Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic

Disco Not Disco is a compilation album from the Disco Not Disco series released by Strut Records in 2000. The album is a probe for both the experimental side of disco and punk genres, as well as underground music scene in general. The first volume is more rock and funk oriented and features three experimental studio projects by Arthur Russell, namely Dinosaur, Indian Ocean and Loose Joints, British new wave musician Ian Dury, and even musicians like Yoko Ono, Steve Miller Band or jazz trumpeter Don Cherry.

It was compiled by Joey Negro, a British DJ and producer. and Sean P. Some songs included on this album charted on the Billboard Club chart. The song "Cavern" by Liquid Liquid had famously been used in Grandmaster Flash song called "White Lines (Don't Do It)".

Critical reception

Andy Kellman of Allmusic gave the album 4.5 of 5 stars, stating that "not only does the music stand on its own (there's a reason why thousands of young DJs and vinyl hounds collapsed in confoundment upon finding out that these rare gems were being issued together), but the liner notes provide a story behind each song, only adding to the mystique."

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)ArtistLength
1."Walking on Thin Ice" (1981 Re-edit)Yoko OnoYoko Ono7:20
2."Cavern"Liquid LiquidLiquid Liquid5:21
3."Tell You (Today)" (Vocal)Arthur RussellLoose Joints7:02
4."Spasticus Autisticus"Chas Jankel, Ian DuryIan Dury & The Seven Seas Players6:59
5."Over and Over" (Long Version)Bill Laswell, Fred Maher, Michael Beinhorn, Ronald DraytonMaterial5:39
6."Wheel Me Out"David Was, Don WasWas (Not Was)7:09
7."Kiss Me Again" (Original Edit)Arthur RussellDinosaur L6:52
8."I Walk"Ramuntcho MattaDon Cherry3:13
9."Voices Inside My Head"StingCommon Sense6:33
10."Tree House / School Bell" (Part 1)Arthur RussellIndian Ocean6:56
11."Macho City"Steve MillerThe Steve Miller Band16:26

Personnel

"Walking on Thin Ice" (1981 Re-edit) Engineers: Lee DeCarlo, Sam Ginsberg Drums: Andy Newmark Bass guitar: Tony Levin Rhythm guitar: Earl Slick, Hugh McCracken Editing: Joseph Watt Producers: Jack Douglas, John Lennon, Yoko Ono "Cavern" Drums, percussion: Scott Hartley Vocals, percussion: Salvatore Principato Percussion, bass guitar: Richard McGuire Percussion: Dennis Young "Tell You (Today)" (Vocal) Mixing: Eddie Garcia, Larry Levan, Robert Morety Producers: Killer Whale, Steve D'Acquisto "Spasticus Autisticus" (Version) Mixing: Steven Stanley Bass: Robbie Shakespeare Prophet synthesizer: Tyrone Downie Electric guitar: Chas Jankel Vocals: Ian Dury Drums: Sly Dunbar"Over and Over" (Long Version) Producer: Fred Maher "Wheel Me Out" Producers: David Was, Don Was, Jack Tann "Kiss Me Again" (Original Edit) Remix: Dinosaur L Producer: Arthur Russell, Nicky Siano "I Walk" Producer: Ramuntcho Matta Engineer: Michel Reynaud "Voices Inside My Head" Producer: Began Cekic "Tree House / School Bell" (Part 1) Producer: Arthur Russell, Peter Zummo "Macho City" Drums, percussion: Gary Mallaber Vocals, guitar: Steve Miller Bass guitar: Gerald Johnson Keyboards: Byron Allred