Editor’s Note: From Albumism’s inception back in 2016, we’ve remained unabashedly and unequivocally passionate about our mission of celebrating the world's love affairs with albums past, present and future.
But while our devotion to the album as an art form has remained steadfast, as evidenced by our deepening repository of individual album tributes and reviews, we’ve admittedly seldom taken the opportunity to explicitly articulate our reverence for the virtues of artists’ complete album repertoires as a whole.
Hence why we’ve decided to showcase what we believe to be the most dynamic discographies of all time in this recurring series. In doing so, we hope to better understand the broader creative context within which our most beloved individual albums exist, while acknowledging the full breadth of their creators’ artistry, career arcs, and overall contributions to the ever-evolving musical landscape.
We hope you enjoy this series and be sure to check here periodically for the latest installments.
GRACE JONES
Studio Albums: Portfolio (1977) | Fame (1978) | Muse (1979) | Warm Leatherette (1980) | Nightclubbing (1981) | Living My Life (1982) | Slave to the Rhythm (1985) | Inside Story (1986) | Bulletproof Heart (1989) | Hurricane (2008)
Some of you may be saying, "Grace Jones in a great discography list?" And I'm saying, "hell, yes!" From 1977 to 1979, Jones was primarily a disco and club act with only snippets of potential sprinkled about, including 1977’s cover of "La Vie En Rose." Disco was dying a horrible death at the time, and black performers, whether they were disco acts or not, were enduring the brunt of the vicious, sometimes racist backlash. Not many avoided it, but Jones somehow survived, although it required a major revamp of her career.
In 1980, Jones began working with the Compass Point All-Stars, featuring legendary musicians/producers Robbie Shakespeare and Sly Dunbar. Warm Leatherette was the first album in the Compass Point trilogy, with Nightclubbing and Living My Life filling the remaining spots. Jones and the All-Stars fused reggae, pop, and new wave to create a unique sound.
Not shying away from cover songs, she brilliantly interpreted the works of The Normal ("Warm Leatherette"), The Pretenders ("Private Life"), Roxy Music ("Love Is the Drug"), and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers ("Breakdown"). She breathed new life into these interpretations and developed a brand new audience, including some of her fellow musicians. For Nightclubbing, Sting gave her "Demolition Man" before recording it with The Police. For songwriters, it had become an honor to have Jones take on one of their songs.
The Compass Point trilogy was recorded within five years, and not only was it a defining moment in Jones' career, but an essential part of the ‘80s as well. She tied reggae, new wave, post-punk, and dance music together, a feat very few have successfully tried. Jones' music, style, and presentation are still significant influences to this day. From Björk to Lady Gaga to Lorde, many artists have used parts of Jones' playbook. Her musical DNA has been spread far and wide, and that does not happen without her music.
Terry’s 3 Favorite Grace Jones Albums of All Time:
1. Nightclubbing (1981)
2. Warm Leatherette (1980)
3. Slave to the Rhythm (1985)
LISTEN & WATCH: