cover image  Disco Years

Disco Years

, . . PowerHouse, $65 (200pp) ISBN 978-1-57687325-0

Illuminated by Galella's paparazzi flashbulb, or maybe just the drugs, these photos of Grace Jones, Mick Jagger, Liza Minnelli and other instantly recognizable faces mythologize the New York club scene. Everyone's young (Brooke Shields, Barbra Streisand, Rod Stewart), and there's plenty of skin, glitter and sizzle—but the sense of nakedness comes from the stars' unmasked elation, confidence and desire. Many of the photos were taken at Studio 54 in the late '70s; a few look back to 1967, when Andy Warhol presented Nico and the Velvet Underground at Gymnasium; others spin ahead to the late '80s. Regardless of era, nearly every picture demands a double take. (Oct. 22)