Best Of The Village People

Village People: Victor "Policeman" Willis, Ray "Policeman" Simpson (vocals); Felipe "Indian Chief" Rose, David "Construction Worker" Hodo, Glenn "Biker" Hughes, Randy "Cowboy" Jones, Alexander "The G.I." Briley (background vocals).
Additional personnel: Horace Ott (conductor).
Producer: Jacques Morali.
Compilation producer: Harry Weinger.
Includes liner notes by Wayne Edwards.
Personnel: Victor Willis (vocals).
Audio Mixers: Michael Hutchinson; Horace Ott; Jürgen Koppers.
Liner Note Author: Wayne Edwards.
Unknown Contributor Roles: David Hodo; Felipe Rose; Alexander Briley; Ray Simpson.
With an earlier, very similar Rhino anthology now out of print, Casablanca's 14-track The Best of Village People stands as the clear-cut choice for disco and camp fanatics who want a detailed portrait of the group's career. This collection includes both the 7" and 12" versions of their two Top Five pop hits, "Y.M.C.A." and "In the Navy," plus the 12" version of their other signature tune, "Macho Man." There's also a generous selection of lesser-known club hits, including their debut single, "San Francisco (You've Got Me)," "Go West," "Can't Stop the Music," and "Ready for the '80s," plus B-sides like "Key West" and "In Hollywood (Everybody Is a Star)." Self-explanatory cuts like "Fire Island" and "Hot Cop" don't really bother disguising the Village People's target audience, although the Rhino inclusion "Sodom and Gomorrah" is missing here. Even so, it's hard to imagine anyone being dissatisfied with such a generally thorough retrospective, and it's probably more than some casual fans will need in the first place. ~ Steve Huey