Private Heaven

Sheena Easton | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: 1984
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: EMI
• ASIN: B000008FAR
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #212,281 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Strut

2. Sugar Walls

3. Hungry Eyes

4. It's Hard to Say It's Over

5. Swear

6. Love and Affection

7. Back in the City

8. You Make Me Nervous

9. All by Myself

10. Double Standard

Editorial Reviews

Reissue of the diva from Scotland's 1984 release, featuring the hits 'Strut', 'Sugar Walls' and 'Swear' plus 7 bonus tracks , 'Sugar Walls' (Dance Mix), 'Letters From The Road', 'Straight Talking', 'Fallen Angels', 'Strut' (Dance Mix), 'Swear' (Dub Mix) and 'Sugar Walls' (Red Mix). 2000 release. Standard jewel case. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pop Heaven!, May 2, 2001

By 

mlyles - See all my reviews

This review is from: Private Heaven (Audio CD)

Sheena Easton recorded her most American-sounding album to date with 1984's "A Private Heaven." "Strut," and "Sugar Walls" (written by Prince) both made the U.S. top ten. But the best song here is the exquisite ballad, "Hard To Say It's Over," which should have been the set's third single, instead of the awkward "Swear." On the remake of Joan Armatrading's "Love and Affection," Easton displays a vocal range that few singers today can match. Other highlights include the jazzy "Back In The City," the Steve Luthaker-penned ballad, "All By Myself," and "Double Standard," an energetic slice of dance-pop that would sound right at home on any of Madonna's 80's albums. This is definitely a must-have for any fan of Easton or 80's music in general!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Your own private heaven ..., February 18, 2005

By 

W. Wilkinson (Colonie, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Private Heaven (Audio CD)

Sheena Easton made a striking debut in 1981 with her self-titled album and her first two American hits, "Morning Train (9 to 5)" and "Modern Girl" (#1 and #18 pop, respectively). Three more albums followed: "You Could Have Been with Me, "Madness, Money and Music," and "Best Kept Secret." Sheena had another hit with "For Your Eyes Only," from the movie of the same name (#4), but none of the singles from these three albums charted very high, and most of them didn't make the Top 10 ("Telefone" managed #9, and that was the highest). Sheena made a "comeback" in 1984 with "A Private Heaven."

"Heaven" features three singles: "Strut," "Sugar Walls (written by Prince)," and "Swear." Two of them, "Strut" and "Sugar Walls" were hits: #7 and #9 respectively. The album itself climbed to #15 and was certified platinum I THINK.

The remainder of the songs on the album are quite cohesive and quite good, and any of them could have been singles, from the danceable "Hungry Eyes" to the tender ballad "Hard to Say it's Over."

This is probably the best album of the 1st phase of Sheena's career. At least, in my opinion it is, and I know there's many that agree. The song choices and the glossy production are near-perfect, unlike some of the other albums. This 2000 reissue from One Way Records (which is located in my home city of Albany, NY!) features three non-album songs: the rocking "Letters from the Road," "Straight Talking," and the interesting "Fallen Angels," as well as good extended remixes of the three original singles. So you're really getting your money's worth, especially if you're an 80s music fan like I am. :)

My favorite song on the album is by far "Swear." I just love the "rap" lyrics towards the end of the song, as well as the cool guitar work throughout. It's a total SHAME that this song is not one of Sheena's signature songs, like "Strut" and "Sugar Walls." It really deserves to be!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sheena Lets Loose Her Inner "Bad Girl", November 6, 2010

By 

Kasey G (Toronto, ON) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Private Heaven (Audio CD)

In late 1984, Sheena Easton's album "A Private Heaven" was released and kicked off the second phase of her '80s career.

Sheena's vocals on this album were overall more loose and playful than on her previous albums. Also, her sound moved away from the Easy Listening/Adult Contemporary Laura Branigan/ONJ style to more of a dance diva sound like Teena Marie or a more sophisticated Madonna.

"Strut" which was a Top-10 smash single, opens the album and has become one of Sheena's signature tunes and for good reason, with its industrial percussion, sassy vocals and horn break, it's perfection.

Equally great is Sheena's first collaboration with Prince, the naughty "Sugar Walls", which actually caused controversy back in the day. It features Sheena's sexy speaking voice and plenty of double entendres and a slightly-Oriental synth riff. This is definitely another of Sheena's best songs.

The fast-pumping "Hungry Eyes" features another Oriental-style synth riff, but this one is more cliche than the riff on "Sugar Walls" and the song is a little repetitive.

Things slow down a little on "Hard To Say It's Over", on which the sparkling intro swells into a terrific Diane-Warren style '80s power ballad.

My favorite cut is the dramatic uptempo rocker "Swear", on which Sheena gives her cheating man an ultimatum. It may be a little repetitive, but it features a great echo effect on Sheena's vocals, which boast appropriate attitude over a "Beat It" guitar riff. Sheena even raps on this one before the potent start-and-stop section begins.

Sheena does her best Barbra impression on the cold opening of "Love and Affection". Once the song gets going though, it takes on a country-pop flavor. Sheena even uses a slight drawl on this one and I can picture someone like Wynonna Judd covering this.

"Back In the City" is a Salsa-type number with great Latin percussion that predates what Gloria Estefan would be doing in a few years. Repetition also prevents this one from being truly great.

Beginning with a "Lucky Star"-type intro, "You Make Me Nervous" features somewhat awkward pacing during the chorus, but given the lyrics, this jittery arrangement is appropriate. This is yet another song that suffers from a little too much repetition, but it's still catchy and reminds me of Teena Marie.

"All By Myself" (not the Eric Carmen song) is a pretty ballad, and Sheena sounds more relaxed singing it than on previous slow numbers. Another very good song.

The closing cut, the fast dance-rock number "Double Standard" has Sheena calling her man on his cheating behavior and she sounds more like Teena Marie on this one than any other.

Though Sheena never had a blockbuster album like "Private Dancer", "Like a Virgin", or even "She's So Unusual", her LPs in the '80s were pretty solid and very listenable without skipping tracks.

"A Private Heaven" is not the best album of her mid-late '80s output but very much worth getting.