Even Better Than the Disco Thing

Even Better Than the Disco Thing
Compilation album
Released	2008 (2008)
Recorded	Marconi House, Digges Lane, Dublin, Ireland (2008)
Genre	Acoustic, pop, cover versions
Label	Today FM/RMG Chart
Producer	Jenny Kelly Will Hanafin Siobhan Hogan Ann Gleeson Mairead Farrell Gavin Blake Pat Balfe Colin McElarney
chronology
Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 3 (2005) Even Better Than the Disco Thing (2008)

Even Better Than the Disco Thing is an Irish charity album released by the commercial FM radio station, Today FM, for the Christmas market on 21 November 2008. The album features covers of well-known disco songs by a selection of Irish musicians.^[1] Disc one features sixteen tracks, whilst disc two is labelled "Mix CD" and contains twelve of the same sixteen tracks all over again. All the songs were performed and recorded live on The Ray D'Arcy Show.^[2][3] The title is a pun on the Even Better Than the Real Thing series of charity CDs recorded in previous years on D'Arcy's show, but temporarily discontinued after the third edition in 2005.^[4] They themselves are a reference to the U2 song "Even Better Than the Real Thing". Funds raised were donated to the National Children’s Hospital and Barretstown.^[5]

Track listing

Disc one

1. Eric Bibb - "Dancing Queen"
2. Lisa Hannigan - "Upside Down"
3. Cathy Davey - "I Feel Love"
4. Director - "Ring My Bell"
5. Martin Staunton and the Sharon Shannon band - "Superstition"
6. Duke Special - "I Feel for You"
7. Juno Falls - "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life"
8. Republic of Loose - "Jive Talkin'"
9. Declan O'Rourke - "Young Hearts"
10. Jape - "Hot Stuff"
11. Fred - "Fame"
12. Jack L - "Stayin' Alive" (referred to as "Staying Alive")
13. Brian Kennedy - "Never Can Say Goodbye"
14. The Blizzards (credited as Blizzards) - "Temptation"
15. Kevin Doyle - "Get Down on It"
16. Prison Love - "Disco Inferno"

Disc two

1. Duke Special - "I Feel for You"
2. Lisa Hannigan - "Upside Down"
3. Juno Falls - "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life"
4. Republic of Loose - "Jive Talkin'"
5. Kevin Doyle - "Get Down on It"
6. Martin Staunton and the Sharon Shannon band - "Superstition"
7. Declan O'Rourke - "Young Hearts"
8. Cathy Davey - "I Feel Love"
9. Director - "Ring My Bell"
10. Fred - "Fame"
11. Jape - "Hot Stuff"
12. The Blizzards^[6] - "Temptation"

Reception

Tony Clayton-Lea of The Irish Times commented in his review,

If the image of Brian Kennedy strangling Never Can Say Goodbye , Jack L neutering Staying Alive , Juno Falls smothering Last Night a DJ Saved My Life , Fred defaming Fame , and Director stifling Ring My Bell are enough to turn you off your Christmas pudding, then so be it.^[7]

References

1. ^ " tdfm0034 Even Better Than The Disco Thing ". Today FM. Accessed 26 November 2008.
2. ^ "Even Better than the Disco Thing!". Today FM. Accessed 25 November 2008.
3. ^ "Ray D'Arcy releases covers album". Hot Press. 2005-11-25. http://www.hotpress.com/news/5053692.html. Retrieved 2008-11-27. 
4. ^ "Loaded: 12 December 2008". Irish Independent. 2008-12-12. http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/day-and-night/columnists/loaded-12122008-1572775.html. Retrieved 2009-01-23. 
5. ^ "Digging deep for a good cause". The Irish Times. 2008-12-12. http://www.irishtimes.com/theticket/articles/2008/1212/1228864707639.html. Retrieved 2009-08-16. "The Ray Darcy Show on Today FM has already put together a number of cover version albums to aid various charities. The latest is Even Better Than The Disco Thing with Cathy Davey, Lisa Hannigan, Jape, Republic Of Loose, The Blizzards Duke Special, Director and many more getting on down. All proceeds go to the National Children’s Hospital and Barretstown." 
6. ^ On disc one The Blizzards are credited as "Blizzards", yet on disc two they are credited as "The Blizzards".
7. ^ Tony Clayton-Lea (2008-12-19). "Rock/Pop". The Irish Times. http://www.irishtimes.com/theticket/articles/2008/1219/1229523065719.html. Retrieved 2009-11-13. "If the image of Brian Kennedy strangling Never Can Say Goodbye , Jack L neutering Staying Alive , Juno Falls smothering Last Night a DJ Saved My Life , Fred defaming Fame , and Director stifling Ring My Bell are enough to turn you off your Christmas pudding, then so be it. [...] The only ones to get it right are non-Irish blues singer Eric Bibb ( Dancing Queen ), Lisa Hannigan ( Upside Down ) and Cathy Davey ( I Feel Love )."