Living My Life was Grace Jones’ sixth album in six years. It was also the third and final release that she cut with the team at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas. It was probably a good time to end the dream team, though, because while this record contains some brilliant tracks, it is not as consistent as its predecessors Warm Leatherette and Nightclubbing.
The same musicians (Sly Dunbar, Barry Reynolds, and co.) and producers (Chris Blackwell and Alex Sadkin) once again gathered together to make magic, and this time Jones co-wrote all but one song on the album. While this was probably a necessary part of her development, it meant for a couple of weak tracks that this album could have done without – those being “Everybody Hold Still” and “Inspiration,” which just sound lifeless and generic when compared to the prime cuts to be found here.
The album kicks off with one of Jones’ best songs, a reggae/pop gem “My Jamaican Guy” that harbors a seriously catchy groove and great lyrics. The same can be said for “Nipple To The Bottle,” which has become another Jones classic and has been sampled several times over the years as well. “Cry Now, Laugh Later” is a Jones/Reynolds collaboration that is very Prince-like in its approach and execution; it’s good but not great.
The pair also wrote the album’s closer, the beautiful “Unlimited Capacity For Love.” It is the quintessential Grace Jones love song; she rarely records them, so this is still a treat to hear. The New York-inspired “The Apple Stretching” is the most upbeat song on the record, and Jones gives one of her rare carefree deliveries that are always fun to hear.
Living My Life got the job done and delivered more hit singles for Jones, but while her partnership with Compass Point was a truly rewarding one, something about this albums tells me it was time to move on and cover some new ground. Jones did just that with her autobiographical high-concept album Slave To The Rhythm, with which she enjoyed some major critical success. That album’s original concept of reworking the same song several times to tell her story was a bold and brave move, which now makes Living My Life seem a bridge record of sorts, but still an important one for Grace Jones.
