Lipstique

Another Euro-disco combo, Lipstique was not quite at the level of, say, a Giorgio Moroder or Frank Farian project -- merely utilizing a German recording studio does not a great band make. But nevertheless, they are still a chapter in that whacked classic sound that drove so may disco bands during the end of the 1970s. And like many of their peers, Lipstique came along on the early side of later, and 1977's At the Discotheque -- their only U.S. LP -- is still a precursor of sorts to the movement. Side one is a near 17-and-a-half-minute epic, the "At the Discotheque (Medley)." It's got strings, beats, and is the perfect wallpaper for any swinging party. Unfortunately, it's just not very good. So skip side one and move to the flip, where things take a very odd turn. Listeners are treated to three songs here. The medley "I Wanna Play With You/Funny Games" is a seemingly innocuous bit of sweet -- "I wanna swing on your swings/Run in your park/Lick on your lollipop/Play in your sandbox" -- until you take the lyrics and actually put them into the context of the clubs where the song would be heard. Then it's just kind of creepy. More fun is the absolutely demented pairing of Shocking Blue's Venus and the Doors' "Light My Fire," in full disco arrangement. It's over seven minutes long and very brave indeed. But if you think it couldn't get stranger, it does, and the whole thing wraps with a preposterously sultry, heavy-breathy take on Piero Umiliani's irreverent "Mah-Nah-Mah-Nah." It's like the Muppets going sexpot. There's a good reason this LP never charted in the United States. But still, there are several shining moments here, and there were plenty of bands that were much, much worse. ~ Amy Hanson, All Music Guide