- Music
- 14 May 03
That most quintessential of 1970’s disco divas
That most quintessential of 1970’s disco divas - rivalled only by Donna Summer in her heyday - Gloria Gaynor will forever be associated with her feisty declaration of independence (and roller-disco anthem) ‘I Will Survive’ and her earlier hit, the oft-covered ‘You Never Can Say Goodbye’.
Well, she hasn’t said goodbye and she has survived all this time, updating her sound to encompass a more contemporary R&B dance/pop backdrop for her superb gospel voice. That said, ‘Gotta Be Forever’, the opener here, harks back to the disco-era while other floor-fillers like, ‘Just Keep Thinking About You’ and the title track demonstrate that she hasn’t left her mirrorball days totally behind her. Sultry ballads like ‘I Never Knew’ and ‘Let It Rain’ might be a tad generic sounding but the slinky, ‘Stronger’ could be a Destiny’s Child out-take and the Kylie-like ‘All The Man That I Need’ prove she’s got what it takes to keep up with the young guns.