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List Price: $11.98 | | Label: Island
Salesrank: 27498
Released: June 15, 1990 |
| Our Price: $5.08 |
| Used Price: $1.50 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Island Life Track Listing:
1. Vie en Rose
2. I Need a Man
3. Do or Die
4. Private Life
5. Love Is the Drug
6. I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango)
7. Pull Up to the Bumper
8. Walking in the Rain
9. My Jamaican Guy
10. Slave to the Rhythm
Editorial Review:
No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: JONES,GRACE
Title: ISLAND LIFE
Street Release Date: 06/04/1990
Domestic
Genre: SOUL/R & B
Island Life Reviews:
Essential Grace Jones 
2009-02-07 - Grace Jones was a huge star in Europe in the late 70s/early 80s with irresitable reggae/disco/dance tunes, and this compilation brings the essential tracks of that era.
"Island Life" (released in 1985; 10 tracks; 48 min.) brings all of the hits of that era, starting with a clever interpretation of Edit Piaff's "La Vie On Rose", a massive hit in continental Europe. The radical dub reinventing of the Pretenders' "Private Life" is outstanding. I don't care much for the Roxy Music's cover of "Love Is the Drug". But the best tracks are on the second half of this compilation: "Pull Up to the Bumper" will get any wallflower onto the dance floor. "Walking In the Rain" is a desolate, threatening tune, just great. It leads up to the best track of all, "My Jamaican Guy", the best dance tune ever from Grace Jones. Almost 30 years later, is still stands the test of time, just outstanding.
Grace Jones has come back with a new album last year ("Hurricane"), out of nowhere really (I haven't heard it yet, but plan to). She played a one-off gig in London not long ago that was well received, I can only hope she'll go on tour, I'd love to see her in concert. Meanwhile, if you are looking for a compilation of her best work from the legendary late 70s/early 80s era, look no further, this compilation will do more than well.
Grace Jones 101
2008-10-30 - Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2QH1MDLZ20BBI
Believe it or not -- the 1985 tape sound was better! 
2008-02-11 - I bought the cassette not too long after it came out in 1985. I knew of Grace Jones, of course, and heard some of her music on radio and TV and in the clubs. But I did not really appreciate her until I got the tape --which I loved from beginning to end -- the most stirring for me was her version of La Vie En Rose -- quite a unique interpretation!
So you can imagine my excitement as CD players became more common, when I discovered it was re-issued as a CD in 1990. I bought it immediately and was immediately disappointed. The sound had none of the stirrings that the tape had -- nothing shivered in your system when she reached her powerful notes. I played the two for a number of friends and everyone agreed the tape's sound was significantly better. It was not my equipment -- I had top of the line of everything. So I continued to play the tape but I couldn't in my car -- one of the times I most like to listen to music -- because I had installed a new CD player -- and the gizmos designed to let you play tapes through it were pretty bad.
It was just sloppy work -- this issue of the CD. Every company was slapping their hit albums onto Cd's -- some with care -- some not. This one fell into the later category.
Grace sort of faded from my mind after several years -- music outside jazz and some classical no longer came across my radar screen. But about a year ago -- thanks to a great station in my area (WRNR) -- I started to get interested in more "rock" music again (I know that "rock" means something more specific now -- there are so many genres within it -- but I use the term as it used to be used -- comprehensively of all the related genres) and then I saw the movie "La Vie En Rose" about Piaf and Grace's version of the song came to mind -- and I started watching a number of videos of her performances on YouTube and now I am here on Amazon wondering if better releases -- in terms of quality -- have appeared.
Others here are more knowledgeable about her discography -- but Island Life to me was perfect from beginning to end. But the CD version -- as is sold here --fell completely flat.
Only Grace Jones...... 
2007-04-02 - I heard the song "Pull Up to My Bumper" when I was in college - at a nightclub near by. It's odd combination of disco, new wave and funk really was unique to my new wave/disco sensibilities. Those gutteral throaty vocals. Who was Grace Jones?
I bought the album and while I wasn't really sent with the whole thing, I had to admit to liking some of it.
Flash forward several years and there's Grace Jones again! Only this time she's in a Conan movie and then as a vampire (Vamp). Finally I saw her in concert at a small Atlanta venue and she was....completely twisted!
While I'm not a huge fan of Grace Jones overall, this album, Island Life, really does capture some of her best work. My favorite is "Ma Vie en Rose" though I was too young to have heard it during the 70's in any discotheque. Other favorites include, "Nightclubbing", "Walking in the Rain", "I've Seen that Face Before" and to a lesser degree now, "Pull up to the Bumper".
Grace Jones is an institution. She is odd, quirky, and to my sensibilities an icon of sorts of the 1980's. This is an album that can convey her unique qualities to many who just don't know who she is. Those my 14 year old son says he thinks she's weird and refuses to accept that the weird "chick" from Conan the Destroyer is singing the songs (oh and he says the cover art on the album is scary - I agree).
There's just something about it.
2006-07-16 - Grace is fasinating. She's such a legend, rightfully so. There's something about her music that keeps me coming back. "Island Life" is a retrospective, and a very good one. I love everything about it. Especially her cover of "La Vie En Rose" by Edith Piaf (which is one of my favorite songs ever.) The album artwork is also perfect. Very creative. Perfection.
