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Grace Jones at 60: The ultimate hot chocolate

the linster

Last month, AfterEllen.com’s Trish Bendix gave us the very good news that the new Grace Jones album was on its way. On this side of the world, the wait will be a bit longer than we’d like; the U.S. release date for Hurricane is now “sometime in 2009.”

Hurricane is Jones’ first album in 19 years and early reviews from its positive. Based on sound samples posted on The Independent site, I have to agree with the BBC: “Her Royal Graceness is back.”

The icon Grace always has been as important to Jones as the musician Grace. For Hurricane’s artwork, Jones and art director Tom Hingston wanted to communicate the idea that Jones maintains as much control over her image as she does her art.

“The original idea was to produce a set of images of Grace being mass-produced but with her being in control of the actual process,” says Hingston. “The crux of the idea is that she has ownership of her identity. We looked at a range of manufacturing processes, from car makers to pottery factories, but there was something about her being made of chocolate that had [the right] connotations.”

The chocolatiers at Thorntons chocolate factory in Derbyshire, where the photo shoot took place, suggested casting molds for each body part and actually creating life-size chocolate versions of Jones. She was all for it.

If you’ve ever been to one of those woman-power mask-making ceremonies, you know that the casting process is not for the claustrophobic. You have to sit still for 20 minutes, completely encased except for two small nostril holes, to let the mold set. Jones took it all in stride.

The resulting plastic mold was covered with chocolate, and voilà! Grace Jones chocolate heads, Grace Jones chocolate arms, Grace Jones chocolate legs. Mmm.

What happened to all that chocolate? Most of the parts used in the shoot were inedible, sprayed with chemicals to make them glossy in the photos. Those were passed out to the crew and factory reps as souvenirs. Boy, what I wouldn’t do for a Grace Jones leg lamp.

Grace herself got an edible version of her head. No word on how she liked it.

Are you looking forward to Hurricane? If you’ve heard it, give us your review. Would you eat a chocolate version of yourself?

the linster's blog

Submitted by

the linster

on December 18, 2008 - 10:00am.

TAGS ::

grace is a wilding out mf

Submitted by

versus (36 posts)

on December 18, 2008 - 12:15pm.

grace is a wilding out mf and thats what i like about her im sure her music will be fresh to def... but this is creepy i mean the grace jones Bust is cool but savered arms legs is a bit much.

Really?

Submitted by

writerchick (28 posts)

on December 18, 2008 - 12:53pm.

I think it's pretty great. I didn't even think about it looking like severed arms & legs.

Go, Grace. I hope I'm that wild at 60.

Grace Jones

Submitted by

Melissa Hsu (not verified)

on December 18, 2008 - 1:10pm.

Grace Jones in the second picture..WOW. It is like she hasn't aged much! You go, Grace Jones.

Grace Jones is 60

Submitted by

.★.Matt The Roc... (2393 posts)

on December 18, 2008 - 1:32pm.

damn she sure as heck does not look like it. she is fine wow. amazing.

Lady Vols #1

Review of Hurricane

Submitted by

Rain (198 posts)

on December 18, 2008 - 2:09pm.

I have this album. (I am in Europe.)

I was eagerly awaiting it as I have been a fan of Grace Jones for twenty five years. (I am in my mid-thirties.) Grace Jones has not really released a New Album in twenty years...

I have seen Grace Jones perform live, and she is what you would expect. Wild, outrageous, otherworldly, larger than life, awe inspiring. She is also extremely talented and makes no effort whatsoever to cover her breasts up, or conversely keep them covered. At the concert I saw her at, she even offered her derriere for the audience to spank, which they did.

But, back to Hurricane.

The album is Miss Grace Jones. But, it is also very new. It pays superb homage to the talent that she possesses, has updated her music to fir into our current decade, yet has not in my opinion, abandoned her iconic style.

The song list is as follows: (for the European release in any case)

1) This Is Life
2) William's Blood
3) Corporate Cannibal
4) I'm Crying (Mother's Tears)
5) Well Well Well
6) Hurricane
7) Love You To Life
8) Sunset Sunrise
9) Devil In My Life

This Is Life, is something that could become and probably is a dance hit already. The best description I can come up with, is like anticipating a kiss from someone you really want to kiss. The intro to the song is the steps leading up to that, and then the song bursts into a tempo that is both languid, yet pounding.

William's Blood, is a softer, more lyrical song. It tells a story, set to music. Though one could argue that all songs tells stories, this one is actually a story. It talks about history, family, expectation, sin, salvation. All set to the style that is very Grace Jones. It also hops about in variety when it comes to musical style, slower, faster, more intense almost angry, softer, gentler.

Corporate Cannibal, is chilling, intense, wonderful, scary. Delightful. The lyrics are wildly clever. Grace Jones' voice is layered in the song, and the music would fit into a vampire story, or into some intense movie moment where someone is being ruined by someone else. Especially if that ruin is of a more financial/status in its type.

I'm Crying, is a sad, touching song, but also a very sweet and wonderful song. It tells a story like William's Blood. I might venture to say that it could be considered autobiographical, except I don't know enough about Grace Jones to be able to say if this is a moment in her childhood, or is she describing being a mother to her own child. Gotta love a mysterious person. In my opinion, this song showcases Grace Jones' voice.

Well Well Well, reminds me beautifully of Grace Jones' earlier work. Nuff said! :)

Hurricane, the title track. Is deeply interesting. A slow start, in which a triumphant Grace conquers the world with her declarations. Then, the song proceeds to destroy everything that it created up to that point. Wonderful.

Love You To Life, is again more reminiscent of Grace Jones' earlier work, without actually repeating itself. Just great!

Sunset Sunrise, is telling a story... more of a narrative than anything else.. it seems to me that this song is a call for peace in the world, also for unity, grace, and perhaps even save the whales. It could be a very cool anthem for any noble cause... Uniquely Grace Jones, but very global in its calling.

Devil In My Life, is chilling. Smooth. A possession of the senses. The music, the way Grace uses her voice. The story being told. A seduction of the listener.

Anyway, there we go. I would say that this album is worth owning even if you are not a die hard Grace Jones fan, it is a more modern version of her style, and if mainstream music put you into a coma, this will wake you up from it.

If you are a Grace Jones Fan, run, run and get this. Now!

As bi/lesbian/gay/etc. people, Grace Jones is the sort of person who is very cool. She loves people, not genders, and is unafraid to be who she is. She has according to various sources, had lovers of both genders...