# 1893    The Village People -     MACHO MAN

                                                                                                                        Macho Man, Casablanca Records, 1978
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Yes. He is.

                    BILLBOARD
          CHART ACHIEVEMENTS:

                    Club Play:  # 4
                  Pop Singles:  # 25

recurrent party favorite at  MATT RADIO



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This was a much bigger smash in clubs than on the radio.

Assembled by French producer Jacques Morali, who also struck gold with the outrageous Ritchie Family, the Village People took high camp and good spirits even farther over the top with their overtly gay-oriented disco.  Masters of exploitation, the band cruised through songs that were immediate club staples during the late '70s.  But despite the inevitable and often ridiculous controversies, what is important is that this band, no matter how plastic fantastic or politically incorrect they may have appeared, still turned in some classic performances.

The sextet, fronted by the talented vocalist Victor Willis, had already made a splash on the disco scene with their self-titled 1977 debut.  With that LP clocking in at under 30 minutes, Morali ensured that there was still room for more.  One of two Village People albums to appear in 1978, Macho Man hit the stores in the spring to immediate success.  Punchy, driving disco flanked by Willis' funk vocals marks the consistent keynote of this LP — one that was all but crushed under the dominance of "Macho Man."  And, okay, the costume party image was the gimmick...  it was the distracting fascination that brought the band so much attention.  But there are interesting moments buried here as well.  "I Am What I Am" may not have been subtle, but it certainly was a well-constructed slab of groove.  And as for the gospel-tinged "Sodom and Gomorrah," there's a good reason why it was buried at the end of the album.  Also of note, for the preservation of history, is the throwaway "Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" medley.  This particular coupling was devised by Louis Prima in 1956 and, of course, the classic 1985 rendering by a top-hatted and be-suited David Lee Roth is now nearly a camp classic.  In terms of hot pop shenanigans, however, the lesson here is that the Village People did it first.

The highlight and title track of the Village People’s sophomore effort, ”Macho Man” was co-written by Jacques Morali, his crew and, for the first time, by the band’s lead singer Victor Willis.  Surprisingly rough and tumble among the more overtly disco twists included elsewhere on the album, ”Macho Man” was an instant club and, even more cleverly, mainstream hit in 1978.  The images of the band in their feathers and leather have become so indelibly linked to this song that it’s almost impossible to separate the visuals from the sonics.  But dig beneath the surface and emerging is a groove fest on horns, bass, and vocals that borders on an all-out funk frenzy, replete with several movements and clever changes in tempo and intent.  Snappy and sassy, Willis reminds us to “dig [his] muscles” – a potent invitation to look at the muscle of the song as well.  And, of course, across pertinent lyrics like “People have the right to live with who they please” and “I did not choose the way I am,” the song also propounds an important statement of sexuality in a time when the backlash was vicious.


source:  Amy Hanson, allmusic.com