Cheap The Garden of Love (Music) (Don Ray) Price

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Customer Reviews of The Garden of Love

DON RAY aka CHRIS THOMPSON (from Manfred Mann's Earth Band)?
The first time I heard this disc, it occurred to me that I recognized that unmistakable voice... it was none other than Chris Thompson (and perhaps also Manfred Mann doing the synth work) - compare "Got To Have Lovin'" side-by-side with "Blinded By The Light" and you'll see what I mean! I believe that this was an "incognito" side project for Manfred Mann's Earth Band to capitalize on the disco craze without damaging their reputation as prog-rockers. Nonetheless, it just goes to show how well disco could be done by a great rock band.

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Unique take on Disco
The opener Got To Have Loving is a major classic, a tour de force of imaginative synth textures, rhythmic variation and hypnotic girl vocals framing Don Ray's powerful voice and bitter lyrics. The uptempo Body And Soul has a Latin-American rhythmic feel while Midnight Madness is pure 70's disco in the vein of KC and the Sunshine Band or The Ritchie Family. The influence of Eurodisco musician and producer Cerrone is evident throughout, especially on Standing In The Rain with its soaring synthesizer. The title track is unremarkable mid-tempo disco, although it has some nice flutes and other effects. Garden of Love is an interesting album from the disco era and contains one solid gold must-have track in the form of Got To Have Loving.

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Don Ray -- A Disco God
The musical genius of Don Ray is timeless and moving! The track "Got to Have Loving" absolutely stuns the senses, with Ray's boldly imaginative mastery of percussions, and waves of shocking style segues. Anyone who thinks The BeeGees or KC & The Sunshine Band purely defined the Disco era, or that the music lacked substance, most definitely owes it to themselves to open their minds (and ears) to the magic of Don Ray!