Poll: Your favorite 2 Costandinos albums and why

[Jimmy-Michaels]

I wanted to take a poll and see what everyone's favorite 2 Alec R Costandinos LP's are and why. What is your least favorite as well and why. Here is my 2:

"Golden Tears" - A very different path for Alec and very movie like. This LP reminds me alot of the 2nd halfs of Bowie's "Low" and "Heroes" albums. The ambient instrumentals with diolog is a whole different concept and if you just close your eyes and listen you can watch it as a film in your head. Too bad they never made a movie of this and really too bad they won't re release it onto CD so a new generation could hear this great work. I think kids today would apreciate it with the 2 upbeat eurodisco tracks that would compare to hose or techno.



"Americana" - Just got hold of a copy of this one somebody did for me (Thanx again, you know who you are), still would like to own the actuall vinyl if I come across one, but anyway, for Alec's final LP this is a great one. The soft rock sence of "Baby I Love You" and "The Girl From NYC" and the disco/rock style of "Somethings Cookin'" make this a very diverse and interesting blend. The best part is the final track "The Mountain", a 7min+ instrumental. It's very Pink Floyd/Eric Clapton/Sumeria. Very well done and a shame this was his final work. He could have followed Cerrone and explored Rock/Pop music through the 80's.



The absolute worst- "Ariol And Jaquette".

Synergy is a good club track. Other than that it sucks. "For Amusement Only" is kinda cool but, the Dennis Deyoung/Bowie on crack vocals don't match the hard rock tinge of it. "Mangariva" is a rip off of the main title theme to "Moonraker"(think Alec was watching this film before he wrote this) and finally "Benidette" is too too depressing and is a hell of a way to end his final album in the USA. If I didn't know of "Americana", I'd think Alec was a sad soul who lost his mind and thats why the albums stopped(kinda like the pink floyd wall story).



So, lets hear yours



Jimmy M

[BrunoRepublic]

My two faves? Lessee...



Sumeria: Golden Tears -- I second your opinions on this one



Trocadero Lemon Blue: Although I don't care much for side 2, the title track is so phenomenal that it makes the whole album worthy for me.



It's a tough choice between those two and Love And Kisses: How Much, How Much I Love You. And this is assuming that we don't count Cerrone's "Love In C Minor" as a Costandinos album, which it really is



Worst? I'd have to say "You Must Be Love" from Love And Kisses. Formulated and rather uninspired IMO. "Hunchback Of Notre Dame" is a rather incoherent mess too, although it does have some redeeming moments.

[Boodikka]

1)ROMEO AND JULIET - especially Parts 3, 4, 5.

2)LOVE AND KISSES

[paul]

Mine is Romeo and Juliet.

[sirius]

My favorites are "Romeo And Juliet"(LP),

because that´s the first one I bought.

"Thank God It´s Friday" because of the

Movie...

"How Much, How Much I Love You" ... because

I got it this week!!!

Cosmic Love & Kisses From SIRIUS & DARKTUNES

[NickNack]

"Winds of Change", which I just put on the turntable thanks to this post. The title track just takes me wherever I need to be. The orchestration is excellent. This would be my number 1.



Number 2: It's hard but I think I'll pick "Romeo & Juliet", with "Love and Kisses" a very, very close second.

[Robbie]

I only have one Constandinos album at the moment, and it's "Love and Kisses" (1977).



I bought the album for Side B, "I Found Love (Now That I Found You)", which I consider to be a very overlooked record. I also think it's the kind of record you can't edit, for to really experience it is to listen to the entire 16:14 of it. "Accidental Lover" on Side A is okay, but it doesn't hold a candle to "I Found Love". Whereas "I Found Love" ventures into different breaks and melodies, "Accidental Lover" is quite reptitious. I also think "Lover" take its cue from Cerrone (the music on it reminds me of "Give Me Love"), although that might only be because both Cerrone and Constandinos worked on Cerrone's "Love In C Minor" album.

[Jimmy-Michaels]

The Cerrone sounding "Accidental Lover" is a direct copy of "Love In C Minor" on purpace because Alec is the real artist of "Love In C Minor". But that's a whole nother topic and story.



Jimmy M

[Mixmachine]

I found love was not overlooked, in it's day you couldn't walk into a disco that was not playing it,a favorite mix of mine and others was "I found love's" long break overlaid over Macho's "I'm a man" break, those were the days.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Mixmachine on 2002-03-26 22:36 ]</font>

[JussiK]

Romeo and Juliet and Winds of Change. Even the less successful Costandinos albums contain priceless passages of instrumental beauty. Where is Alec now?! He'll never know how much how much...

[usagi-san]

I love Alec R. Costandinos' work & I want to buy all of it. The only ones I have gotten so far (only ones I have found in decent condition) are the ones mentioned here. I got the great "Romeo & Juliet" only recently and since it is not as familiar as Love & Kisses albums, I have to say my 2 favorites are "Love And Kisses" self titled and "How Much, How Much I Love You". "How Much..." is my favorite by a small margin. About "You Must Be Love", side A was good but side B (title song) was fabulous. "...Alirol and Jacquette" and "Winds Of Change" I like about equally, though they sound a lot different. I love Cerrone "Love In C Minor" too.



"you'll never know how much, how much, how much how much..."

usagi-san

[discodjinn]

1: I Found Love

2: Romeo and Juliet, 2nd half

[mrbill]

Best:

1) Elosie - Paris Connection

2) R & J - full album

3) Accidential Lover



Worst:

The filler crap on Synergy



I have Wings of Change still sealed, looks like I should open it one day soon!

[ruoffended]

i like everything he did, especialy HOW MUCH HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU and YOURE THE MOST PRECIOUS THING IN MY LIFE . Also ROMEO AND JULIET and ACCIDENTAL LOVER anyway hard for me to debate i like all he did......RU

[fellow]

I really would like Alec to reconsider and release all his music on CD. 2 favs, cannot do I like all his music. I have how ever been listening lately to "beauty and the beast" from love&kisses second album side 2.

[Jimmy-Michaels]

Well thank you all for the imput on this poll. I see there are some I agree and some I disagree. Alec should get all his LP's out on CD. BEWARE THE CD'S THAT LOOK VERY REAL THAT SAY "MADE IN RUSSIA". They are on Ebay alot. The people that sell them say they are great masters with no vinyl noise and in reality they are the biggest pieces of **** you'd ever get your hands on. The CD artwork and layouts are nice as hell and are very real. But...when you play it..OHHHHHH ****!!!! I recently got suckered into one of theese and I am sending back in the mail tomorrow to get a refund(and the seller agreed to.. 33.00 for this piece of ****? NO WAY). You can hear surface scratches from the record and they are late in cueing up the tracks. It clocks 3 sec. into the track before the sound kicks in and when it does they almost fade the song in and the level goes from silent to suddenly pumped up to normal level. I could make my own Costandinos CD's and remaster them using my EQ and compleatly edit out all the vinyl sounds and fade out with the tracks etc..(I've done it on tape and it sounds great and very scary...but like a CD). Make your own before you waste your cash on these jokes. Anyway, here is the compleate discography of Alec for those who are trying to get it all(I still am, and I only have a few left to track down):

Love In C Minor

Love And Kisses

Sphinx

Romeo And Juliet

Sumeria - Golden Tears

Thank God It's Friday SNDTRK(2 tracks of Alec)

Love And Kisses - How Much I Love You

Hunchback Of Notre Dame

Trocadero Bleu Citron

Paris Connection

Tina Turner - Love Explosion(is on CD IMPORT)

Bad News Travels Fast - Look Out

Winds Of Change

Bad News Travels Fast - Ordinary Man

Love And Kisses - You Must Be Love

Tony Rallo And The Midnite Band - Burning Alive

Ariol And Jaquette

Americana



That's it except for in 1984 he produced a track for Albator 84. A french group with a theme song to a cartoon in france(sung in French, I have it from a friend who burnt it onto a CD for me)



I also heard he had something to do with the Konga's LP "Anikana-o", don't know for sure because I don't own it. Just know the song itself. Also, he played keybords on the Love Deluxe LP "Here Comes That Sound". I was told that but he is not on the credits except a special thanks credit. I took another listen and on side 2 his signature sound is all over it to an extent so, maybe so.



Jimmy M

PS Hope those who were interested read this whole post

[cadillac_man]

I have to say Romeo and Juliett. Brings back a lot of good memories from the late 70's early 80's club days....



Mark:)

[Bernie]

On 2002-04-11 05:43, DJ Jimmy M wrote:





I also heard he had something to do with the Konga's LP "Anikana-o", don't know for sure because I don't own it.

It's in the Disco Vault under "K"

http://www.discomusic.com/vault/index.html