Saturday, July 23, 2022

Chic, Risqué (1979)

You know this band. Their music is a favorite at weddings and roller skating rinks. The opening track "Good Times" makes explicit reference to "clams on a half-shell and roller skates—roller skates!" Feel-good funk.

Next track is a love song, "A Warm Summer Night," the chorus, "Could you love me on a warm summer night? It would be—so nice," followed by whispers of "Te quiero—papi." Sounds kind of vulgar, laid out there like that, but it's not. Nevertheless, many children have no doubt entered the world subsequent to particular plays of this song.

Then we're back to the wedding and rink music with "My Feet Keep Dancing." "My mama says my brains are in my feet," runs a line.

I hope God has a special place reserved in Heaven for Chic. It's impossible not to listen to this LP and feel instantly rapturous.

First B-side track is kind of week, "My Forbidden Lover," and paint-by-numbers, but it's not bad. "Can't Stand to Love You" is all right, "Will You Cry (When You Hear This Song?)" is better—as sad as the latter song sounds, it is apparent that the B-sides here are marital bedtime songs—the last song, "What About Me?" especially.

Look, later when I go through some of the music again, I doubt I'll regard this album as one of the best 100 or so albums in the world, but whatever, I'll give it a thumbs up. One thing I absolutely love about the album is that all songs were written in-house by the band's bassist-vocalist and guitarist-vocalist. Much respect.

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