Customer Reviews

Living My Life

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although her albums "Warm Leatherette" and "Nightclubbing" have been more receive on charts and been critical acclamations, "Living My Life" has been practically ignore. And strangely enough I think "Living My Life" is her best album she has done in her career. It represent one of the greatest artist at the very top of her art and somehow, except the two hits, the album never got the credit it deserved. But then again I think Grace was really before it's time and never really had the height for her career that she deserved... She had a brilliant artistic sense; there's danceable pieces, rock/pop song, a pre-electronic track, a quasi-reggae song, ballads and she even get the time to covers a Broadway song, all that on a 7 songs album! The confidence she had in the writing and production on every track is shown has she makes her way thru the songs, exactly how she wants it to be.

MY JAMAICAN GUY: Very danceable track mixed with a warm weather feel to it. Beginning in a great way but somehow it seems to lost direction when it gets to the middle... It gets a little repetitive but certainly not a bore, Grace's interpretation keep you attention thru the very end because she is so convince and confident. But I think it's the weakest track on the album for the abovementioned reason.

NIPPLE TO THE BOTTLE: Great production, combining a sharp reggae flavoured tune with a more rock/pop oriented chorus it gives a very strong song. Grace Jones presence is also so strong in that interpretation that, by the end, you get hypnotize especially by those little strange noises you hear during the song... Recognize some pull up to the bumper symptoms?

THE APPLE STRETCHING: Having done Broadway covers before, without really giving them a classic status, you don't expect more with this one... BUT this time it's a completely different things, it's a total classic. The reggae flavours are once again is presents, giving a real feeling of a warm summer day in New York. Her vocals, varying from talking, murmuring and singing, are one the reason that I said "Living My Life" was Grace Jones at the peak of her art.

EVERYBODY HOLD STILL: Great, simply amazing. A singing narration of a very bad day. It's hilarious and great how Grace completely immerses herself has the character that's having a bad day. Her charismatic interpretation makes this song so dramatic; one of the greatest tracks that she's ever recorded but somehow so much underrated...

CRY NOW, LAUGH LATER: Grace goes for an electronic sound and it work extraordinary well. It's so strange how Grace is dub by her own back vocals (I know a bit confusing...). It has a great beat, very interesting production, magnifique voice from Grace and a totally detached style that you can't really compare to anything else.

INSPIRATION: Wow... You have to take a little rest after hearing that one. If someone ever doubt about Grace Jones capacity as a singer you should check this one... A very mature face of Grace is shown here; the lyrics are dramatically true and effective as well as for the calming, more ballad-style music. An incredible song, really. It reminds me of her other's album songs "Breakdown" and "I've Done It Again".

ULIMITED CAPACITY FOR LOVE: The second ballad of the album is equally, if not more, shattering than "Inspiration". It's a moving piece right down from the deep lyrics, incredible music that just rip you feeling out. When the guitars make the entrance in the middle of the song you can't take your attention elsewhere. It's maybe the most complete and powerful track she ever done. You seem to have no words left after hearing this last song that leaves you totally disrupt.

The third albums made with Dunbar and Shakespeare, is arguably the best of Grace Jones. Although the three albums from that period are three masterpieces of creativity and innovation, "Living My Life" it's simply is best because Dunbar, Shakespeare and Jones were at the top of what they are doing the best, their art...

Released in 1982, this album did very well at the dance and pop charts, but not as well popular as Nightclubbing and Warm Leatherette did. However, it is a very solid effort, really fun and interesting to listen to.
MY JAMAICAN GUY is a bouncy summer tune, which invites you out on the beach for some crazy limbo dance. Grace's hi-camp vocal performance is raw, unpolished and immediate, while she perfoms in a perfect Jamaican accent. She actually drives the song where she wants it to be and, not only does she support it, but she actually gives it a powerful and sexy attitude.
NIPPLE TO THE BOTTLE is COOL. Actually, it is the definiton of COOL. A rythm track driving harder than Michael Schumacher, and the chorul line repeating itself till your brainwashed. Great production. What makes it really interesting, is that if you pay a little more attention you'll find it some much detail, but it all sounds so very balanced.
THE APPLE STRECHING, this is not the first time that Grace does a cover on a Broadway song, but THIS time she carries it out perfectly. Nice production, she almost raps at parts, and the song carries on for 7:30, or so, minutes with such insistence makes that it makes you forget yourname.
EVERYBODY HOLD STILL. Funny and danceable. A short narration of a day that went totally wrong. The strange thing about Grace is that she utters each syllable as if it were her last one, With so much faith and consistence.
CRY NOW LAUGH LATER. Not my fav one. The weakest track one the album from my point of view. The rythm track is strong and dancey yet the whole result is a little lame to my ears.
INSPIRATION: Both inspiration and Unliited capacity for love are hands down, the best tracks on this album. INSPIRATION starts off perfectly, slightly remindful of Warm Leatherette's BREAKDOWN but totally different, then builds to a great climax with uber synthsm which suprisingly enough sound really warm, sometimes a little 'scary'. What suprises me most though is that Grace's deadpan vocal perfomance manages to creat such an emotional climax.
UNLIMITED CAPACITY FOR LOVE: The Drummachine rocks on and on and on. The song is a midtempo dancy 'ballad', and Grace sounds so emotional and fragile, yet tough and determined. This song perfectly sums up the album leaving you with a strange bittersweet euphoria (?). Yeah, that's true

Grace's sixth studio album shows her in fine form. I was not displeased with any track in general. My favourite tracks are "My Jamaican Guy", "Nipple to The Bottle", "Apple Stretching", "Everybody Hold Still", "Laugh Now, Cry Later", and "Unlimited Capacity for Love". A solid effort. You should like Parta & Lady Saw as well since they do dancehall reggae too. I want Grace Jones her to record more albums. She should sign with an independent club/dance music label like Deconstruction, Strictly Rhythm, Curb, Robbins Entertanment, etc. !!!

After this album, Grace Jones went into the film industry for a couple of years before she released Slave to the Rythym. Overall, this is a very solid album. All the songs are catchy and quite original. The Apple Stretching was my personal favorite from the album. Perhaps I should also give credit to whoever wrote the amazingly visual lyrics. Other than My Jamaican Guy, the rest of the album maintains a more mellow and detached flow than her previous albums. This is certainly an album to add to the collection but not the first album one should listen to when exploring Grace Jones for the first time. And the cover art is totally awesome. Even though I have all her 80s songs from other CD collections, I try to buy all the albums simply for the art work.

Here Grace really turned into an "avant garde" singer, utilising a variety of innovative rhythms to great effect. I like My Jamaican Guy with its yelping chorus and the social commentary of Nipple To The Bottle, but the real jewel is The Apple Stretching ["the apple stretching and yawning/New York putting its feet on the floor] a real atmospheric classic. Everybody Hold Still and Unlimited Capacity ... are also catchy songs, whilst Inspiration is a lovely ballad. I liked her disco period in the 70s too, but on Living My Life her 80s Sly & Robbie direction really extended the boundaries of her art.

Living My Life differs from Nightclubbing for being more dub-oriented. "My Jamaican Guy" is still an underestimated classic, yet "Nipple to the Bottle" is another. The chic "Unlimitedd Capacity for Love" and "Apple Stretching" are chillax disco classics too, which can still make it to a chill-out compilation , or a great background music for a chic house party. And Grace's vocals are also amazing, as she sings smoother than her previous vocals on disco albums such as "Fame", where she was singing notes more edgy and sharply. This album is great for fans and for those who met Grace with her new album, and wonders why she still sounds fresh.

Length:: 1:35 Mins

Grace's musical career has been a rollercoaster of success.
She started off strong with Portfolio back in 77' and scored some hits with "La Vie En Rose", "I Need A Man" and "Sorry, That's The Trouble". In 78' her second album followed "Fame", while it couldn't top the success of it's predessesor it managed to score a hit with "Do Or Die". Her third disco album "Muse" didn't do well at all. But in 80' she changed her image, to the hard rockin' stylish lookin' "drag-king" style.
Along her new image her music also redically changed, she cut off the disco sound and changed it to the revolutionairy sound with Sly Dunbar and Robie Shakespeare. After two very successful albums she released her sixth album called "Living My Life" in 82. Although the album didn't do as well as "Warm Leatherette" or "Nightclubbing" it did manage to score some hits with: Nipple To The Bottle black single. no.17 and club play singles. no.2, Cry Now, Laugh Later black singles. no.64 and club play singles. no.33, My Jamaican Guy. the Billboard hot 100. no.14 and the album peaked at no.86 at the pop album chart in 1983. Beside these singles, there's many wonderful tracks such as: The Apple Stretching, Everybody Hold Still and Inspiration. I'll agree, it's not her greatest but it's not bad either. She's the queen of undead vocals. Scary, but fun.

Firstly, I have to admit that as much as I love and enjoy Living My Life, this is my least favourite in the trilogy that Grace Jones recorded with Sly & Robbie etc. It just doesn't quite hit the heights of the critically-acclaimed Nightclubbing (1981) and the still-superb Warm Leatherette (1980) though Living My Life certainly has its moments with the outstanding tracks Nipple To The Bottle, The Apple Stretching, Everybody Hold Still and Inspiration. Regardless of it being the weakest in the trilogy (which, of course, is just my own humble opinion), Living My Life stands as a solid piece of work and is totally essential to any Grace Jones fan. So theres plenty to recommend here and it must be noted that the whole sound of this album was groundbreaking for its time.


Produced by Alex Sadkin and Chris Blackwell, these sessions were all, again, recorded at the Compass Point Sessions in Nassau Bahamas. What does set Living My Life apart from its two predecessors is that theres only one cover version here (The Apple Stretching) and the rest showcase the songwriting talents of Grace Jones, a skill at which she proves herself most adept as riviting songs like Nipple To The Bottle and Everybody Hold Still prove. Just as on Warm Leatherette and Nightclubbing, those two renowned reggae wizards Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespere play on each session, with Sly credited for playing the drums and syndrums (Sly also co-wrote the classic Nipple To The Bottle with Grace) and Robbie on that ever-effective, cracking bass guirtar. Other top-notch muscians jamming away include Barry Reynolds (who co-wrote many of the songs with Grace) and Mikey Chungy on guirtars, Wally Badarou on keyboards and Uzziah Thompson on the pounding, heavy percussion.


Living My Life (1982) opens with the six minute delight My Jamaican Guy (written solely by Grace Jones), a sparse but sprightly arranged reggae/funk/new wave/soul mid-tempo ballad. And just listen to that glorious opening on the track - way ahead of its time and still sounds cool today, a fact reflected in the number of times it has been sampled by others. My Jamaican Guy is not least complimented by a striking vocal performance from Grace where she alternately sounds deep, evocative and at times, fiery and aggressive. The track certainly had ample commercial potential and was released as a single, scoring Grace another international hit.
My Jamaican Guy is swiftly followed by the bouncy, super-infectious Nipple To The Bottle (Grace Jones and Sly Dunbar). While echoing the sounds of Grace's classic hit Pull Up To The Bumper it still emerges as unique and distinct within itself. Hosting a startling combination of reggae-funk-soul-new wave, Nipple To The Bottle is lyrically fun (riddled with double entendres just as on Pull Up To The Bumper) and musically diverse with some odd yet compelling synchronised sound effects, zooming in and out sporadically. Grace's stirring delivery is assertive, moody and soulful and this undoubtedly ranks as one of her definitive classics and the ultimate highlight of this project.


Her endearing cover version of The Apple Stretching (Michael Van Peebles) depicts life in "sunny" New York. Capturing a raw, half-spoken, half-sung performance by Grace, The Apple Stretching perfectly demonstrates Grace's unquestionably natural musical flair. This was released alongside Nipple To The Bottle as a double A-side single, quickly securing Grace another international hit.


More immediate and upbeat is the boisterous Everybody Hold Still (Grace Jones and Barry Reynolds), telling a tale of a day in the life of Grace where things start off badly, rapidly go downhill and then to top it off she gets involved in a hold-up! Extraordinary song to say the least, crackling with dry wit, and is another contagious number. Grace's spirited performance makes this more than memroable.


The rhythmically divine Cry Now-Laugh Later (Grace Jones and Barry Reynolds) is an instantly catchy affair, telling another tale of crime. Graces unique voice is effectively synchronised throughout this sparsely-arranged, funky little number.


Even smoother is the excellent Inspiration (Grace Jones and Barry Reynolds) a track that at points is reminiscent of the song Breakdown from 1980's Warm Leatherette, containing a similarly dreamy, mellow, mesmerising arrangement that escalates and ignites on the chrous and bridge. Inspiration also holds more bizarre sound effects that all add to the intensity of the swirling atmosphere. The terrific final cut Unlimited Capacity For Love rounds the album off nicely, featuring a captivating performance from Grace and great arrangements, including a non-stop drum machine that rolls on and on throughout the track.


For me the only very minor flaw is that much of Living My Life has a noticeably more commercial sound than Warm Leatherette and Nightclubbing. There's definitely undercurrents of pop flowing through tracks such as Cry Now-Laugh Later and Unlimited Capacity For Love both of which are smacked with a distinctly 1980's sound. Not that thats a complaint as such as both are solid tracks just by comparison to the rest of the album, they haven't aged quite as well. Over twenty five years old and still much of Living My Life sounds impressively way ahead of its time. The fact that Living My Life was slightly more commercial was reflected in its success, particuarly in Britain where it flew into the Top 20, peaking at #15 and enjoying a lengthy run on the chart. It's just a shame Grace hasnt always been rewarded with the commercial success she so richly deserves.


Overall Living My Life is another excellent and essential Grace Jones album, encapsulating highly original and extraordinary, exceedingly diverse material, delivered with spirit, passion and fire by its legendary star.
Ian Phillips
August 2009

If I had to explain Grace Jones to someone who didn't know who she was I would have to use outsider art as a good reference.Her singing voice is very strange-not always perfect but certainly one of the most unique you will hear.And the music?Well in no thanks to the excellent producers Sly & Robbie they add a strong Jamaican/Island twist to a freewheeling sound that borrows heavily from adult contemporary R&B,new wave and a funky groove."My Jamaican" is very stripped down in it's execution-very chilly,detached funk reggae.My favorite song here is "Nipple To The Bottle" because it really turns the funk on and it's a very memorable composition."The Apple Streching" is seriously fascinating because Grace Jones talk sings the songs in fine precher style describing a series of picturesque events in a city I assume is New York from the lyrics.On "Everybody Hold Still" Grace's day isn't going well and it all comes out in the vocal and musical density.The remainder of the album follows in the same territory,with some nice Andy Summers like guitar coming out of Barry Reynolds,Jones's co-writer at the time.To my ears the music is not disimilar to the music that some European musicians were making around this same time (Level 42's "Love Meeting Love" and Passport's "Blue Tattoo" both sound very much like Grace Jones outtakes for this era).Her singing is more like part of a drum kit-concepts such as timbre and key don't seem to apply to her.It's more of a rhythm element-a vocal one but wheather or not it's your thing Grace Jones is certainly unique.