I've posted this through my blogging years (although, it seems, never on CosmoBells until now!). This highly collectible piece of novelty disco kitsch cost me quite a bit on a well known bidding site some years back - and it was worth every pound/euro spent! Just look at that cover! Surely worth an extortionate amount of money alone! Surely that's a look of pain rather than euphoric disco pleasure on Max's face there - looks like he's pulled a back muscle and that woman behind is just laughing at him! Despite the obvious disco bandwagon jumping by Max, this album has never failed to entertain, make me laugh, smile and even "get on the groove".

 An offbeat entry into Bygraves' long-running Singalongamax series (he did another off-kilter entry in the form of Congalongamax!) - this edition must have confused and thrown a few of Max's old codger fans off track. Who'd have thought that ole Maxie would have it in him to dance it up to the max for the younger generation?! But the old pink toothbrusher totally gives it his all covering his favourite golden oldies and heard-to-death standards in a groovy new funky setting.

Every track an absolute 250 carat golden pearl, stand out tracks include the roaring starter "Get Me To The Church On Time", the storming "How You Gonna Keep Em Down On The Farm", the frantic "Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey" (in which Max turns into Jimmy Durante), the boppy "My Mammy", the funktastic retooling of the Maxie standard "Tulips Of Amsterdam" (features a great bit of trumpet!), brassy disco galore with "Somebody Stole My Gal" (great bit of sax on that one!) and the unbelievably hip and almost technofied "Ma (He's Making Eyes At Me)"! The Bygraves hit "You Need Hands" gets a nice and easy groover remake and Max also turns on the sexy soul with a smooth reworking of the old classic softie "Moonlight Serenade". The album ends on a slow note with the sombre sentimental standard "Feelings". The excellent production comes courtesy of Terry Brown with Frank Barber as arranger/composer/conductor. Backing vocals are provided by The Ladybirds (they appeared on The Benny Hill Show for most of it's run). None other than Dave Mattacks of Fairport Convention plays on drums!

Very much similar in sound and style to the cult kitsch classic Deco Disco, the superior Discolongamax is a must-hear and must-own for fans and collectors of disco, easy listening and novelty pop. Certainly makes one wish he had done another disco album. In 2010, surely it's about time for a contemporary follow-up - Ravealongamax and Rapalongamax, anyone?!......

Max Bygraves
Discolongamax
Pye
1979
60 mb
MU / RS

1 Get Me To The Church On Time
2 How Ya Gonna Keep Em Down On The Farm
3 You Need Hands
4 Autumn Leaves
5 Moonlight Serenade
6 Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey
7 Ma (He's Making Eyes At Me)
8 My Mammy
9 Tulips From Amsterdam
10 Love Is A Song
11 Somebody Stole My Gal
12 Feelings

Ripped & encoded by X-Y-Z-Cosmonaut @ 192 kbps.