C'est Chic

this is one of the top 5 disco albums and a pinnacle from the best band since the big band era. it exploded with confidence and talent to spare onto an unsuspecting audience who had benignly liked the group's first lp. nile rodgers and bernard edwards seemed ready to discard conventions in pop music and had the skill to achieve this goal. even the album cover was unique, listing the song titles on the front and depicting the band in the cool, detached, stylish way that became their trademark for a while. the music didn't depend on the personality of the vocalists; rather, the group was conceived to be an organic whole. instrumental and semi-instrumental tracks were heard alongside songs with chanted verses; song construction and arrangement had the string section not just creating a backdrop but often carrying the melody. the guitar assumed rhythm duties; at times the bass played melody. the interplay of guitar and bass was well served with a bedrock of solid drumming and piano playing (witness "i want your love," "chic cheer"). the arrangements were unconventional but subtle. many people complained of the simplistic lyrics or repetitious choruses, failing to perceive the unity of the compositions, the use of voice as instrumentation, the employment of minor progressions and layering to build and release tension.