All Things Deep - Reviews - Disco 54: the AVI Collection

Various - The AVI Collection

The California based American Variety International label enjoys a legacy of owning some of the world's quirkiest disco records. As most of these are long out of print, we should be thankful that Hip-O has assembled their highlights on one concise disc.

The AVI Collection features a heavy dose of Lauren Rinder and Michael Lewis, who contribute six of the ten songs. Their work epitomizes both the strengths and weaknesses of the label. At their best, as on El Coco's "Let's Get it Together" or their own "Lust," they possess an atmospheric sound supported with funky underpinning.

But their ill-advised version of Duke Ellington's "Caravan" is rife with cliches and excessive cuteness, a trait that Ian Levine makes no bones about celebrating. On "True Love Is My Destiny," Levine displays the sense of drama that would later make him a pioneer of Hi-NRG music.

Worth owning for "Lust" (impossible to find anywhere else) and the chance to hear Captain Sky's novelty "Super Sporm."

Released 1998 on Hip-O

Selected Tracks:

Rinder and Lewis - Lust
Captain Sky - Super Sporm
El Coco - Let's Get It Together