Forever In Vogue (6)

In 1991 Niles and 'Nard decided it was time to reform Chic, though sadly without Tony or Alfa and Luci (replaced by Sylver Logan sharp and Jenn Thomas). Their first album in nearly a decade sounds like the eighties never happened. Something many probably wish was true, possibly even they did. Chic-ism had all the classic elements that made Chic such hit in the seventies. The only concession made to this being a 'nineties' album is the adoption of more drum machine orientated house/dance beats.

The lyrics are as frivolous as ever, they had always been totally self conscious about what Chic are and what they are about. "Crisp cliches and witty words, Vocalists that chirp like birds" goes the title track. There was always an endearing honesty to the lyrics Bernard and Nile's songs. No higher meaning. No changing the world. Often nonsensical in an innocent, almost childlike way. The music is here for one reason and one reason only. "D A N C E, Coming over me," in the words of Chic Mystique. Though High makes slight allusions to their 70s excesses. If no song on the album quite reach their greatest heights, Your Love is pretty damn close, this is quite possibly the strongest album they ever released. Unashamedly disco, unashamedly cliched, it's a fun album. It was, however, a commercial failure. At the time they told the San Francisco Bay Guardian: "It's unlikely there will be any more Chic recordings. Times change but we're not going to. We wish there was still an audience for the kind of music we make." In the present climate with our love affair with everything for the seventies that obviously isn't true anymore. In fact the album only just missed being part of the Acid Jazz influenced resurgence of seventies Funk and Disco, being released only a few months before the Brand New Heavies finally started to make serious inroads on both the British and American charts.

Sadly, this was to be their last album. On April 18 1996 Bernard Edwards died of pneumonia whilst in Tokyo attending the Super Producers Concert with Nile. Nile recently discussed releasing one of their last live performances as an album, which wouldalso include their last studio tracks. One things for sure, 'Nard's legacy will live on, and not just because of Le Freak.

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