Customer Reviews

Nightclubbing

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I remember the first time I heard this cd all the way through. The blend of RnB, Reggae, New Wave, Rock and Balladry was simply MIND BLOWING. Little wonder the British music magazine NME named this the best album of the year when originally released. Grace Jones posseses an incredibly versatile voice, and is perhaps one of the most under rated performers of my generation. Her tender singing on the emotional ballad "I've Done It Again" is breath taking, and is in stark contrast to the menacing vocals in the cover of the Police song "Demolition Man". "Libertango ( I've Seen That Face Before )" is a cool reggae tune with European touches. Some of the vocals are sung in French, and an accordian ( more than likely a synthesizer, as no accordian player is credited in the liner notes ) features prominantly. It's ALL GOOD here, people. Every song is a winner. The production is immaculate ( courtesy of Island Records founder Chris Blackwell and the one and only - sadly missed -Alex Sadkin ) and the band ( lead by the legendary rhythm section Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare ) is untouchable. The prefect blend of styles, the production and performance, both vocal and instrumental, the packaging ( that cover photo !!!! ) - it all adds up to one of the finest albums of the Eighties, if not of all time. BOTTOM LINE - If you like Grace Jones, you MUST have this cd in your collection, and if you are "Grace-curious" this is the best place to start.

I know that many people either haven't heard Grace Jones' music or they don't like her singing, but I happen to think that she is an important element in pop music history. Nightclubbing is her most consistent work alongside 1980's Warm Leatherette and 1982's Living My Life. She has a variety of sounds here with "Walking In The Rain", "Pull Up To The Bumper", "Nightclubbing", "Feel Up", "I've Done It Again" and "Libertango". The cd is very cohesive and the music flows seamlessly across 9 tracks. Grace's voice is really what sets her music apart from other artists. Her flat, oftentimes menacing voice pushes the music along. However, a surprise at the end of the cd, "I've Done It Again" shows that she really could sing. This is a must have for any rock collector.

Nightclubbing is the best starting point for those wishing to explore Ms Jones' immediate post-disco phase. This 1981 album followed the previous year's groundbreaking Warm Leatherette and was a commercial triumph. More accessible than both Warm Leatherette and Living My Life, this second work in the Sly & Robbie trilogy is packed with outstanding songs of lyrical and melodic distinction. They include compositions by Bill Withers, Astor Piazzolla, Sting, David Bowie/Iggy Pop, Barry Reynolds and Grace herself. The sound is crystal clear and despite the Jamaican influences the album has a bohemian European air about it.

Varied yet cohesive, Nightclubbing successfully explores different directions but gives the overall impression of a concept album. It is polished and sophisticated, displaying none of the raw edges of Warm Leatherette and offers a broader appeal than Living My Life. On the opening track Walking In The Rain Grace applies her semi-spoken vocal style over a light pop-reggae beat. Notorious for its risqué lyrics, Pull Up To The Bumper with its jerking Jamaican rhythms and car horn samples is a perennial club favorite which has seen a multitude of remixes and covers down the years.

The slower numbers are Bowie & Iggy's Nightclubbing which is sinister rather than celebratory and I've Done it Again which is romantic and soulful as opposed to the title track's menacing undertone. Speaking of which, her interpretation of Sting's Demolition Man takes menace to new dimensions; it's the most explicitly rock-influenced song here and packs a punch. Bill Withers' Use Me & her own composition Feel Up are both buoyant uptempo tracks, the first being a show of defiance with an infectious reggae beat and the second a Caribbean feast with rattling percussion, choral vocals, what appears to be flutes & whistles and a dialogue in French patois between Grace & a male vocal.

The magnificent Art Groupie is the most poetic & literary track with a flowing rhythmic lilt and a synth that resembles the golden age of Human League or Eurythmics. Reggae meets an accordion on the bouncy Libertango, a catchy bilingual track on which Grace speaks and sings elegantly in French and English. The album concludes with the wistful ballad I've Done It Again where an introspective lyric and an understated sound create a delicate gem. The follow-up Living My Life concluded the Sly & Robbie trilogy and therewith the reggae & dub phase of her career.

On her 1986 and 1989 albums - Inside Story & Bulletproof Heart - Ms Jones focused on soulful pop music. Then followed 19 years of silence. It was only in 2008 that Grace worked with Sly & Robbie again, on the challenging and ultimately rewarding Hurricane where Brian Eno and Tricky count amongst the other contributors. In my opinion, Nightclubbing remains Grace's masterpiece, a work that best demonstrates her distinctive styles as vocalist, interpreter and composer via an exceptional set of songs.

Grace Jones in her Island records, Nassau days produced some truly great tracks. Badarou, Sly and Robbie, Frantz, et al, in the funky jamaician jam sessions make all the tracks sizzle with new-wave electro-reggae. I am always in awe of Grace's uber-b**ch version of "Demolition Man", and the patois laden original "Feel Up" is "as island as it wansta be". The Bill Withers classic "Use Me" is taken to a literal S&M frenzy as Sly & Robbie goes into rhythmic pyrotechnics. I saw Grace perform "live"--well, she was singing live-- in New Orleans at the world famous Saenger Theatre many moons ago. Needless to say, it was a show I have yet to see an equal to--it was closer to performance art than that of a music concert-- Marlene Dietrich in pre-millenium Crescent City. The audience--New Orleans, remember?--was every bit an integral part of the show. "Nightclubbing" was out then and I remember the partying to "Pull up To the Bumper" and "The Hunter Gets Captured.." Grace may not be everybody's cup of rum, but this CD is what I define as "five star" simply because it's another case of good music done well. Also, discover why Camille Paglia, Helmut Newton, and Eddie Murphy are big fans of the Dietrich from the Islands.

This is Grace Jones's best album to date. On this album contains the hitsongs such as: the mystical song Walking In The Rain, the disco song Pull Up To The Bumper, The nightsong Nightclubbing, The jazz song I've Seen That Face Before, the funny song Feel Up and many more. When Grace first startet to make music was in the middle of the disco years, and her first three albums was also disco album's, ( 1977: Portfolio ) - ( 1978: Fame ) - ( 1979: Muse ). But in 1980 Grace switch her stile to Reggae Dance music and she got her international braktrough in 1981 whit NIGHTCLUBBING. So buy this album coz U will not find a better Grace Jones album.

Grace Jones second album on Island Records is possibly the greatest of her recording career to date. It features a string of very remarkable recordings, containing a multitude of styles such as New Wave, Reggae, Funk and Jazz.

The album opens with the curiously compelling, Walking In The Rain, which is one of her most bizarre and off the wall recordings, yet there is something fascinating about this recording despite its blatant weirdness. She then delivers what's possibly her very, very best recording ever - Pull Up To The Bumper. This funk-driven track is totally infectious - a fact reflected in her sales as this became one of her biggest ever hits in the U.K where it sailed into the Top 20 singles charts on it's re-release in 1986 (although struggled into the lower reaches of the Top 75 the first time round). The Reggae-style, Use Me has an interesting musical arrangement as does the title track, Nightclubbing which is full of strange, synchronized sounds. The New Wave soundsof Art Groupie is another catchy affair, whilst the music steadily steers into jazz on the eccentric but undeniably excellent, I've Seen That Face Before. The disappointment of the album comes in the lacklustre version of Feel Up - the reason being was that she did a far better version in her A One Man Show (1982). However the album soon gets back on track with the stomping rock track, Demolition Man and then finally the album ends with a surprise in I've Done It Again. This late night jazz number allows you to appreciate the surprisingly soothing qualities of her voice. Never have I heard her sound so effeminate as she does on this track. All in all a very good album, packed full of red blooded performances from Grace and a string of vastly remarkable recordings that only an artist as eccentric as Grace Jones could record. The album was a big seller, going into the British Top 40 album charts and was incidentally voted album of the year by the magazine, New Musical Express.

Grace Jones is a very unique artist-and I used the term art because I cannot think of another word to describe the sound she achieved in Nassau in the early 80's with Sly & Robbie in the recording studio.It's a tough,stripped down sound-based loosley in reggae and caribbean styles but spice up with modern electronics,some light drum programming and very chilly atmospherics.Her menacing title cover of Iggy Pop is just that-creepy with no warmth or sentimentality.The albums basic sound is based summed up in "Walking In The Rain" in which Grace talk sings the lyrics.The hit here is "Pull Up To The Bumper" and that is a catchy contemporary funk tune with an interesting rigid beat."Libertango" is another highlite because it's partically sung in French (a Jones trademark by this time) and the music defies classification.She then tackles "Use Me" and "Demolition Man"-channeling more the aggression in the songs vocally along along with the rhythm section's attack."I've Done It Again" is another crowning achievment-a ballad featuring her best vocals (and that is saying A LOT) and another great poignant,unsentimentalized lyric.Grace Jones is just a musical artist and vocal painter with a lot of flair and a rebellious temperment.In the case of 'Nightclubbing' she is also more then willing to let everyone come along for the ride.And it certainly is a ride worth taking.

Grace Jones is an amazing artist, and this album comes from her amazing musical period. Every track is backed by Sly & Robbie who provide groovy, complex soundtextures and soulful, interesting jams. Just listen to "Walking In The Rain". In this song, Grace Jones is surrounded by a thick musical cloud. The music hangs around her voice like a 3-dimensional aura. Grace brings in some nice covers, like "Use Me", "Demolition Man" ( which will remind us of her role in 'Conan The Barbarian' ) and "Nightclubbing". It's amazing how she can turn a song into her own, even when it looks impossible. The songs suit her perfectly. There is the famous and sexy "Pull Up To The Bumper". As usual, there is the one little more unknown track, "Art Groupie", which proves to be equally great. There is the French touch in the famous "I've Seen That Face Before ( Libertango )" where she brings in some of her old disco flavour and exotica. Grace Jones is a smart musician. She won't make her albums too long ( no fillers or flaws on her albums ) and the artwork is stunning as usual. There is also a nice, suprising jazzy affair, "I've Done It Again", that shows Grace Jones as a great artist, who can use her voice to seduce and sooth people. This track shows a totally different side from Grace Jones.

If only she would come back with another album... :)

I guess grace jones is not for everybody but if you love music and are willing to experiment a bid im sure you will find this cd worth your time and money. Grace jones is more than a musical adventureur, she combines so much to this music with her looks and attidute and that voice. Im sure she had alot of fun making this record, the jamaican reggee, new wave pop rock is kick'in and too listen to this record almost 19 years later it still sound ahead of its time, like grace.

"I have seen this face before" is the most atmospheric and enticing song I have ever heard. I always have the "repeat" function active when its on my CD player (much to the chagrin of my neighbours, I suspect)