Customer Reviews

Island Life

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Island Life is a collection of Grace Jones' biggest hits on the Island records label. It draws from albums like Portfolio (1977), Fame (1978), Muse (1979), Warm Leatherette (1980), Nightclubbing (1981), Living My Life (1982) and Slave To The Rhythm (1985). The tracks are arranged chronologically so it maps out her musical development from the robotic disco sounds of La Vie En Rose through her new wave experiments with Private Life, her torch song phase in Libertango up to the funky R&B of My Jamaican Guy.

She wasn't taken seriously as a musician up until the release of Warm Leatherette in 1980, but I have always enjoyed her early disco work, especially the Portfolio album with its great tracks like Tomorrow, Send In The Clowns, I Need A Man and La Vie en Rose. The following two albums, Fame and Muse, were weaker but still contained a sprinkling of memorable disco musings like Autumn Leaves, Do Or Die and others.

Warm Leatherette really put her on the musical map, especially on account of her version of the title track that was an obscure synth-pop single by Daniel Miller's The Normal. She also did interesting versions of Private Life (The Pretenders) and Love Is The Drug (Roxy Music). Tracks 6 to 8 come from Jones' very successful Nightclubbing album. Libertango and Walking In the Rain are witty, accessible pop ballads while the funky Pull Up To The Bumper is controversially sensual. My Jamaican Guy from the innovative Living My Life album is jerky, funky and tribal with stunning vocal arrangements.

Unfortunately Island Life doesn't really succeed in providing the best of Grace Jones. It ought to properly have been a double disc as there are many other classics in her oeuvre that deserve to be on a best of album. Songs like Demolition Man, the title track from Nightclubbing, Rolling Stone, Art Groupie, Nipple To The Bottle and The Apple Stretching are equally worthy of inclusion on a greatest hits compilation. And then there are the great albums that followed her Island period: Bulletproof Heart and Inside Story, but that's another story!

Grace Jones relativley short music career never really hit the heights of success it often deserved. Her first three disco albums, PORTFOLIO (1977), FAME (1978) and MUSE (1979) were fairly forgetable although they did spawn at least one memroable track per album - all of which make there way onto this definitive compilation of Grace Jones work. LA VIE EN ROSE, I NEED A MAN and DO OR DIE had that early Grace Jones disco sound which was quickly abandoned in 1980 prior to the release of one of her very best albums, WARM LEATHERETTE, which succesfully combined the sounds of New Wave, reggae, rock and funk. From the album was PRIVATE LIFE (a top 20 success in the U.K) which also is rightly included on this album as this by far is one of her greatest recordings. This condensed compilation also features tracks such as MY JAMACIAN GUY (LIVING MY LIFE;1982), WALKING IN THE RAIN (NIGHTCLUBBING;1981), SLAVE TO THE RYTHM (SLAVE TO THE RYTHM;1985) and possibly her very best recording,PULL UP TO THE BUMPER (NIGHTCLUBBING;1981). This compilation coincided with her departure from Island Records for a deal with EMI which did not bring her any of the high success she enjoyed with her time at Island.Often strange but compelling album from an equally extraordinary artist.

An album which closes off her Island Records chapter. This album shows the extreme change in music styles from her debut Disco album PORTFOLIO, 1977 through to her new age album SLAVE TO THE RHYTHM, 1985. Although Grace Jones wasn't exactly a money racker for her record companies or a chart topper, this compilation proves that each of her albums has at least one memorable smash hit. Tracks on this album include the original 12" version of La Vie En Rose, and "radio edited" versions of I Need A Man, Do or Die and Pull Up To The Bumper. I think one of the smarter moves was placing the "Thorngren Remix" of Love Is The Drug (which is not noticeable or credited in the liner notes) on this compilation, the reason being is that in my opinion, I believe the cover version which appeared on the Warm Leatherette, 1980 album sounds too much like the original Roxy Music version. The Best of Grace Jones can be found all on one cd admittedly, though this truely is a blessing to those who admire Grace Jones, but not enough to collect all of her albums for each hit she produced.

My first introduction to Grace Jones is when I saw the music video for "Love Is The Drug" on VH1 Classic and i knew i was going to be hooked for life. I managed to go to my local used cd store and i found this "Island Life" cd. I picked it up, brought it home, and popped it in my cd player. The first 3 songs are from her first 3 disco albums Portfolio, Fame, and Muse. The last two are long out of print. My favorite song out of those 3 is I Need A Man. But then we get onto the better early 80's material such as Love Is The Drug, Pull Up To The Bumper, and My Jamaican Guy. The cd ends with Slave To The Rhythm which is a pretty cool song. My only complaint about this cd is that I wish they included more songs such as Demolition Man and She's Lost Control but i'm still pretty satisfied. I hope she makes a comeback in 2004.

My favorite song on this entire album is "I've seen that face before." Musically and lyrically it's a wonderful trip to a dark, mysterious place that I'm sure you have in your own mind.

Another notable favorite is "Slave To The Rhythym." Overall, wonderful music and lyrically captivating throughout.

Length:: 1:07 Mins

I am a "rock and guitar" man, but there is something appealing about many of Grace Jones' efforts. Her vocals can be very effective such as in her fine cover of La Vie en Rose. Even the idea of someone like her tacklng a song like that is unusual to put it mildly. But she carries it off very well and the strong accordion work (or accordion-synth) gives a distinctly European feel to many of her songs. Also she just has a first rate band of backing musicians with superb bass and marvellously atmospheric keyboards that can be positively intoxicating. My favorites are "La Vie on Rose", "I've seen that Face Before" and "Walking in the Rain". I challenge you not to be swept along by the great rhythms on these. I want the man who composed those basslines in my band (I'm sure it was not Grace)!

Grace Jones was a huge star in Europe in the late 70s/early 80s with irresitable reggae/disco/dance tunes, and this compilation brings the essential tracks of that era.

"Island Life" (released in 1985; 10 tracks; 48 min.) brings all of the hits of that era, starting with a clever interpretation of Edit Piaff's "La Vie On Rose", a massive hit in continental Europe. The radical dub reinventing of the Pretenders' "Private Life" is outstanding. I don't care much for the Roxy Music's cover of "Love Is the Drug". But the best tracks are on the second half of this compilation: "Pull Up to the Bumper" will get any wallflower onto the dance floor. "Walking In the Rain" is a desolate, threatening tune, just great. It leads up to the best track of all, "My Jamaican Guy", the best dance tune ever from Grace Jones. Almost 30 years later, is still stands the test of time, just outstanding.

Grace Jones has come back with a new album last year ("Hurricane"), out of nowhere really (I haven't heard it yet, but plan to). She played a one-off gig in London not long ago that was well received, I can only hope she'll go on tour, I'd love to see her in concert. Meanwhile, if you are looking for a compilation of her best work from the legendary late 70s/early 80s era, look no further, this compilation will do more than well.

I bought the cassette not too long after it came out in 1985. I knew of Grace Jones, of course, and heard some of her music on radio and TV and in the clubs. But I did not really appreciate her until I got the tape --which I loved from beginning to end -- the most stirring for me was her version of La Vie En Rose -- quite a unique interpretation!
So you can imagine my excitement as CD players became more common, when I discovered it was re-issued as a CD in 1990. I bought it immediately and was immediately disappointed. The sound had none of the stirrings that the tape had -- nothing shivered in your system when she reached her powerful notes. I played the two for a number of friends and everyone agreed the tape's sound was significantly better. It was not my equipment -- I had top of the line of everything. So I continued to play the tape but I couldn't in my car -- one of the times I most like to listen to music -- because I had installed a new CD player -- and the gizmos designed to let you play tapes through it were pretty bad.

It was just sloppy work -- this issue of the CD. Every company was slapping their hit albums onto Cd's -- some with care -- some not. This one fell into the later category.

Grace sort of faded from my mind after several years -- music outside jazz and some classical no longer came across my radar screen. But about a year ago -- thanks to a great station in my area (WRNR) -- I started to get interested in more "rock" music again (I know that "rock" means something more specific now -- there are so many genres within it -- but I use the term as it used to be used -- comprehensively of all the related genres) and then I saw the movie "La Vie En Rose" about Piaf and Grace's version of the song came to mind -- and I started watching a number of videos of her performances on YouTube and now I am here on Amazon wondering if better releases -- in terms of quality -- have appeared.

Others here are more knowledgeable about her discography -- but Island Life to me was perfect from beginning to end. But the CD version -- as is sold here --fell completely flat.

Grace Jones has been a formidable force in underground music since the 1970's, and her greatest hits from the 70's and 80's are presented in a fantastic collection. From the calm of "La Vie En Rose" to the much-sampled "My Jamaican Guy"--LL Cool J stole...I mean, BORROWED it for his hit "Doin' It" to the gay anthem "I Need A Man", this is the sublime Grace Jones at her best. Also check out "Private Life: The Compas Point Session" for more remixes and hard-to-find tracks. I'll say "Grace," and "Grace, Thank You."