Private Life: The Compass Point Sessions

Amazon.com
In the wake of Marianne Faithfull's disco-punk fusion on 1979's Broken English, Island label mate and disco diva Grace Jones made a similar left turn with a couple of albums of new-wave classics (the Pretenders' "Private Life," Iggy Pop's "Nightclubbing"), new-wave "classics" (the Normal's "Warm Leatherette") and a soul chestnut or two ("The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game") given her uniquely growling treatment. As the funk grew stronger, she even placed a few hits on the charts, notably the 1982 "Pull Up to the Bumper." Private Life surveys this, the artiest of Jones's periods, including rare 12-inch and dub mixes. --Rickey Wright

Spin
Private Life: The Compass Point Sessions (Island) draws from the three Jones albums produced by [Chris] Blackwell and played by the All-Stars. Jones bore her status as Diaspora artist proudly, putting across white rock songs and cabaret tunes with few of the emotional signifiers of either Rasta or Pop.

Private Life: The Compass Point Sessions

Tracks:

Private Life (Long Version)
Private Life (Dub Version)
Love Is The Drug (Long Version)
Breakdown
Warm Leatherette (Long Version)
The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game (Long Version)
I've Done It Again
Pars (Long Version)
Pull Up To The Bumper
Use Me (Long Version)
She's Lost Control (Long Version)
She's Lost Control (Dub Version)

Tracks:

Walking In The Rain
Cry Now, Laugh Later
Nightclubbing
The Apple Stretching
Nipple To The Bottle (12' Version)
My Jamaican Guy (12' Version)
Feel Up
I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango)
Demolition Man (Long Version)
Unlimited Capacity For Love
Ring Of Fire (Demo)
Man Around The House
Living My Life (7' Version)
Slave To The Rhythm (Hot Blooded Version)

Amazon.com

In the wake of Marianne Faithfull's disco-punk fusion on 1979's Broken English, Island label mate and disco diva Grace Jones made a similar left turn with a couple of albums of new-wave classics (the Pretenders' "Private Life," Iggy Pop's "Nightclubbing"), new-wave "classics" (the Normal's "Warm Leatherette") and a soul chestnut or two ("The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game") given her uniquely growling treatment. As the funk grew stronger, she even placed a few hits on the charts, notably the 1982 "Pull Up to the Bumper." Private Life surveys this, the artiest of Jones's periods, including rare 12-inch and dub mixes. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

This Set Is FUNKY AVANT GARDE FIYAH!.......2007-07-17

i recently bought this set becauase i was interested in hearing more of Grace's music.AMAZING! "Warm Leatherette"..........is "FUNK PERSONIFIED."
oh gosh...and "Private Life" (dub version) especially when you listen with stereo headphones.....you're in another realm. definitely worth the money i spent on it.this set is getting CONSTANT rotation in my portable mp3 player. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Private Life:..........2007-02-15

A Great Overall collection of her bigger songs. My favorite is the extended version of "Slave to the Rhythm (8:18)" For the collection and value of the discs, I give it - Five stars!!

Chronicles of her art.......2005-06-25

The dynamic queen of outrage; her stunning, fierce looks and her legendary temper made her famous far beyond those who would ever hear her music. That's the perfect way to describe Jones' recording career. In 1979 her disco theme were cramped; forcing Grace to evolve herself and her musical aspirations. By the help of artist Jean Paul-Goude, they created the basics: a stunning androgynous look and a fast hard hitting rhythm, controlled by reggae legends Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare. "Warm Leatherette" was the first of three stunning albums recorded at the Compass Point studios in the Bahamas. The album was an immediate UK success hitting the Top 50 in the album charts; the single "Private Life" was one of her first worldwide hits establishing herself as a regular on the British top chart. "Warm Leatherette" was a compilation of several of covers, from Tom Petty "Breakdown" to Roxy Music "Love Is the Drug" to the Motown's "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game" to far beyond Daniel Millers ominous title track "Warm Leatherette". "Warm Leatherette" also brought Grace the public acknowledgement she never received for her disco work; basically Grace stuck with the chosen songs and further improved them. In 1981 the second album arrived titled: Nightclubbing. Again Sly & Robbie provided the great back-up music for Grace it turned out to be Grace's most successful album to date. Proving once again that Grace had chosen the perfect songs to interpret, her amazing cover of Bill Withers' "Use Me" becomes a sexual plead, and her rocking rendition of the Police's "Demolition Man" made the original totally obsolete. "Nightclubbing" is her most delicious recording to date; from Iggy Pop "Nightclubbing" to Flash the Pan's torch song "Walking in the Rain" really put Grace on the musical map, even as far as, the New Musical Express crowned it album of the year, 1981. Despite of the great covers Grace co-wrote her perhaps biggest hit to date: Pull Up to the Bumper, which is a delicious chocolate flowing in-between dub, proving Grace to be equally versatile as the cover songs chosen. The last of three albums, came in 1982, titled, Living My Life. This time around Grace was overly more involved with the entire process, from song writing to even co-producing the songs. "Living My Life" once again proved Grace's capability as a performer. "My Jamaican Guy" has inspired many hip-hop artist over the years, noteworthy, L.L Coo J's massive hit "Doin' It". Overall "Living My Life" was such a personal piece of work, Nipple to the Bottle recycling the beat of "Pull Up to the Bumper" and "Cry Now, Laugh Later" presented the avant-garde in Grace. Think you can handle a growling rendition of Melvin Van Peebles "The Apple Stretching"? Just listen to Grace's deep conviction and be prepared to be amazed. With "Slave to the Rhythm" Grace further improved her image as the queen of outrage, proving to be one of Grace's biggest hit singles. When all is said and done, Private Life: The Compass Point Sessions is the perfect introduction to her prime-years in music. Although not career-spanning, it showcases Grace Jones' amazing capability as a singer and entertainer. Grace Jones may not regain that kind of perfection ever again, but she doesn't have to, the recordings are the chronicles of her art.

Private Life .......2005-04-22

By all means a phenomenal compilation that covers her outstanding years at Island Records.Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare takes a lot of the credits; an outstanding band leaded by the best musician there is makes for an experience beyond the limited range music in the 80's had to offer. Grace Jones, whipped up some truly remarkable songs, like Sting's "Demolition Man" with its electro-beat and crackling whip lashing makes for what I'd classify as downright naughty. Warm Leatherette the first of three albums by Sly, Robbie and Grace; the album represents some of Jones' most experimental stuff to date, she covers songs from Tom Petty "Breakdown" to The Pretenders "Private Life" and the truly magnificent rendition of The Motown's "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game". The aforementioned song is one of her most delicious tracks; the amazing beat is perfectly complimented by Grace's soulful vocal deliverance (anyone who claims that Grace Jones can't sing should take the time to listen to this marvelous song).

Her cover of The Normals "Warm Leatherette" is something special, indeed. The continuous hints at sex and the amazing band is truly something that everyone should experience, once in a life time that is. My favorite track off Warm Leatherette is the exotic French tune: Pars. Amazing capable of a tranquillest buzz, the breathy, sexy vocals are amongst some her finest and once again the band drains each beat to the bone, truly stunning. Also included is the hypnotic "Private Life" (Presented in both a long and a dub version) stands as one of her biggest hit singles to date. Grace hit the height of her career in 1981 with the album: Nightclubbing. The album was something completely new, a perfect kind of chill: making sex on warm leatherette. The jungle rhythm of "Pull Up to the Bumper" still sounds as fresh and naughty as did nearly 25 years ago and the dog breathing slob of "Feel Up" is equally matched by the mysterious On-Paris-streets-at-night "I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango). Seldom have I heard Grace sound as intimate as she does on "I've Done It Again" which slides right down and strips you off instant breath.

The final session the album cull songs from is "Living My Life" which contains songs of the more personal direction. On the album Grace co-wrote and eventually co-produced each and every song on the album. The beast songs chosen from Living My Life are: the stunning "Nipple to the Bottle", "My Jamaican Guy", "The Apple Stretching" and the heart-throbbing "Unlimited Capacity for Love" which stands as one of my personal favorites. Private Life: The Compass Point Sessions is stunning representation of Grace's Island material; includes 26 songs and many of them are presented in extended and in different mixes. It also includes 2 previously unreleased songs prior to the album release: the funky "Vamp-ish" Man Around the House and the reggae influenced Johnny Cash cover "Ring of Fire". Private Life: The Compass Point sessions are mostly aimed at hard-core Grace Jones fans (who anxiously await a new album release) but it also makes for a great listen to the casual fan who wants to explore the "Grace Jones Legend" a little closer.

the BEST Best of Grace Jones.......2004-09-17

There are SO MANY compilations devoted to this woman's music. I think she actually has more compilation albums than she had regular albums. Whatever. This one's a real winner. Especially if you liked her early eighties work. This double cd covers everything from hard-edged dance tunes ( Warm Leatherette ) to ballads ( the gorgeous I've Done It Again ) to dub reggae ( just about everything else ). Appearing on cd for the first time are several extended versions of songs from her albums ( which were actually recorded as extended versions, by the studio band, the Compass Point All-Stars, not just remixed and extended by some studio boffin ). Great liner notes. Great cover versions. I LOVE THIS CD. Very highly recommended.

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