Donna Summer

Following the success of her single "Love To Love You Baby" along with the album of the same name (both went gold), Donna Summer released what would be the first of a string of conceptual albums Summer recorded along with producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte.

"A Love Trilogy" centers around Side A, and repeating what was done on Summer's previous album, the first side is one song expanded to an entire album side. The "trilogy" is a medley of three songs: "Try Me (Just One Time)", "I Know We Can Make It" and "We Can Make It (If We Try)", hence "Try Me, I Know We Can Make It". The song goes through a obstacle course of tight electronic rhythms, bridges, peaks, and denouement which holds up quite well. Those expecting to hear Donna Summer moaning in full throttled ecstasy on this song will be disappointed: the moans aren't as sleazy and there are few to be heard. Instead, you get Summer showing off her bold vocal talents along with throwing in some teases along the way.

The "trilogy" can also be found on the second side. It begins with a remake of Barry Manilow's hit from a year before this album's release ("Could It Be Magic"), only this time it's Love-To-Love-You-Baby-fied, with Summer moaning in lust, wanting her lover to "come into my arms" and to "hold on" before she gets an orgasmic rush. Sex aside, this is Summer giving us a taste of what was to come, vocal-wise. The full-throttle style she would perfect in later years was evident here towards the end of the song. The remaning two tracks, "Wasted" amd "Come With Me" are good Eurodisco numbers; the former being about emptiness (which was the theme on the second side of Summer's previous album) and the latter being a bouncy mid-tempo invitation to who-knows-what.

There are no ballads on this album, so "A Love Trilogy" is non-stop disco fun and overall enjoyable to the ears. Highly recommended for fans of Summer's Munich-era recordings.



Listen to Try Me, I Know We Can Make It by Donna Summer:


Listen to Could It Be Magic:


Listen to Wasted by Donna Summer:


Listen to Come With Me:

Buy from:
Amazon.com (US)
Amazon.co.uk (UK)