I am ashamed to admit I had just discovered this amazing disco diva recently but it's never too late and what makes this more exiting than to keep discovering more disco brilliance. Trouble Maker is an incredible LP. It was produced by the team who transformed Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte. Like Summer (who contributes backgrounds here) Kelly is an American (from Los Angeles) who was living in Germany and had some level of success there before the States. "Trouble Maker" at 8:48 wasn't quite the tour de force "Love To Love You Baby" was back then, it more than made up for what it lacks in minutes an seconds with an incredible, smoothly soaring drive and grace. The song combines the spirit of '60s girl group nastiness ("Trouble maker, stop spreadin' all those bad lies/Trouble maker, 'cause you ain't gettin' my guy") with the delicious violin-laced production that became the trademark of German-made disco music. The singing is vibrant, the break is superb and full of pounding drums and the overall affect is overwhelming in the best sense. When Vince Aletti first heard of Roberta Kelly he wrote: "Flawless" is an overused word on the New York disco scene, but it's the right word here. There are four other cuts on the Kelly album, three of them over six minutes, two of them excellent disco material: 'Love Power' and 'The Family'. Enjoy!
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