Some of the songs appeared in edited forms, and a remix of "Love Is the Drug" was included. This version retains the cover picture of the original album, with the only difference being the yellow-coloured background. The cover picture is one of the most famous images of Grace Jones and was created by...
Some of the songs appeared in edited forms, and a remix of "Love Is the Drug" was included. This version retains the cover picture of the original album, with the only difference being the yellow-coloured background. The cover picture is one of the most famous images of Grace Jones and was created by her then-partner Jean-Paul Goude. The picture was originally published in New York magazine in 1978 and subsequently used in the music video for Jones' hit single "La Vie en rose". Also included in the album sleeve are other iconic images of Jones, among them the "twins" photograph, Grace Jones in a cage and wearing a "maternity" dress. The cover picture was featured in Michael Ochs' 1996 book 1000 Record Covers and has been often imitated in works by other artists. Andy Kellman from AllMusic website wrote that the album is a mostly concisive overview of Jones catalog which includes Jones's "'70s collaborations with Tom Moulton and her stellar '80s work with Sly & Robbie." He also wrote that although the album is a "decent introduction for casual fans" it lacks of "crucial material like 'Warm Leatherette' and 'Nipple to the Bottle.'" Music critic Robert Christgau gave the album a B? and felt that a "lot of her best material is simply ignored" in the record. Island Life met with a warm commercial reception worldwide. It was a major success in the UK, reaching number 4 on the UK Albums Chart in December 1985, and New Zealand, where it topped the chart in March 1986, thus becoming the only chart-topper in Jones's entire career. CD sales of the album in the United States since 1991 have reached 112,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan. All tracks produced by Chris Blackwell and Alex Sadkin, except for "La Vie en rose", "I Need a Man" and "Do or Die", produced by Tom Moulton, "Slave to the Rhythm", produced by Trevor Horn with assistance from Stephen Lipson, and "Sex Drive" on Island Life 2, produced by Mark Pistel and Philip Steir. Side B * Sales figures based on certification alone.^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.