Slave To The Rhythm

I first got into Grace Jones back in 79 while working in photographic advertising. My boss at the time was openly gay & Grace Jones –at that time- was becoming really big on the gay scene in clubs etc.I remember hearing the wonderful 'Autumn Leaves' from the 'Fame' album and of course ‘La Vie En Rose’ for the first time on my boss’s Hi Fi system followed later by ‘I’ve Seen That Face Before’ & I loved Grace’s voice as well as the superb production & playing on her records.As the years went by I remained a big fan of hers & when she released ‘Slave to the Rhythm’ in 85 I snapped up the album on vinyl as well as the (now rather rare) 12” single of the title track. ( both of which I still have)The album is an eclectic mix of experimental variations of the title tracks theme, interspersed with little clips & freeze frames of interviews with Grace & of course that famous intro by Ian McShane (in full length & full echo)The album is incredible! Listened to either through decent speakers or- for the ultimate ear candy head trip- decent head phones!You have Grace’s amazing voice & presence coupled with some truly stellar musicianship by a group of top notch players & then to nail the lid on fully you have Trevor Horn's masterful engineering & trade mark 80’s sound. Trevor toys with Stereo separation here like no other & this album demonstrates well how engineers in the 80's really did pull out all the stops to make the most of this exciting new format...Compact Disc.When I Saw this limited edition re mastered CD I was -at first- skeptical that the original album could be improved upon-especially so of my 12” single of the title song. If the vinyl virgins among you are not aware 12” singles always gave the most incredible sound, often better than the 33RPM album due to them having more groove space for the same amount of music.When the CD arrived however my skepticism was soon shelved as this re master is simply breath taking!Sadly it is aesthetically a bit of a let down as I was expecting a gatefold cardboard cover, perhaps with a booklet even.That aside the disc itself is interesting as like other reviewers have said the disc is mirror black (even the data side) like an old PS one game with the label side engraved with ‘fake’ vinyl grooves & a ‘to scale’ vinyl label.At first I wondered if it would actually play but play it does & it certainly does what it says on the tin!The depth & extension of the sound is like nothing I have heard! My old KEF floor standers are almost at their limit reproducing the lower bass floor of some parts of the album.In headphones it is just as good & to close I will say those that think the CD is dead & buried & replaced by MP3’s really need to hear this!A better gatefold sleeve & booklet/liner notes would have made this a perfect buy but because of the sound it still gets 5 stars from me!

This beautifully presented and stunningly remastered CD replicates the original LP vinyl and then goes even further with stunning ear-popping sound. Arguably the greatest pop album (of a decade that produced some of the best pop music ever) Slave To The Rhythm is a unique sonic onslaught: original, beautiful, funny, sensuous and deliciously camp. Never has Trevor Horn's production so alive and eclectic as it does here; no space is left unoccupied and yet there is a rawness to the soundscape. The universe of Slave is occupied by such a myriad exotic sounds, percussion, strings and voice... listening to Slave is something akin to exploring am uncharted dense jungle populated by unique exotic creatures. There is a real sense that this is performer and producer reaching for something far greater than their art form can ordinarily attain. The resulting album is as close to serious Art as pop can get. This remastering brings such a new clarity to this, the perfect pop album. Slave To The Rhythm truly has never sounded better.

The full album at last and about time ! Odd that ZTT has not re-released this as a remastered package as they have done with their other greats such as Propaganda. Firstly I must say this album still sounds absolutely great and the high definition remastering is simply superb. Listen to it as I have just done with the volume right up through a decent pair of speakers or headphones and its simply great. As for the album itself, I originally bought it on vinyl back when it came out and looking back on it now, it was very ahead of its time. Its as much a conceptual musical project about Grace Jones with her contributing as opposed to an album specifically by her. I am and always have been a huge Grace Jones fan and this sounds just as cool and relevant today as it ever did. Even if you have the dreadful edited Island Masters release of this album you have to buy this version just for the fact that it is the full version and the sound quality is brilliant. Ladies and Gentlemen: its worth every penny !

This is seriously one of the best remastering's i have heard for years. The sound that comes roaring out to you is crisp, sharp and perfectly clear. The original album was always a joy to behold, This release just adds to the perfection (if thats possible) . The butchered earlier release on CD of Slave to the Rhythm meant that a lot of people have never heard this piece how it was meant to be heard and so this 2015 remaster brings it back just as it was meant to be heard. Absolute perfection that any serious music collector should own.

This is the complete version, exactly as it was originally released on vinyl back in `85. The sound is superb and reveals details which were totally lost on previous cd versions. The whole 'Slave To The Rhythm' musical-biography-concept was so far ahead of it's time that, thirty years on, it is STILL ahead of it's time. There will never be another album like this.Also, I was fortunate enough to be sent a review copy of Grace's upcoming autobiography, 'I'll Never Write My Memoirs' - it is FABULOUS! Grace tells her story with warmth and humour, and her insight into her place in today's sterile music industry is as razor-sharp as her cheekbones, though never bitchy.

Didn't realise it was a very limited edition disc so was pleasantly surprised.Disc is like a vinyl record and completely black.Didnt think it would play! what a surprise it plays.Never seen a disc like this before.Any way it sounds brill and I'm well pleased.Well remastered and a typical Trevor Horn production .He could make smurfs sound good.....lol.

I still own the previous release on cd. For the longest time I was unaware that it wasn't the original version of this record. Apparently it had been heavily edited when transferred from the original vinyl. The sound on this record is absolutely amazing. Well worth buying again.