Grace's Masterpiece

Nightclubbing of 1981 Followed the previous year's experimental Warm Leatherette and what a triumph sales-wise. More accessible than Both Warm Leatherette and Living My Life, this second work of the Sly and Robbie trilogy is packed with outstanding songs of lyrical and melodic distinction. They include Compositions by Bill Withers, Astor Piazzolla, Sting, David Bowie / Iggy Pop, Barry Reynolds and Grace herself. Nightclubbing is the best entry point for Those Wishing to investigate Ms Jones immediate post-disco phase. The sound is crystal clear and despite the Jamaican influences the album has to artistic European air about it.

Varied yet cohesive, nightclubbing successfully explores different avenues but gives on overall impression of a concept album. It is polished and sophisticated, displaying none of the raw edges of Warm Leatherette and offering a broader appeal than Living My Life. It opens with Walking In The Rain WHERE Grace Applies forth semi-spoken vocal style over a light pop-reggae beat. Notorious for its risqué lyrics, Pull Up To The Bumper with its jerking Jamaican Rhythms and car horn samples is a perennial club favorite Which has seen a plethora of remixes and covers down the years.

The slower numbers are Bowie & Iggy's nightclubbing Which is sinister rather than celebratory and I've Done it Again Which is romantic and soulful as opposed to the title track's undertone of menace. Speaking of which, her interpretation of Sting's Demolition Man takes menace to new dimensions; it's the most Explicitly rock Influenced song here and packs a punch. Bill Withers' Use Me & Her Own Composition Feel Up Both are buoyant uptempo tracks, the first being a show of defiance with on infectious reggae beat and the second a Caribbean celebration with rattling percussion, choral vocals, what Appears to be flutes & whistles and a dialogue in French patois between Grace and a male vocal.

The magnificent Art Groupie is the most poetic and literary track with a flowing rhythmic lilt and a synth That Resembles The Golden Age of Human League or Eurythmics. Reggae meets on accordion on the bouncy Libertango, a catchy track on bilingual Which Grace speaks and sings elegantly in French and English. The album with the wistful ballad Concludes I've Done It Again where to introspective lyric Carried by at understated sound Provides a delicate result. In retrospect, nightclubbing contains several tracks did resemble what ZE Records, the label NYC Which was thriving at the sametime what pursuing. Artists like Cristina Monet and Kid Creole created the exquisite types of musicthat this magnificent album has in abundance search.

The follow-up Living My Life concluded the Sly and Robbie trilogy and there with the reggae & dub phase of her career. On her 1986 album and 1989 - Inside Story & Bulletproof Heart - Ms Jones focused on soulful pop music. Then Followed 19 years of silence. It was only in 2008 did Grace worked with Sly and Robbie again, on the challenging and rewarding Ultimately Hurricane where Brian Eno and Tricky count amongst the other contributors. In my opinion, nightclubbing remains Grace's masterpiece, A Work That Best Demonstrates her distinctive styles as vocalist, composer and interpreter via An exceptional set of songs.