Donna Summer: Once Upon a Time CD Track Listing

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Donna Summer Once Upon a Time (1977)
Originally Released November 1977\nCD Edition Released 1988 ??\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: Summer and her liberators have created one audience and redefined another, and this record's four sides of dreamworlds without end sometimes manipulate each audience. The candy-girl music of "Fairy Tale High," "Queen for a Day," and "If You Got It, Flaunt It" explicitly recognizes her newly created gay audience, a daring acknowledgement coming from a mainstream pop star. As for her redefined audience of naive young things who live in the suburbs and dream of romance, adventure and sex while they search for identity, Summer works her music into a true-to-life Cinderella story staged as four acts of impatient pulse, delirious space noise, wish-upon-a-star voice monologues, and motion. -- Michael Freedberg\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nA nearly perfect conceptual masterpiece, not just disco, great music period, 12-21-2005\nReviewer: G. Mitchell "greggmitch" (Los Angeles, CA United States)\nI can't tell you how many times I've listened to this album, first as a kid when it first came out on a stunning 2-LP set (who can forget the Scavullo gatefold sleeve?) and then later the CD reissue. This was Donna before she broke into the masses, before LIVE AND MORE, and before BAD GIRLS - I think it stands on its own as an ambitious, perfectly realized conceptual work of art when few pop artists, disco and otherwise, were even aiming this high, and delivering. With slick Teutonic production by Moroder/Bellotte, soaring vocals from Summer, and a clutch of addictive, propulsive grooves, ONCE UPON A TIME equals anything Donna has ever released. With classic Donna anthems like RUMOR HAS IT, I LOVE YOU, FAIRY TALE HIGH, and especially NOW I NEED YOU (way, way ahead of its time, imagine Kraftwerk meets gospel), this is essential for fans of great quality music, no matter the genre. Disco never died - but this is heaven.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nA Surprisingly Successful Blending Of Fairy Tale, Opera And Disco, August 30, 2005\nReviewer: Allan Sherwood (Baltimore, MD)\n"Once Upon A Time" is Summer's last euro-disco album before venturing into rock inspired disco with "Bad Girls". This album perfectly captures the mood so many others strived to create in this genre: lush symphonic arrangements blended with other-worldly synthesizers, sensuous singing and a steady, frenzied disco beat. What sets this and Summer's earlier albums apart from most euro-disco is it's soulfulness, Summer's singing obviously plays a large part in this but also her involvement in the project from initial concept, through the songwriting process and the recorded performance itself. Unlike many other disco divas who didn't become involved in projects until the day of recording Summer was a partner with her producers Bellotte and Moroder. This is possibly Summer's most autobiopgraphical album and her personality adds nuance and complexity to the character, this isn't Walt's Cinderella. There is genuine emotion here: despair and longing in "Now I Need You", "Sweet Romance" and "Working The Midnight Shift"; hope tinged with self-doubt in "Queen For A Day", "Dance Into My Life" and "Say Something Nice". The "Happily Ever After" ending is even sweeter coming after the moments of darkness. Summer's singing and Bob Esty & Giorgio Moroder's arrangements vary to suit each song, Summer going from frail little girl to sensuous, vital woman; the arrangements from steely, cold electronica to the warmth of an orchestra. Anyone who thinks disco music is only for the feet and not from the heart should give this a listen, those who only know Summer from her later hits are in for a treat. \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nAnother Giorgio Moroder Masterpiece, July 25, 2002\nReviewer: Rick Garcia (Tampa, FL USA)\nA prime example of the peak of electronic disco... The driving beat of "Now I Need You" mixing into "Working the Midnight Shift" is hypnotic. The musicians on this album also recorded under the name Munich Machine. For those interested in this genre it's too bad that Munich Machine CD's are non-existent, as far as I can tell. Luckily I still have a lot of this stuff on vinyl.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nThe Mother of Techno, September 21, 2001\nReviewer: booboo "booboo" (Washington, DC USA)\nI'm 30 and didn't discover this particular piece of Summer's work until just recently. Wow was I blown away. Not only is this an outstanding concept album but I consider this album is perhaps the conception of what is now "techno" music. It's as though Summer and crew traveled to the 90's and brought some of it back to the 70's. To the baby boomers Mrs. Summer may be the queen of disco but to this X'er she's the mother of Techno.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nDonna on a fairy tale high, September 16, 2000\nReviewer: S

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