This 1978 album finds producer/Svengali
Frank Farian
starting to push his
pop
-
disco
attraction
Boney M
. into new and interesting musical territory. The songs are still very much
tracks with an emphasis on
bubblegum pop
hooks, but
Farian
works some interesting musical flavors into the mix:
"Painter Man"
(a cover of a track by
mod
rockers
Creation
) effectively pits a series of heavy, distorted
hard rock
guitar riffs against its danceable beat, and
"Brown Girl in the Ring"
adds some distinctive steel drums into its rhythmic
calypso
mixture. However, the oddest and most unusual and interesting combination of musical elements arrives with
"Rasputin,"
a tribute to the legendary Russian historical figure that uses balalaikas to create its textured rhythm guitar hook.
Nightflight to Venus
also spawned a major international hit with
"Rivers of Babylon,"
which mixes religious lyrics and a
folk
song melody with a pronounced beat to create an instantly accessible
hymn. The other tracks include a few less than colorful moments (
"Never Change Lovers in the Middle of the Night"
could have been performed by any
outfit), but
is an overall success thanks to the group's strong harmonies and the slick production from
, which keeps everything moving at a fast clip. The end result is one of the strongest albums in the
Boney M.
catalog, and a treat for anyone who likes dance music that is sugary sweet. ~ Donald A. Guarisco