Risque

The disco backlash was uniquely American. In Europe, people didn't torch their copies of Saturday Night Fever, but instead used disco as fertiliser for a crop of pioneering genres, from post-punk to Italo. Now, as much as commentators, with reason, point to prejudices against disco's black and gay subcultures as fuelling the backlash, it's not as if Europe lacked for such bigotries. What I say has been looked over is American exoticism as seen with the European gaze: what passes for everyday to Americans may either baffle or fascinate we Europeans. Many Americans damned disco as brainless, but many Europeans saw fierce innovation in these calls to dance. Yes, there were plenty of UK critics dismissing disco, and yes, some Americans did similar to Europe in devising new music inspired by disco, such as Chicago house, but they do not disprove the general trend of this specific American exceptionalism. And just remember: Nile Rodgers has not only had the last laugh, but he hasn't stopped laughing since 1983. Anyway, onto Risqué. One fault of Risqué is one of its great strengths: the opener, Good Times. Good Times, for several reasons, has rightfully become one of the most iconic 70s tracks (and here I'll mention its perhaps even more momentous half-sibling Rapper's Delight). The majesty of Good Times lies, of course, in Bernard Edwards' serpentine bassline, not that Nile Rodgers' guitar isn't fully up to snuff. But when you start an album with such a totem, the rest risks sounding diminished by default. To test this, I just tried listening to the album except for Good Times, and the magic of the other songs burst out. I had originally considered the strings on the rest of the album to sound too syrupy for the modern eardrum, but played independently, they sounded so warm and silky. Also, the latter half of the album revolves around themes of heartache, illicit love and betrayal, marking this out as substantially darker and richer than the fluff the name "disco" implies to some. So do we have the paradoxical result of the whole being less than the sum of its parts? Or one skyscraper of a song stealing all the other songs' sunlight? Or is it that Good Times is immediate in bestowing its rewards, whereas the other songs require more contemplation? Not the first, but I can agree to ther last two. The sheer quality of the songwriting, performances and production push this into the 5-star category, but the listener should heed the caveat that the best is the enemy of the good, and the best is Good Times.

Disco is not dead so long as it lives in the hearts of men!

I think more people would like disco than care to admit. The bassline in Good Times is worthy of 5 stars alone, really like that it was sampled and squires a lot of later tracks.

Man, this is a hard one to pin down. Musically, this band is so tight and so clean. Disco gets such a bad rap, and I'd hesitate to limit this band to disco, but this is the prototype for funky dance/disco music. [The Outkast references are inadvertent but appropriate.] Tony Thompson (who you'll also recognize from Power Station and Bowie's "Let's Dance" album) on drums is a massive time keeper/groove provider, Nile Rodgers knows how to play funky guitar better than just about anyone, and the rest of the musicians all play their parts to perfection. Yes, the tunes roll on and on, but that's the point. I'll take humans killing a dance beat over techo every single time. Then... there's the vocals. Well, I should say, lyrics, because the vocals are totally right on and immediately identifiable (I didn't love the vocal melody on "Will You Cry," but the rest are perfect for the music). But the lyrics seem like an afterthought, and it holds this record back. Yes, it was a different era, so I'll even overlook some of the misogyny, but even on the biggest hit, "Good Times," the lyrics are trying to bring the song down. ("Don't be a drag, participate; Clams on the half shell, and roller skates, roller skates.") At the very least, it seems they were happy to settle on the first rhyme they came up with. So, for me, it was a tug between being super impressed with the music and wondering why they didn't work harder on the lyrics. Clearly, they did fine for themselves, and it works for the dance floor, because you know the lyric the second time it comes around and you're locked in, but IMO, a little more variety and a little more attention to quality lyrics would have made this a five. As it stands... I'm at like a 3.5... it's Christmas, so this gets the Santa bump.

The problem with Disco records is that all the songs are unnecessarily long with nothing to really hold them up for that extended length. Seriously, once you've heard the first 8-minute-long track off of this album, just stop listening, as the rest of the album is the same thing over and over.

Did you know that "Good Times" is over 8 minutes long? I sure didn't before today. Let me tell you, that's about 6 minutes longer than it needs to be. And, as annoying as that song is, it's the best part of this whole record. Disco is just the worst.

Good Times + a lot of filler.

I cringed when the first song started. The dreaded disco that I hated with passion and now I have to listen to it. I always thought there was a special place in hell reserved for the bands that played this. But wait! I'm starting to like the first song. This can't be. Am I going to hell too? Fortunately, after half liking the first song I truly hated the rest. No postmortal global warming for me

Absolute banger. Such an important sound at the peak of the disco resurgence and an amazing showcase for Nile Rodgers as an arranger and guitar player. Bernard Edwards' bass is deep and grooving throughout — and from the drop on "Good Times" you immediately hear again all the places it went: Daft Punk's "Around The World," Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight," and inspiring Queen's John Deacon on "Another One Bites The Dust." The songwriting takes you all sorts of places as you hear who grew up listening to them - the chord progressions and harmony got deposited in dance artists of all stripes, again including Stardust and Daft Punk, even before they famously collaborated with Nile on Random Access Memories, as well as the grooves and whispers of "A Warm Summer Night" pointing ahead to Khruangbin ("Como Me Quieres"), whose guitarist Mark Speer also sports a trademark Strat.

This album is awesome! Nile Rodgers is a chuckin beast on guitar!

Bernie. Edwards. Makes it a 5.

Oh man, funk and groove galore, I loved this album.

This is more joy than it seems appropriate to enjoy right now

The Good Times bassline has real estate in my brain. I love CHIC. Powerful disco grooves. Forbidden Lover is a new favorite of mine.

Some of the best (and funkiest) pop music ever made.

Deserves to be on the list simply for putting down a groove that "inspired" both Rappers Delight and Another One Bites the Dust. All that said, the ballads here are equally impressive. The Edwards/Rogers team was humming at top gear throughout and writing, playing and producing at an extraordinarily high level.

Now this I can listen for eternity

starts off especially strong with Good Times, although i think it overstays it's welcome by a couple of minutes. while each song was extremely groovy it suffers from being quite repetitive. The runtime is quite short though which keeps the good times rolling without bearing too hard on the listener. 3.5 to a 4/5

I put this on loud and next thing I knew I was instantly transported to a 1980s Long Island wedding. There were all the trappings of a luxury ceremony, including clams on the half-shell AND roller skates. Unfortunately I got a venereal disease from one of the bridesmaids and someone stole my wallet when I passed out in the toilet.

Why am I only now checking this out? These people manage to do more invention in 35 minutes than most do in a career. This is the First record on here that I wish was longer. Great musicianship, production that’s almost unheard of and a concise package that never falters from being a danceable call to action for enjoying life.

9/10 yeah, I really like Chic — these folks write hella good music

A classic Disco record. I don't know if I'd say it is a strong 5 due to bloat (drugs be crazy), but I think it has such staying power, that it at least deserves that 5 position.

I absolutely love Nile Rodgers and have been inspired by him in my own guitar playing. I also absolutely love disco music, but I'd never actually listened to this album in full. It's hard to judge since it opens with one of the most influential songs ever written. Good Times is such a fucking amazing song and influenced an entire genre of music and it opens the album. Everything after that is going to pale in comparison. It's still really good music, but damn is it hard to follow Good Times.

Nile Rodgers rules. And the album would get a 5/5 for ‘Good Times’ alone. But the fact that so many great songs came from it, like Rapper’s Delight and Rapture makes me want to give it a 6.

This album is great. I was nervous when I saw that the first few songs were quite long, but I was grooving and vibing to all the songs. There's some great funk and got me moving in my seat. Really enjoyable album to listen to. Favorite song: Will You Cry (When You Hear This Song) Worst song: N/A

Great grooves and hooks. Totally a unique sound with the group vocals and strings. Bernard Edwards basslines are super iconic. I like the long instrumental sections of just groove in Goodtimes. The tap dancing section in My Feet Feel like Dancing is cool. Can’t Stand to Love You is so great, probably my favorite song-I wish it were longer!

Each song was as funky as the one before. Greatly recommend this song to anyone who is into funk and/or disco

Iconique

‘Good Times’ with its bassline that gave birth to hip-hop on wax dominates, but ‘Risqué’ is much more than that. Underneath its lush, upbeat, shiny veneer is an album tinged with loss, sadness and despair, layers of sarcasm and cynicism; an album that finds catharsis (or oblivion) through the dancefloor, ultimately transcending its genre and becoming something bigger and deeper than just a mere disco album.

Good Times. Leave your cares behind. Those two lines say it all.

It is hard to give any album that starts with a full 8-minute version of Good Times anything less than 5 stars. The opener and the other two singles, which are also great, form half of the album. Hence, it follows that \[(4+5)/2=4.5 + \mbox{the perfect sound} = 5 *.\]

Loved this

Short album of absolute bangers

Great vibes

Bloody love Chic (and Nile Rodgers). Forbidden Lover and my feet keep dancing are up there with my favourites of theirs. 5/5

Bängeri Skön funk

Nile and co will always get my vote

Sometimes a record will take a test that it compels me to invent as I listen to it, like here, when during the breakdown in “My Feet Keep Dancing” I realised that CHIC were near guaranteed to present more than three moments on this record at least as great as the stuff I’m already familiar with, which is only “Good Times”. Unusually, the verse-chorus-verse parts are just the mise-en-scene - it’s the interstitial bass sprints and the sudden, odd grooves that this excels and revels in.

Good Disco album can hear where the samples have been taken for other tracks

smoooooove bass on this album, man

Törkysen kova. Levy miltä löytyy oma top5 bassoriffi. Say. No. More.

High quality disco, obv., but not as much going on as for C'est Chic, and for too long. The eternal "Good Times" qualifies this for the rating; RIP Alfa Anderson

This is above average background music for your cocaine party

Ok! Party time! A category is emerging during this project. Something like the "these folks are trailblazers, I respect this album, but I'm not adding anything to my Spotify library" category. Would definitely consider adding some of these to a wedding playlist though. 2.5 for respect

Good disco listening album. Probably wouldn't put this on whenever, but if the mood was right.

Some really great tracks here, but the whole album doesn’t have that consistent feel one gets from a great disco record

I can’t be the only one who thought this was Led Zeppelin’s “In Through the Out Door” for a split second when it got generated, right? It’s a good thing it wasn’t. This record’s way better.

Possibly the most sampled album in history? I had no idea that De la Soul lifted the Roller Skating Jam line from here. The bass is the star throughout the album. Bernard Edwards' playing is sublime and tight. I wasn't expecting the ballads. This leads to the album drifting slightly in the middle. I'd forgotten how fantastic My Forbidden Lover is.

Good times is a great song but that bass player slaps funky shit throughout the whole album. 3.49 stars

This album works best when it focuses on the uptempo, guitar-driven tracks, but even the slower songs have their place here. It's clear this is an LP to dance to - the track lengths and structures are undeniable in their rhythm and catchiness. Fun to see the building blocks of early House (four on the floor beats, synth-like piano lines, and tight, compressed guitar looped) permeate this album and remember where the samples originally came from.

I’m guessing they had a lot of faith in Good Times being a big hit because leading off an album with an almost 9 minute song is insane if your name isn’t Pink Floyd.

Not for intensive listening, meant for clubs etc.

Pretty one note and repeatitive

Pretty repetitive

I liked their sound but the songs were too long and repetitive within each song. I didn't dislike the music, but wasn't especially impressed by anything

I enjoyed about 3 minutes of good times but after that, there wasn't really much worth listening to.

Thought it was okay but everything sounds the same. Some of the tracks are way too long.

I reviewed the other Chic album and gave it a good mark but why are there two albums that are basically the same? Good times is the best song with Forbidden lover following closely on and the hits but the others are either identical beat with one line repeated for 4 minutes or laid back lovers soul. It's like the 1001 executives rigidly have to fill each genre with the required 20 albums regardless of quality.

Disco funk!

Gorgeous disco album

Amazing timeless album!

A Warm Summer Night is perfect for just that. Feels lovely. Great album. Short but very sweet

Classic and will likely always be so-5 stars

GOOD TIMES 🕺 THESE ARE THE GOOD TIMES 🕺 LEAVE YOUR CARES BEHIND 🕺

"Risque" by CHIC is undeniably one of the greatest albums of the Disco era, capturing the vibrant essence of the late 1970s with its infectious grooves and sophisticated production. The album not only solidified CHIC's status as pioneers of Disco but also left a lasting impact on various genres, influencing artists across funk, pop, and even hip-hop. Its timeless tracks, characterized by slick instrumentation and heartfelt lyrics, continue to inspire musicians today, showcasing the enduring legacy of Disco music in the evolution of contemporary sound.

I rate good times a 5 star because I've listened to this song many times and I liked it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. I rate A warm summer night a 5 star because I've listened to this song many times and I liked it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. I rate cant stand to love you a 5 star because I've listened to this song many times and I liked it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.

How can one man go so hard on the bass this much that it didn't rip a hole in the space-time continuum? Roger's guitar scratches the unscratchable itch. The vocals are liquid satin and glitter. Undeniable classic from beginning to end.

Hell yeah, I loved this almost as much as C'est Chic. More tap dance solos, please!

Bij bierkeuringen wordt er niet eens zozeer op de kwaliteit gelet, maar vooral of de bieren binnen het hokje van de stijl passen... En hier hebben we een plaat die volledig binnen de lijntjes kleurt van de disco. Funkritme, samenzang, de blikken met violen die worden opengetrokken, bierstijlgoeroe Derek Walsh zou hiervan gaan knorren van plezier. Maar ook los van de stijlhokjes wordt hier een lekker potje muziek gemaakt die de oortjes binnenglijdt als honing, en daar ging het tenslotte om.

Such incredible bass lines...

Om 10 dage er det præcis 1 år siden CHIC sprang min hjerne i luften. Jeg har hørt det her album allerede, og står ved min rating

This is probably the most unexpected album I've loved. The songs aren't bops and yet they are? The power of disco✨

ok, fine, fuck it, just about any time Nile Rodgers is involved, give it the five, what the fuck ever,

There’s a lot of reviews that have mentioned the lyrics, but even having read some before listening it didn’t prepare me for how out of pocket some of them are. This is getting a five purely because my experience listening to A Warm Summer Night was something to behold. I thought I heard in the background ‘Te quiero, Papi’ and thought, oh that’s weird, wonder what that lyric is really, kept hearing it to the point I thought I was going mad, and then the last line of the song is ‘Te quiero, Papi’ in a really unnecessary stage whisper. Perfect, no notes. And then in Can’t Stand To Love You you get the double whammy of ‘Little Punk, do it for me or I’ll number your days’ and ‘You’d think I were into S&M.’ Where did that come from?

When did clubs stop playing this?? It's literally designed for dancing!

Loved the disco album, what a way to start the morning. Even gave it a second listen, I was not aware of many songs by chic but I knew I loved the ones I’d heard. I was not disappointed with the rest of the album either, it may not have the same revere as a Bob Dylan or David Bowie album but for my personal taste this is a much better album than any other theirs

Every track here hits the spot.

Pure, slinky, glitter-soaked disco perfection. Bernard Edwards and Nile Rogers were an unstoppable team.

More good quality recordings.

A really good album, I liked Good Times, My Forbidden Lover and Will You Cry (When You Hear This Song) the most.

chic are the best they just groove so hard how can u not like this shit

Five all day long!

Oh man perfect pumping disco and divine bass lines - can’t fault any of this album: it’s the quintessential Nile Rogers’ record.

very exciting album, i like disco like this, groovy

Excellent disco album, every song was nice! Definitely a vibe.

This is perfection. Every album should be like this. Short, a consistent theme and FUNKY AF!

4.5. A bit too repetitive at times.

An entire party in one album

This album gets 5 stars for the bassline in Good Times alone. I enjoyed the rest of the album just as much. The whole thing has a great groove. I never understood the Disco backlash, but I was very young when it was popular. I always enjoyed it as a style of music. Some of the outfits were a bit much, but I still want a pair of bell-bottoms.

Very nice pop album.

These first three Chic albums man. So good. Opening with 8 minutes of Good Times. It's just ridiculous. That bass. Surely the shortest 8 minutes ever. The rest might not have standouts as obvious as "At Last I Am Free", but it's consistently very high quality and gorgeous.

Full of things that became big hits, but there's a surprising amount of slower, jazzy grooves here too that I really didn't expect. It's a mature and confident third album.

Love it. Good background music.

Absolutely fantastic. Still have the album press aswell as in digital form. Anything that Nile Rodgers produces can't be bad.

Millions of listens, millions of grooves. Thank you

I can hear this title just by seeing it

Great! Love this album. An old favorite

It's not as good as C'est Chic. But it is still brilliant. You can see the line through this to their work with Diana Ross in the 80s. Everything they did was brilliant really.

Not much to say here other than this is three of the finest musicians in the world at the top of their game. Their sound is surely one of the most influential ever.

Aww fuck yessssss. So funky.