5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pop Heaven!, May 2, 2001
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!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Your own private heaven ..., February 18, 2005
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!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
If your a fan of 80's music you'll love this!, May 6, 2004
By A Customer
This is a great cd for a fan of 80's music. The top 40 hit's "strut" and "sugar walls", both written by Prince make this cd worth the purchase. Other stand out tracks include "swear" and "double standard". Sheena has a great voice and almost all the tracks on this cd are great. Enjoy!
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