Hail to The Queen!5 out Of 5 Stars
What started life as a vanity project for members of Heaven 17 ultimately became one of the best albums of the decade and a total rebirth for Tina Turner's career. I remember reading in Rolling Stone that, just as this album was being released, Tina was lowered to playing private shows for the likes of business conventions. "Private Dancer" changed all that, and ushered in a new style for soul singers that everyone else promptly adopted.
First off, the production was MTV slick. You'll hear just how pristine that sound was in the hits "What's Love Got To Do With It" and "Better Be Good To Me." Then came the superstar cameos, like Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits writing specifically for Tina and then the incendiary Jeff Beck guitar solo on the title track. A few choice covers, like the soulful renditions of The Beatles' "Help," a powerful version of David Bowie's "1984," the resurrection of Ann Peebles' chestnut "I Can't Stand The Rain," and the single that kicked off the album's ascent, Al Green's "Let's Stay Together." Despite all the sidekicks, "Private Dancer" is Tina Turner's show. All the slick production in the world couldn't mask the world-toughened power of her voice, be it the powerful kick on "I Might Have Been Queen" to the wearied wounded-ness of the title song.
Every song on "Private Dancer" could have been a hit. As it was, five of them charted, with three top tens and "What's Love Got to Do With It" hitting number one. It remains a thoroughly enjoyable album after many years, and still a stunning example of a talent that just couldn't be kept down. "Private Dancer" is, simply stated, the absolute best of Tina Turner's solo albums.
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