Inside Story [IMPORT]

Grace Jones

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 1, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 1986
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Virgin EMI
• Copy Protected
• ASIN: B0001ZXM2M
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #153,477 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Out of print in the U.S.! Grace Jones' flamboyant outfits and statuesque looks made her one of the most unforgettable characters to emerge from New York in the late '70s. Teaming the singer/model with Chic mainman Nile Rodgers was a musical marriage made in heaven. Rodgers' sleek and funky production wrapped around Jones' deadpan and powerful delivery created some of the most memorable music of her career. With former Camera Club leader Bruce Woolley on keyboards and songwriting chores, this was a perfect blend of New York sass and New Wave sauce. 10 tracks including 'I'm Not Perfect (But I'm Perfect For You)'. EMI.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A HIDDEN GEM, October 1, 2005

By	Anthony E. Walker "new wave surfer" (melbourne, australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

From its striking cover to the content this really is a great album. with songs such as "victor was a jazz musician", which evokes a feeling of a smokey jazz club, with grace dimly lit on stage to "still walking barefoot" where one can almost see grace doing whats shes singing about. Nile Rodgers has really given the listener a multifaceted album with grace going all directions. this album gives us another view into the enigma that is grace jones, its just a shame that shes not singing anymore

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BRILLIANT, TOPICAL, TIMELESS, September 12, 2003

By	VINCENT P TARSITANO (PORT ORANGE, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Inside Story (Audio CD)

This is one of my all-time favorite albums. I believe it is very probably Ms. Jones greatest work. A totally mature offering without pretension, shock value, gimmickry or gratuitous sensuality.

Here, the great Ms. Jones tackles a variety of social, personal, spiritual topics.

From social justice ["White Collar Crime"] to thwarted personal ambitions ["Inside Story"], to marching to one's own drummer ["Barefoot in Beverly Hills"], to reincarnation ["Victor Should Have Been A Jazz Musician"], to thrill-seeking and perseverance ["Party Girl," "Scary But Fun"].

Great production, texture, songcraft, melody and singing. Great sense of energy and fun throughout the set. Cohesive and unified. A delight from start to finish. Yes, as a few other reviewers mentioned, a departure from her normal style of mostly dance music. [Ironically, every tune here is danceable.] I am a big believer in allowing artists to grow. Ms. Jones co-wrote and co-produced every song. Nile Rodgers, the great writer/producer of Chic, supervised. [Just in case you were wondering, this sounds more like a David Bowie album than a Chic album. In fact, if you like the sound of Bowie's "Let's Dance" (which was also produced by Nile Rodgers), you will LOVE the sound of INSIDE STORY] But, Ms. Jones' unique stamp is all over this album. Every tune is a stand-out. A bold step with dazzling results. In my opinion, absolutely ESSENTIAL Grace Jones.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Half good, Half cheese, August 29, 2002

By	Chris (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Inside Story (Audio CD)

I got this on casette for ... from a used record shop in Tucson Arizona just this year, so I suppose I'm listening to this album (recorded the year of my birth) about 17 years later.
It's undeniable that Grace's best music was recorded during the Compass Point Sessions. Nightclubbing is a classic album, and though I haven't heard every single piece of Grace's material, probably her best. This, although not done by the same production team, should not dispappoint.
The first side (if you have a cassette) of the album is what you'll probably end up listening to all the time. From the first song, "I'm Not Perfect..." to "Chan Hitchikes to Shanghai", this is all just classic 80s pop delight. No matter what decade your born in, if you're a fan of pop music, you should at least hear this album. It's all catchy, all danceable, and all so much fun!
The fact that this was recorded in the mid-80s rather than the early-80s (as with her best work) is probably what adds to where this album falters. The b-side of the tape (starting at "Barefoot in Bevery Hills") is extremely cheesy. The problem here is that, while much of the cheese in her previous music has been intentional, here, it couldn't sound more accidental. Then again, this was 1985, so I suppose that's a reasonable excuse! Still, knowing this does not make "Barefoot" or the far too literal "Scary But Fun" even slightly listenable. Who writes a song about the joys of waterskiing anyway?
In the end, the tape is still worth turning over for one of the album's standout tracks, "Crush". I'd suggest this album to any fan of very well-produced, catchy pop music, especially that of the 80s (i.e. Madonna, though this is far and above anything she ever produced during that decade). Just don't expect every song to be your favorite. In the end, you may only love half the album.