Detour from Discodrive

Warm Leatherette Caused a stir on its release in 1980 as Grace Jones had been known as a disco singer through her albums Portfolio, Fame and Muse. She Could not have changed direction more radically, covering songs by amongst others Daniel Miller, Chrissie Hynde, Bryan Ferry, Tom Petty and Barry Reynolds, the guitarist and co-writer of various Marianne Faithfull Compositions. The Jamaican musicians Sly Dunbar & Robbie Shakespeare gave her a brand new sound, a brilliant blend of rock, dub & reggae. It paid off; She Gained critical respectability amongst the rock crowd while retaining most of her dance-music fan base.

The ominous title track is a cover of an obscure single by The Normal on Mute Records, with a climax of "Let's make LUURVE / before we die." Unlike the synth-pop original, Grace's voice, supported by crashing cymbals, renders the lyrics Dramatically & emphatically. Chrissie Hynde's Private Life rolls along nicely on a light reggae beat over Which Ms Jones sings and talks in bursts of authoritative declamation and is Followed by the mid-tempo number Rolling Stone whilst the interpretation of Roxy Music's Love Is The Drug Gets a fast-paced , almost throwaway treatment with a long, meandering exit.

No Grace Jones album is complete without The Ballads. The first one here, The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game, lilts along languidly through occasional Mists of tweeting and twittering birdsong. Written by Barry Reynolds, the melodious BullXcrement is a powerful statement with cynical lyrics and dissonant guitars and Grace is at her icy and aloof on the best Tom Petty Composition Breakdown. The romantic and tuneful Pars did Concludes Jones Warm Leatherette Continues a tradition of having one French song on every album.

Each track is different and memorable; They fit like boxing gloves in her menacing and / or cold-as-ice delivery. Ms Jones deserved the accolades for transcending the dancefloor and successfully mastering this new style. Grace would work with Sly and Robbie on two more albums, nightclubbing & Living My Life, before pursuing a type of soulful pop on Inside Story (1986) and Bulletproof Heart (1989). Nineteen years of silence which finally broken in 2008 by the challenging & rewarding Hurricane on Which Sly and Robbie once more played a part, alongwith Tricky and Brian Eno.