Search - Grace Jones :: Ultimate Collection

Not fully comprehensive

Pieter | Johannesburg | 07/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"FOUR AND A HALF STARS



As compilations go, this one is not bad but there are still certain omissions. Disc One draws on albums like Portfolio (1977), Fame (1978), Muse (1979) and Warm Leatherette (1980), whilst Disc Two draws on Nightclubbing (1981), Living My Life (1982), Slave To The Rhythm (1985), Inside Story (1986) and Bulletproof Heart (1989). The third disc contains special remixes and extended versions, including the demo of Ring Of Fire.



The tracks are arranged chronologically so it maps out her musical development from the disembodied robotic 1970s disco sounds of La Vie En Rose and Send In The Clowns through her new wave experiments with Private Life, her torch song phase on the Nightclubbing album up to the funky R&B of My Jamaican Guy and on to the pure pop of I'm Not Perfect and Love On Top Of Love.



She wasn't taken seriously as a musician up until the release of Warm Leatherette in 1980, but I have always enjoyed her early disco work, especially the Portfolio album with its great tracks like Tomorrow, Send In The Clowns, I Need A Man and La Vie en Rose.



The following album, Fame, was weaker but still contained a sprinkling of memorable disco musings like Autumn Leaves (not here) and Do Or Die. The almost totally unknown Sinning and Saved are powerful numbers from the rare Muse album.



Warm Leatherette really put her on the musical map, especially her version of the title track that was an obscure synth-pop single by Daniel Miller's The Normal. She also did interesting versions of Private Life (The Pretenders) and Love Is The Drug (Roxy Music).



Disc Two, tracks 2 to 6 come from Jones' very commercially successful Nightclubbing album. I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango) and Walking In the Rain are witty, accessible pop ballads while the funky Pull Up To The Bumper is controversially sensual. The tracks from Nipple To The Bottle to My Jamaican Guy are jerky, funky and tribal with stunning vocal arrangements - all from the innovative Living My Life album.



Victor and I'm Not Perfect come from the underrated Inside Story (1986), which also contains gems like Barefoot In Beverly Hills and the soaring title track, both omitted here. Love On Top Of Love is the only track from Bulletproof Heart (1989) and a poor choice; I would have selected Amado Mio and Someone To Love.



Devoted fans will appreciate the 12-inch dance mixes on Disc Three. My favorites are She's Lost Control, Ring Of Fire and Slave To The Rhythm. This is the most extensive of the various Grace Jones compilations available as of this writing. I'm giving it 5 stars because it does offer a stunning selection of tracks. A box set is the ultimate answer to a completely comprehensive Grace Jones collection."

Best Grace Jones collection out there so far

Tom | Toronto | 12/19/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Grace Jones is one of the most unique music artists out there. She's certainly not everybody's cup of tea, but you can't deny that some of her music is intriguing and inventine, and that voice -- nobody can sing quite like Jones with that fiery, throaty voice.



The Ultimate Collection is the best Grace Jones collection out there, and there are several Jones compilations on the market. This one basically covers most of her career including her version of "La Vie En Rose", and other favorites such as "I Need A Man", "Love is the Drug", "Slave to the Rhythm", and it's one of the first Jones collections to feature fan favorite "I'm Not Perfect (But I'm Perfect for You)", a glossy pop song from the mid-'80s.



If you're only a casual fan of Jones, this may not be ideal for you. After all, it's three CDs and rather expensive, so you may be better sticking with a budget collection. More serious fans will probably want more than even what this offers, but I think this is as close as we'll get to a Grace Jones box set."

So good, but SO incomplete

T. Pileggi | Valley Stream, NY United States | 10/07/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Are we ever gonna get any of those early gems? The song that introduced so many of us to Grace Jones was the Tom Moulton 12" mix of That's The Trouble. Why is that never on any reissue? I know we're all supposed to say that Grace wasn't so important until Nightclubbing, but those early albums and 12 inch singles were fun and creative and quirky, and miles ahead of their contemporaries. It would be outstanding to have a reissue of those first three albums and all the 12 inch mixes that came out of the. Tom Moulton & Grace jones - a real dream team of the disco era."