It is one of the album's most upbeat songs and one of the few not to feature significant tempo/rhythm changes. "Woody and Dutch on the Slow Train to Peking" (Jones, David Kalish)Ĭo-written with David Kalish, this is a tribute to 1950s R&B icons, with a finger-snapping guitar riff and an in-studio male vocal chorus. Jones' jaunty piano melody is embellished by sweeps of orchestration, lavish vocal harmonies, and tempo changes. One of the last songs recorded for Pirates, "Living It Up" details the lives of a succession of bohemian street characters, with Jones introducing Louie, Eddie, and the down-and-out teenage domestic violence victim Zero. Just like " Chuck E's In Love" from Pirates' predecessor Rickie Lee Jones, "We Belong Together" contains a notable drum break from Steve Gadd. ( January 2018) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)Īll songs written and composed by Rickie Lee Jones, except when noted: Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. This section possibly contains original research. In recent years, Pirates' reputation has grown considerably, with British-based music magazine Word magazine proclaiming it as one of pop music's 25 Most Underrated Albums of All Time in 2005. Time (US), Best of 1981 - "Tales of lovers, losers and wanderers, delivered with a bopster's inflection and the sidling sensuality of a carhop.".Stephen Holden writing in Rolling Stone concluded his review by saying "t's Rickie Lee Jones' voice that carries Pirates to the stars and makes her whole crazy vision not only comprehensible but compulsive, compelling and as welcome as Christmas in July." The Age (Australia), "On Pirates, Rickie Lee Jones executes a brilliant artistic leap which not only outshines her Grammy-winning debut album but establishes her as one of the most important singer/songwriters of the decade.".The album also became a Top 5 US chart success and remained on the UK album charts for three months without the aid of a major hit single. Pirates was well received by most critics, achieving a five-star rating in Rolling Stone, which featured Jones for a second time on the cover of the August 6, 1981, issue.
#RICKIE LEE JONES PIRATES PROFESSIONAL#
The album is more musically ambitious than its predecessor and explores elements of jazz, R&B, bebop, pop and Broadway, with multiple changes in tempo and mood within most songs.Ĭritical reception Professional ratings Review scores Jones started writing the first songs from the album - "Hey Bub" (unreleased until 1983), "We Belong Together" and "Pirates" - in the autumn of 1979.Įlsewhere, the music on Pirates is often cinematic, with influences ranging from Leonard Bernstein to Bruce Springsteen and Laura Nyro. Bernardi, who had been referenced in the lyrics to "Weasel and the White Boys Cool" from her debut, was to become a frequent collaborator with Jones, and they composed the epic eight-minute suite "Traces of the Western Slopes" together. Jones relocated to New York City after her split from Tom Waits and soon set up home with a fellow musician, Sal Bernardi from New Jersey, whom she had met in Venice, California, in the mid-1970s, writing in their apartment in Greenwich Village. Album sessions reconvened in November 1980 and concluded in April 1981, three months before the album release.Īll songs were copyrighted on June 9, 1980, as well as "Hey Bub", which was omitted from the album release, except for "Living It Up" and "Traces of the Western Slopes", copyrighted in July 1981, at the time of the album release. Recording Studios in North Hollywood with five songs, which were recorded and arranged in a two-month spurt in early 1980 before Jones was given an extended break for further writing. Jones came to album sessions at Warner Bros. In the same month, Jones picked up a Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Initial recording for Pirates began in January 1980, with the live recordings for "Skeletons" and "The Returns" from January 30 from these sessions kept on the final album.