Grace Jones Disco 2015 limited edition 3CD set featuring digitally remastered editions of her Portfolio (1977), Fame (1978) and Muse (1979) albums including unreleased tracks and rare mixes. All three discs are individually packaged andhoused together inside a deluxe sealed picture boxset with lift-off lid which comes with an extensive booklet.
Portfolio (1977). Disco mix king Tom Moulton produced these tracks at Sigma Sound in Philadelphia using the same musicians Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff held hostage for their sessions. The results are quite different: though polished, these tracks don't jump out at you. It's really a producer's album. Moulton probably had these tracks completed long before he knew who was going to sing them…
An audio biography of Grace Jones, produced by Trevor Horn, it's a sonic treat along the lines of Yes's 90125 or Frankie Goes to Hollywood's first album (both produced by Horn). The music ranges from slick R&B runaway grooves to striking audio montages, interrupted occasionally by conversation about Jones's life. Serious ear candy.
By all means a phenomenal pop album that hit number nine on the black albums chart and crossed over to penetrate the pop charts at number 32, Nightclubbing saw Grace Jones working once again with Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, and the remainder of the Compass Point team. Nightclubbing also continues Jones' tradition of picking excellent songs to reinterpret. This time out, the Police's "Demolition Man," Bill Withers' "Use Me," and Iggy Pop's "Nightclubbing" receive radical reinterpretations; "Nightclubbing" is glacial in both tempo and lack of warmth, while both "Use Me" and "Demolition Man" fit perfectly into Jones' lyrical scheme. Speaking of a lyrical scheme, "Pull Up to the Bumper" (number five black singles, number two club play) is so riddled with naughty double entendres – or is it just about parallel parking? – that it renders Musique's "In the Bush" as daring as Paul Anka's "Puppy Love." Drive it in between what, Grace? It's not just lyrics that make the song stick out; jingling spirals of rhythm guitar and a simplistic, squelching, mid-tempo rhythm make the song effective, even without considering Jones' presence.
Grace Jones teamed with the great reggae production duo of Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare on this 1980 album, and made the transition from straight dance and club act into quasi-pop star with reggae and urban contemporary leanings. The single "Private Life" was one of her best, and the overall album had more energy and production gloss than previous LPs that had been aimed completely at the club market. It helped that Jones seemed enthused about the session and really put herself into the songs.
By all means a phenomenal pop album that hit number nine on the black albums chart and crossed over to penetrate the pop charts at number 32, Nightclubbing saw Grace Jones working once again with Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, and the remainder of the Compass Point team. Nightclubbing also continues Jones' tradition of picking excellent songs to reinterpret. This time out, the Police's "Demolition Man," Bill Withers' "Use Me," and Iggy Pop's "Nightclubbing" receive radical reinterpretations; "Nightclubbing" is glacial in both tempo and lack of warmth, while both "Use Me" and "Demolition Man" fit perfectly into Jones' lyrical scheme…
Grace Jones' The Collection, released in 2004 by the Spectrum offshoot of Universal U.K., found enough room for a demo of "Ring of Fire" (a Johnny Cash cover) but decided not to include "Pull Up to the Bumper," one of the singer's biggest singles (if not the biggest). It's one of few flaws, but it is a massive flaw, and it makes the disc a wasted opportunity. Otherwise, the disc covers a lot of ground, despite cutting off at 1982 (so "Slave to the Rhythm" isn't here, either). There's plenty of Compass Point-era coverage, with her spectacular covers of the Normal's "Warm Leatherette," Roxy Music's "Love Is the Drug," and Joy Division's "She's Lost Control" present. The lack of chronological sense is another drawback.
Grace Jones' flamboyant outfits and statuesque looks made her one of the most unforgettable characters to emerge from New York in the late '70s. Teaming the singer/model with Chic mainman Nile Rodgers was a musical marriage made in heaven. Rodgers' sleek and funky production wrapped around Jones' deadpan and powerful delivery created some of the most memorable music of her career. With former Camera Club leader Bruce Woolley on keyboards and songwriting chores, this was a perfect blend of New York sass and New Wave sauce. 10 tracks including 'I'm Not Perfect (But I'm Perfect For You)'. Inside Story would become one of Jones' greatest album successes, making the top 40 in a number of European countries. A remastered edition of the album was released in 2004 on EMI Records, along with Bulletproof Heart. Unlike the latter, re-released Inside Story came with no bonus tracks.