Customer Reviews

Hurricane

5 star:		(62)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Her first album in two decades finds Grace Jones's sound as untarnished by time as her public presence.
Model, actress, performer, entertainer, singer, producer, writer, supercharged warholian dominatrix and deranged bag-lady, the enigma that is Ms. Grace Jones has been reaffirming herself as the superstar with levels of charisma that border on the superhuman she has always been.
This aptly named "Hurricane" sees Ms Jones working with various purveyors of pop perfection, having been produced by musician/punchline Ivor Guest - Fourth Viscount Wimborne, who's created an impressive facsimile of her original musical style - alongside Grace herself and includes contributions from Sly and Robbie, Brian Eno and Tricky.
With a cultural legacy that has defined popular culture over the last 35 years, expect, as ever with Ms Jones, the unexpected.
This is a multi-layered album, giving listeners beats as hard-hitting and deliciously wicked as the artist herself, as well as soulful reflection, giving Hurricane a distinct, unexpected intimacy
"Hurricane" is more contemplative than the initial taste suggested.
Generally, the album feels corporating electronics, funk and soul, marrying reggae-matic grooves with sinister industrial-tinged techno backdrops reinforcing Jones's predatory manner on songs like "Corporate Cannibal" and "This Is", which opens the album in a scudding two-step twitch.
What's less expected is the tender attitudes she betrays elsewhere, coming over all ecological-collectivist in "Sunset Sunrise", displaying consummate bedside manner as she offers to "Love You to Life", and reflecting on her own family history in "I'm Crying (Mother's Tears)" and "Williams' Blood", which employs handclaps and choral refrain to build up an almost gospel fervour, before concluding, with no hint of irony, with a quote from "Amazing Grace". This track is among the most personal songs she's ever recorded, celebrating the contradictions between Grace's religious family background and eccentric, extravagant public persona.
Overall, it's Jones's incredible voice that finally dominates any stylistic experimentation, morphing from foreboding, growling raps to intimate, lilting lullabies. As she declares: "This is my voice, my weapon of choice".
Highlights of the album: "This Is", "Corporate Cannibal", "Williams' Blood", and "Hurricane".

After listening to this collection over the past week and various
cuts leaked during the late summer, I find Hurricane, the brand new
import from Grace Jones a standout recording and after 19 years
a welcome comeback of the year. A performance artists like no other,
Hurricane highlights the many moods of Grace Jones and reflects back
to her 80's dub-reggae brillance along side a futuristic Massive Attack
style that works perfectly for grace, it updates her sound, yet brings
back what made her so unique. Its a mature work with standout collaborations from veterans Sly & Robbie, Brian Eno, Tricky, and many
from 1980's gems Warm Leatherette and Nightclubbing. Warm, haunting, filled with soulful backup singing, menacing sounds but never boring,
its Grace's most important statement, stands proud along side Warm Leatherette, Nightlclubing, Living my Life and Slave to the Rhythm. Grace's vocals', both (singing and speaking) have matured into a nice
weathered instument, she is in full control of her voice and on Hurricane
she travels into new territories but is always intoxicating. Stand out
tracks, "This is"(life), "I'm crying my mother's tears", "Corporate Cannibal", "Devil in my life", "William's Blood", "Love you to life",
"Well, Well, Well", and mellow reggae dub vibe "Sunset, Sunrise"(a song
written by her son,) and the adventurous title track "Hurricane", with
Tricky on vocals. Theres not a bad track here, its much more reflective, haunting, tender, fierce and self assured yet mature, almost "adult" here and there "HURRICANE" should reach a larger audience around the world. This is one of the best of the year and Comeback of the Year. Still able
to shock and surprise and cast a spell on all who take the time to
check this collection out, Grace Jones is back!

2008 has truly been a year of comebacks for some music divas, first Donna Summer with her first album in 17 years "Crayons", then Labelle with their first album in over 30 years "Back to now". Now, presenting Grace Jones with "Hurricane", her first album in 19 years.

"Hurricane" comprises Trip hop-tinged Dub with Rock and electronic flourishes, think Massive Attack or Portishead dipping into Dub and you get the picture. Dark and atmospheric with deep (usually spoken) lyrics and some white noise in places. At just 9 tracks, there is no flab and everything is great really.

Standouts include the brilliant autobiographical "I'm crying (Mothers tears)" (this song is truly moving, a rare insight into the more sensitive side of Jones), "Corporate Cannibal" ("Pleased to meet you/pleased to eat you" she menacingly intones against an industrial backdrop of squealing guitars and buzzing effects), the Tricky produced stark yet breezy "Hurricane", the biographical "William's blood" (which ends with some strains of the hymn "Amazing Grace", a play on her name as well as the hymn I guess), the bouncy Reggae of "Well well well", and closing cut the piano-tinkled "Devil in my life".

Just as powerful as her eighties albums "Living my life" or "Nightclubbing" but more mellow. Proving she's still a force of nature at 60!!

Finally she`s back! Who would have guessed? And how!! She gives a sh.. for Timbaland or the way to the charts. She just made an album for her fans. And everyone who ever liked her will love this CD because it`s 100 % Grace Jones. She kept her style without being stuck in the 80ies. It`so wonderful to hear from her again and I really hope, we don`t have to wait another 19 years for the next album.

"Hurricane" is the album that almost never happened. There were two other albums full of material in the 1990's that never saw the light of day due to lack of a recording contracts and producers who were not committed to the projects. Trying to secure a recording contract today is not the same as before. Today, many large recording companies are scared to take a risk on a project or an artist, no matter if the artist has an established track record, such as Grace Jones.

In the end, it was an independent U.K. label named Wall of Sound Records, which offered Jones a deal. The album is as forward thinking as her original Compass Point Sessions. It is Grace Jones in top form once again. This album show that she is like a fine wine that only gets better with age. Always at the forefront of music, Grace Jones' "Hurricane" does not disappoint from beginning to end.


With a powerful introduction "This is my voice, my weapon of choice", the listener is instantly taken under her submission with the opening track "This Is Life". Produced by Jones and her on and off beau Ivor Guest, the production quality on "Hurricane", her 10th studio album is excellent. From the strength of song selection and lyric weight, this is an album that shows us where the icon is at presently. Yes, if an artist has established a sound, it is easy for them to recreate that sound. However, Grace's intuition has always been about the future yet she does acknowledge her past in the same right with longtime collaborators, Sly and Robbie and Barry Reynolds. British electronica innovator, Brian Eno, also assist with the sonic landscape, providing little sounds of nature from birds chirping, insects sounds and of course a storm. Tricky, who wrote the title track also gets production credit. This album also shows Jones in a softer yet vulnerable position unlike any record before. She opens up about her family, the trails and influences of her strict religion she was raised on and her mother, in which she declares that "I'm stronger now, I'm tougher now" in the touching and poignant "I'm Crying (Mother's Tears") . The family theme is also carried through "William's Blood" which is a fantastic track complete with authoritative command of "Let me go, I got the William's Blood in me", backed with a gospel choir tinged closure with Jones' mother accompany the artist in a rendition of "Amazing Grace". May seem a little egotistic but it works extremely well and only Grace Jones could have pulled that off. This proves that she really OWNS her craft. The reggae-flavored "Well, Well, Well" is a definite ode to early work reminiscent of 1980's "Private Life". The album also shines the light on Jones' son, Paulo Goude (fathered by French artist-Jean Paul Goude). Paulo contributed to "Hurricane" and co-wrote "Sunset, Sunrise". Other notable tracks, "Love You to Life" and the James Bond music influenced "The Devil in My Life" display that Jones has not lost her sense of drama in song. "Hurricane" succeeds because Jones never follows trends in popular music. The track "Corporate Cannibal" is relevant in regards to today's economic woes as it depict major corporations and companies as man eating machines.

Unlike another icon, Madonna who seems to be looking for that never-ending fountain of youth at 50 years old in her choice of musical output and grueling body workouts, Grace celebrates her moment. Jones makes the powerful analysis of looking back at her past for inspiration yet she is comfortable in her skin now. We all are going to get old one day, so just embrace that you survived all of the good times and craziness and thank God that you have arrived at this point. If you read between the lines of "Hurricane", this is the album's primary message.

I have been listening to alot of old Grace Jones albums from the 80's lately, so it was a nice surprise when I heard she had a new album out. This is one of my favorite albums of 2008. Grace is back with a vengeance, as noted on the opening line on the first song, "This is my voice, my weapon of choice". Grace really took the time to make a good album along with some very talented musicians/songwriters, including Ivor Guest who produced the album. Alot of the songs on the new album are reminiscent of the early 80's work that Grace did with Chris Blackwell and Alex Sadkin. Several songs (Corporate Cannibal, Devil In My LIfe, Hurricane) have a Massive Attack sound to them, which makes sense since Grace worked with Tricky on this album. Tricky co-wrote and sings on the title track. Some old staples of Grace's early work are back too, musicians Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare. One of the best tracks on here is Love You To Life, which to me sounds like a sequel to Private Life. Do yourself a favor and buy this cd. It's great to see someone making great music again and not just looking for a fast hit single like most of today's artists. There is so much disposable music on the radio today that it's no wonder people don't buy albums anymore.

I don't understand the distribution for this cd. It has such potential to be huge and it's so hard to get. I found it on a site from England.
That said... this music is just not good, it's serious good. At times she reminds me of a female Nine Inch Nails. I love her older stuff but this music has weight to it and is so well procuced. It's like a rediscovery. Super recomended.

Grace Jones is back, a unique powerful voice amongst a sea of banality that is dance music today. She retains her signature smoothness while incorperating strong new elements. The first song, 'This Is' is a perfect exmaple of this. 'This Is' blends the smooth sound of 'Night Clubbing' with the power of 'Seducation Surrender'. This album fully realizes Grace's potential to do original material. The glimpses of brilliance seen on other albums such as Inside Story and Bullet Proof Heart are more fully developed here. The original material on this album are, overall, far more confident.

Sly & Robbie, the rythm killers, provide, as always, incredible backing. Brian Eno-yes all you Enophiles he's on this album - leaves his stamp as both musician and producer.

Why Grace Jones is not more popular... remains an enigma...just like the Lady herself. Prehapes it is because she refuses to be boxed into one catagory of music. She transcendes all genres, both inventor and interprator. Some say she is too powerful as a female vocalists - but as I woman I say she best represents a woman's soul. She has a strength that is as powerful and timeless as the rhythm of one's heart.

What can be said about this force of nature ? I just finished listening to this from start to finish and it is brilliant. As the previous reviewer aptly stated - she has picked up flawlessly - who would know she was gone? With all her old buddies Sly, Robbie and Barry and Brian Eno (!) on board - oh even Jean Paul Goode - how could this not be so resoundlingly recorded - timeless, graceful, punctuated with an exclamation and smirk - love you grace. THANK YOU! (Why is this showing up as discontinued already? - Corporate Cannibal maybe?)

Grace Jones returns after 19 years away with her tenth album, "Hurricane". Always innovative, even the chocolate heads on the assembly line depicted on the front cover indicate Jones's wry sense of humor.

Jones does her fans proud here, keeping the excess minimal--only nine tracks on this album, just like on her best work. She pulls no punches with two of her most intimate, autobiographical pieces "William's Blood" and "I'm Crying (Mother's Tears)". Elsewhere, she is in fine evil form on album opener "This Is", "Corporate Cannibal" and the title track. She adds a couple of reggae-inflected tracks, "Well Well Well" and "Love You To Life" for good measure.

At 60 years of age, Grace Jones is a force to reckon with--an angry, sensitive, alternative Tina Turner. Jones is ageless. It's like she's never been away. "Hurricane" is certainly better than her last three albums put together. The cast of musicians Jones employs gives "Hurricane" all the edge to make her contemporary. From Sly & Robbie, Bruce Woolley, Wally Badarou, Wendy & Lisa, and, of course, Tricky.

"Hurricane" will unfortunately go unnoticed, as most of Jones's work has, but as a fan, I'm hoping "Hurricane" is a new beginning. I'm hoping that Jones will continue to release new music now, and that we won't have to wait another 19 years. The music scene is so blah right now, that Grace Jones is badly needed to spank and whip all these boring young artists, disciplining them, showing them there's nothing wrong with being wildly creative.

Here's my comparison chart for "Hurricane" in the context of Jones's other works:

1977 Portfolio: Three Stars
1978 Fame: Three Stars
1979 Muse: Out of print. It's high time it was re-released on cd & mp3!
1980 Warm Leatherette: Five Stars
1981 Nightclubbing: Five Stars
1982 Living My Life: Five Stars
1985 Slave To The Rhythm: Three and a Half Stars
1986 Inside Story: Three and a Half Stars
1989 Bulletproof Heart: Three Stars
2008 Hurricane: Four Stars