Private Dancer

Albummet lavpunkt var helt klart fru Turners version af Help! Det er en klar kandidat til titlen som verdens værste covernummer. Resten af pladen var indsmurt i 80er synth, saxofon og elektroniske trommer.

Pour la voix, OK, sinon le reste c’est de la bouille 80’s insupportable, le seul point positif étant que le solo de saxo nous est épargné jusqu’au 5ème titre. “What’s love got to do with it” est évidemment sympa, la chanson titre est écoutable mais l’ensemble est quand même trop moche, comme cette reprise de “I can't stand the rain”, alors que l’original est largement dispensable, contrairement à d’autres titres qui ne méritaient pas un tel traitement (“Let’s Stay Together”, “Help”). C’est largement sanctionnable.

Sorry Tina, this just isn't my vibe.

I'm not really a fan of diva music and love ballads. What's Love Got to do with it is a classic, I guess. And at least some of these songs aren't just weepy love ballads. That being said, I didn't find most of the songs compelling really, on any level. 2/5

"Whats Love Got to Do with It" definitely is the best song on the album. The rest? Not so much. Still good but I started to get bored listening to it halfway through.

I like that she covered Help and Lets Stay Together.

The eighties mon(IBV)

I never particularly liked Tina Turner, specifically because I don’t like her voice very much, don’t get me wrong she very clearly can sing and can sing very well it’s just not a voice I like. This album is was fine. Most of it was somewhat forgettable except for three songs. “What’s Love Got To Do With It” is obviously a good song, I enjoyed it quite a lot. “1984” it was decent but at least memorable. And finally “Help!” a cover of the 1965 song by The Beatles. This cover was bad, like really bad, I’m sorry but turning a 60s classic into an 80s pop ballad is never a good idea, but her delivery on the lines, the 80s production, everything about this was “not good” as the French say.

I love Tina, but this album is weak. Private Dancer gets stuck in my head all the time, but it's not a good song. Same with What's Love Got To Do With It. The covers are okay (I Can't Stand the Rain and Let's Stay Together), but I'd still rather hear the originals. Eh.

Best songs were the originals. She over sang and overplayed the covers. But you can clearly see why she's an icon. The voice is incredible and to become an icon at 45 years old at a time when older women were not in the cultural zeitgeist shows the power and appeal she had. However it's just not for me...

Tina Turner simply isn’t for me, and this album leans just a bit too far into the mainstream for my taste. Technically, Tina has a fantastic voice, no doubt about that, but I’m clearly not her target audience. The songs feel polished and radio-friendly, but without really grabbing me. 2/5

I remember Tina Turner appearing on The Tube on Channel 4 before then release of this album. She sang Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" and it was excellent. It is on this album and it, along with the title track and "What's Love Got to Do With It", are the tracks with which I am familiar. The album opens with that typical '80s, heavily chorused and processed guitar sound, which I really don't like but it fades into the background behind Tina's really impressive voice. It's not bad. I have never really liked "What's Love Got to Do With It" - not a bad song but the keyboard sounds are right out of "Africa" by Toto and, again, the production does nothing for me. The vocal on "I Can't Stand the Rain" is excellent too, the backing not so much, although it is a little bit more subdued. Ann Peebles's original is much better, as is Lowell George's cover, and I would reach for either of those before playing this again. The title track is written by Mark Knopfler, has Jeff Beck on guitar solo and Mel Galley on sax. It's not bad but still manages to be slightly less than the sum of its parts, Beck in particular phoning it in. "Let's Stay Together" proves that you can't replace Al Jackson Jr with a drum machine nor the Memphis Horns with a Fairlight. "Steel Claw" is '80s rock and marginally better than '80s pop/soul although not the best Paul Brady song I have ever heard. Tina takes the Beatles' "Help" as a slow ballad (she may have done this on the Tube as well) and it's not terrible, in fact it is one of the better tracks on the album, at least until the cheesy saxophone solo, but it's not as good as the slow version Deep Purple did on their first album in 1968. The less said about the cover of Bowies's "1984" the better! Tina Turner's voice is strong throughout but not best served by the '80s production. There again, it relaunched her career and sold by the millions so what do I know....?

Horribly in you face.

I tried Tina

Her voice is incredible but I really can’t get into the music, feels dated and quite grating to me.

classic but long and repetitive🫨 highlights: Let’s Stay Together, Ball of Confusion, Let’s Pretend We’re Married

This one hurt me. Tina Turner has got one of the most memorable, recognizable and emotionally charged voices of the time. I love her singing. Yet, I hate your typical 80s sound. Private dancer combines those two, and even has a cute cat on the cover, yet the good doesn't win here. I'm sorry, Tina.

Well there’s no doubt about it that she’s crazy crazy influential But this album was just not representative of this. Apart from the fact it felt like she was doing what the people wanted, there wasn’t really any part I was interested wowed by. Disappointed, honestly.

Everything about this is exactly how I remember the year 1984. Great for Tina that this album was made without Ike and a massive hit for her [it really was everywhere that year, or so i peripherally recall between my ~2821 spins of the new Van Halen record] but the music and glossy emotionless production completely overshadow her great voice (best heard in live setting or earlier bluesy hits). The album is a perfect encapsulation of 80s "product" in nearly every way - related: she had no songwriting credits on any song. At best it was somewhat nostalgic to hear these songs again but yeah once in 30 years (wait, 40? fuuuuuuuuuucccc....) is more than enough - it's "professional" in every way and also just as soulless, perhaps ironically. I'm not sure this is really a 1001-worthy record outside the huge publicity it gained. n.b. the nostalgia wears off pretty quickly and the last 2 covers are absolute horrors (Help, 1984). 4/10 2 stars.

The best hair of anyone who was alive in the 80's. Great singer too. The album as a whole isn't great but what's love got to do with it is one of the classic R&B / pop singles of all time.

The title track and what's love for to do with it are amazing but the rest was unremarkable

Meh. Never was a fan and it's extremely dated.

I liked the two big hits … surprised by the number of covers in the rest. Didn’t love it.

Not my jam but I do like What's Love Got to do with It, as everyone does. 2.5/5 stars.

Im not the only one who hates the production here, right? Tina is great though.

This was a hard listen… I totally respect Tina Turner and her career, but this is so 80’s in the wrong way. There is so much amazing music from the 80’s, but this type rubs me the wrong way. The hits were overplayed in my childhood to the point where I never want to listen to them again “I can’t stand the rain” is pretty great, but I’ve heard better versions though. Let’s stay together is almost good, but it turns into that damn 80’s sauce that I really don’t like, and Help is just awkward

Tina Turner has five-star talent, but I only have two stars’ worth of interest in this dated album.

A few bangers and I really respect Tina and love her voice. However there is way too much 1989s randomness and doing too much with weird covers mixed in to boot. Best to just replay the few hits

2 1/2 June 1 2025 2 1/2 stars Does not stand up to the test of time. I still live I Can’t Stand the Rain. The guys from Heaven 17 sang backup. I recognized their voices. Bad covers of Help and 1984

Oh my god this 80s production

Tina is an all-time great, but this is some arid and soulless 1980s synthesized slop. Gets an extra star because, even though Simply the Best isn't actually on this album, it was very funny how mad Rangers were when Celtic started singing it at Ibrox.

Meh, Didn't Vibe

2- Stars (4/15)

5/10

Fav: Private Dancer Least Fav: Better Be Good To Me Her voice is really good, but that 80s production will never sound good to me, it ruins some of the songs

Artiste connue par la BO de Mad Max 3. J'avais par ailleurs entendu 'What's Love Got to Do with It'. Dans les 2 cas je n'avais pas vraiment apprécié. Cet album ne me réconciliera pas avec TT. J'aime assez sa façon de chanter, son énergie, mais le reste ne suit pas. L'accompagnement a très mal vieilli: sons de synthé (affreux dans 'I Can't Stand the Rain', la version d'Eruption était nettement plus réussie), programmation de batterie, interventions de sax terriblement ratées dans 'Let's Stay Together' ... Je ne l'écouterais pas une seconde fois. =>2/5

Not a big fan of the production of this album. It sounds like 1985 and that’s not a good thing. No issues with Tina, just producing and the song choices to a degree also.

Meh

The main singles are still ok, but the cover of Help! is abysmal

No for me

Painfully 80’s and not in a good way.

Look, Aunty Tina is a legend. But, nobody NEEDS to hear her 5th studio album. Cheers.

Incredible voice, terrible production. Why do 80s instrumentals always sound so bad???

She has a pretty good voice, but every song on this album is so basic and uninteresting. This the stuff you hear on your car radio. Sure, the music is playing, but you only occasionally remember that it's there just because nothing catches your ear. And the entirety of this album is that. Although I don't think it's bad, I don't really see a reason to go out of my way to listen to this. The title track is pretty nice, though. 5/10

I like Tina Turner, nothing but respect for my Acid Queen/Aunty Entity, but this music just doesn’t do anything for me — very 80s, but not in ways that the 80s sound has held up.

I can get behind a Tina Turner album that is brash and in your face, but this isn’t. The bland, tepid music is really holding the vocals back. A few decent songs, but overall quite poor.

There are two great things about this album: "What's Love Got to Do with It" and Tina's powerful and emotional voice. Everything else is pretty bad, honestly. No other songs are overtly interesting or fun. The music itself is incredibly 80s to a fault, and Tina can't go all-out for the entire album, or even those moments would lose their power, so there's lots of times where her vocals are special, just good. Favorite Song(s): What's Love Got to Do with It

Bloated 80s album. Better Be Good to Me and Steel Claw were OK.

Rating system: 5 - transformative or ground breaking. Maybe a lifelong favorite. 4 - compelling enough that I want to return to it. 3 - has some quality but maybe just not for me. Or maybe it’s uneven. Or maybe it’s not that good but I’m in a generous mood. 2 - 80s mainstream pop 1 - that album where it sounds like Hitler is screaming at you, and anything else musically or ethically unlistenable.

DNF. 80s music triggers my fight or flight response.

Much respect to Tina Turner for her incredible voice and for the strength to get through what she endured because of her shitheel husband, but the music/production on this record is 1000% not for me.

Many people here are not fond of this production, and I completely agree. This production is a true child from the 1980s, which certainly contributed to its success at the time and helped Tina Turner make a well-deserved comeback. Unfortunately, the overall feel and sound are very artificial and plastic. The heavy use of overly polished synthesizers, drum machines, and gated reverb on drums gives parts of the album a cold sound that strips the songs of any emotion. The exceptions are the two tracks produced by John Carter: "Private Dancer" and "Steel Claw." Carter's work on these songs shows much more rawness and emotional depth, which stands in stark contrast to the synthetic 1980s pop production found elsewhere on the album. This really allows Tina's voice to shine through. Interestingly, this is one of the first times an 'Anniversary Edition' truly adds value. In this case, it includes a substantial number of bonus tracks produced by Carter that have a much more organic and soulful feel. I would recommend everyone check out the 30th Anniversary Edition.

All filla

I was hoping to really like this, but as I was listening I kept realizing that I'd have to rate it low. And I felt bad about it, cuz she's an icon. But the 80s production is too bad to overcome. When I got to the Help cover I didn't feel bad anymore. That was hot garbage!

meh 2/5

This album is solid overall, with standout tracks like What's Love Got to Do with It and Private Dancer, which showcase some truly memorable pop moments. These big hits are undeniably catchy and demonstrate Tina Turner's incredible vocal talent. However, the rest of the album feels a bit lackluster and doesn't quite live up to the strength of those iconic songs. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, with some tracks feeling forgettable or uninspired. Favorite Songs: What's Love Got to Do with It and Private Dancer Least Favorite: Help – I wasn’t fond of the cover version at all. It didn’t capture the energy I expected. Album Artwork: I really like the album cover—it’s stylish, and the cat adds a cool, quirky touch!

Maso

It has a bunch of pretty solid songs. It is a nice sounding, rocking, and funky album but not that interesting for me.

Iconic singer / voice overtop of pure 80s cheese.

I'm sorry Tina Read a lot about her online now but the album was just not something I would be eager to go back to

didn't care for it, not my thing, it's fine, etc.

Tina Turner is great singer, but this album didn't left me wanting to hear it again.

doesn't get much more 80s than this. we should all aspire to be tiny turner at age 45.

This is that 80's sound.. That one great pussy on the cover! It's kind of fun to end the album by just repeating the year this album was released in.. 198-fooooouuurr. Loads of great songs, covers and stuff; felt a bit too frontloaded.

As 80s as it gets. Not the biggest fan of Tina.

No Goldeneye? No The Best? No party.

3 Sterne

It feels disrespectful to say this album isn’t good, but it isn’t good. That doesn’t mean Tina Turner is talentless. Her powerful voice might be this album’s saving grace. But man, these songs…whether it’s the thin ‘80s instrumentation, the disparate stylistic hodgepodge of rock, soul, and pop that never gels together to sound like you’re listening to a song, or the horrendous covers that insist on taking a new sonic approach that no one needed, asked for, or wanted…this whole thing is a mess. It’s best moments are “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” a pretty good song that is certainly more dated than Boomer radio would have you believe, and the title track, which is not only a successful showcase of Turner’s vocal talents, but a song that fits her vocal tone a million times better than anything else on here. There’s also a few other songs that could’ve been contenders: “Steel Claw” if it wasn’t so sloppy, and “I Can’t Stand the Rain,” if it’s instruments were less ‘80s, and not one but two better versions didn’t exist. Private Dancer is a great example of how just because an artist deserves multiple spots on 1001 Songs to Listen to Before You Die, and more than one of those spots might come from one album, that doesn’t mean said album belongs on 1001 Albums to Listen to Before You Die. To be honest, I’m shocked how rarely this feels like the case, but damn, this might be the most obvious case I’ve come across so far.

Not for me

The sound of 1984. Great re-invention of a wonderful singer - she sings especially well on this, but the music sounds very dated

The woman can sing, but what in the Saved By The Bell are these instrumentals? It’s been interesting how some of these albums hold up and feel literally timeless. This one…does not. But “I Can’t Stand the Rain” is an absolute 11/10 banger.

Tina Turner has such a distinct sound of the time. Good singer and composition. Makes sense to be on the list. Easy to hear but don't think I'd ever really hunt it out.

Not great.

Opener Soul Survivor sounds like Talking Heads. It does. I don't really need to hear What's love got to do with it again. Listening to it on decent speakers somehow it seems less powerful than it did on the radio in my mum's kitchen. I just thank god Simply the Best isn't here. Hmm, oh ok, so they just wrote 2 smash hits and banged out a load of covers and called it an album. That's how you print money in the 80s I guess. I can't stand the rain is a great track but the Ann Peebles version is untouchable really. Missy Elliott one was also great, this less so. Same with Let's Stay Together, didn't need covering and making worse. Just listen to Al Green. Why would you pass up an opportunity to listen to Al Green? I know I didn't. Took a short break after this to stick his version on to remind me how good it was. Sweet jesus the chasm of quality between the two is simply breathtaking when you do that. The only cover here that was worth making is Help, because they do something significantly different with it, that some people may really like even if I don't. The 1984 one is kind of Ok, sounds very Heaven 17. I go look at the credits and oh look! There's Martyn Ware. Well done, me. Although it's not exactly a difficult spot. All of that said, this was by no means as annoying as I was expecting, and it goes without saying she's a fabulous singer. Not my bag though. I feel sad that her talent isn't better represented here. Well done Tina, congratulations, you rocked.

Poor Tina, she’s tried quite hard here, but even a lady of her talents can’t polish a turd. To repeat previous variations on the topic. WTF HAPPENED IN THE 80s!?!? It’s like in large swathes they gave up on musicianship. Shit synths, basic guitars and whatever drums happens to go along. This music is just incredibly generic and bland, and sounds like some random Weds night bog standard bar band are backing. Tina’s got a great voice, but even in these songs she seems a bit nasal and restrained compared to the stuff she used to really let rip on in earlier years. Other than ‘I can’t stand the rain’, there was nothing on here I vaguely enjoyed. Obviously the sales figures say the contrary, but the 80s can generally do one.

Y this 80s cheese when there is so much better from b4?

Well that was the most eighties thing I've listened to in a long while, and it has all the associated problems with that - heavy on the synth that doesn't match the song, never quite giving the singer room to breathe, some frankly terrible lyrics that are, in fairness, sang with talent and gusto, and some deeply unnecessary covers of classics! Safe to say, this is a one-listen-and-done for me.

The album Private Dancer is about as stereotypically 80s as it gets and that's fine. I'm not crazy about it, but it doesn't make the album bad in any sense. It is just clearly a product of it's time. Best Songs: What's Love Got to Do with It, Steel Claw Worst Songs: Help, 1984

I like Tina Turner the person. This album - and pop is not my thing - reeks of 80s cheesy production.

Best Song: Steel Claw. I liked the more rock elements here, especially the quick and staccato delivery. Worst Song: When I Was Young. Once again I just tired of what was on offer by this point. Overall: There are a few standout tracks, but mostly I found myself just bored and waiting for it to end. To that end: it's also much longer than it needed to be.

I Can't Stand The Rain (or a variant of it) two nights in a row, with Missy Elliott's yesterday. The cover of Help is pretty hideous; it seems to have been merged with "Do you like Pina Coladas" in a horrible hybrid. The production is extremely eighties; the whole thing is somewhat remedied by Tina Turner's compelling voice.

That voice can pull the most mundane production up into listenability. Pop soul seems self-contradictory. The soft jazz of Private Dancer takes away any edge it might have had and as the album goes on pulls hard against her voice. The rock edge of Better be Good and others works much better and she owns these tunes and her performance of them. Things seem pretty hit and miss throughout. I'm very glad for her career-wise. Just not totally on this album for me.

Huh. I was hoping to like this more. I generally like Tina Turner and I know the story behind this is pretty gripping. But damn, other than two of the hits, this really failed to hit home for me. You Better Be God to Me and What's Love Got to Do with it are great. The material and even the 80s production work with her voice. But the other songs, I really didn't like anything that was going on: songwriting, production, arrangements, or even her singing. The real key to understanding what a miss this project was (for me) was her cover of Let's Stay Together. Like, what was the point of this song? Nothing worked at all. And it bummed me out to not even enjoy her singing because she's such a powerhouse. But more often than not she was powerhousing songs that required subtlety and nuance. I still like Tina Turner, but I won't be returning to this album.

Eh. The generic 80s sound is not for me.

Hyvää laulantaa? Kyllä, kolme tähteä. Kuuntelisinko uudelleen? En, kaksi tähteä.

For better or worse, Tina's best songs came from her Ike & Tina period. Is this really the album we're gonna go with here? It's mostly subpar covers, and poorly aged 80's ballads. A far cry from Nutbush City Limits.

Not a bad album, considering I assumed I wouldn't like this album and I've heard very little of her work outside of "What's Love Got to Do with It". The album has a decent cover of Al Green's Let's Stay Together. Not sure what else to say about it. My fave track is Show Some Respect.

Not really my thing.

Ugh. What a waste of an interesting voice. I don't like the music at all. I understand that others will. It's just not my taste and I found it grating at times. Mary would nit be proud.

I’m not a fan of this one. Firstly, it can’t escape all the 80’s trappings, which make it sound incredibly dated. I really don’t like the idea of ‘vocals above all else’ either, which probably applies to a number of tracks here. Her cover of Let’s Stay Together is probably the perfect example of the fusion of these two things. The original is this incredibly soulful ballad, and here it’s turned into some kind of grotesque parody. She belts the whole thing out and in doing so strips out all depth of feeling from it, and it’s so abundantly worse for it. This may be sacrilegious to some, but I don’t even particularly like her vocals. I much preferred the upbeat campy tracks, that had a bit of flavour of Meatloaf. I had way more fun with those.

Albumi #12, 08.08.2024 Taattua kasarisoundia. Hittibiisit hyviä, muutoin vähän tylsä levy.

Today I learned that I really don’t enjoy Tina Turner.

Since she's clearly not a fan of ending songs and would rather repeat the same 3 lines over and over again why not go further and make the songs literally infinite, so the listener could skip to the next song after deciding they've thoroughly enjoyed it. I would skip rather early then

As others have stated before me: A classic example of 80s production, which I'm the first to say hasn't aged well at all. Although this is still way better done production-wise than Leonard Cohen's I'm Your Man, which is probably the lowest depth the 80s sunk to. His estate should really consider doing a re-recorded version to strip off the 80s shite. Wouldn't be a bad idea for Private Dancer, either. Weirdly, I can't stand the Rain somehow works with just that production. PS: Oh dear, this also contains not one but two butcherings of classic songs by The Beatles and Bowie.

I didn't connect much, but I can see why she's so loved.

very well produced pap

first listen in entirety. not my cup of tea.

Meh

🎧Mad respect for Tina, but this just didn’t click for me. The covers are kind of weak. The 80s rock production sheen sounds dated. Still, I found the title track’s lyrics charmingly dumb/on the nose (“I'm your private dancer / A dancer for money”). Yup, that’s what a private dancer is. Interesting song, Mark Knopfler wrote it. Lastly, What’s Love Got to Do with It is fantastic, probably Tina’s best.

#239. Well, I mean, her voice is great, but these songs just aren't. This is one that probably should have been left alone, because it's simply just not as good as you remember, I promise. 2/5: meh.

What’s Love Got To Do With It // 1.5/5

Classic Tina

I’ve never been a fan of Tina Turner, and this album is too 80s for my taste

Surprisingly not so bad

Some things are best left in the past, this album is one of those things.

Sorry Tina of 1984 - I always preferred you as an Actor in Thunderdome. Not as this singer with a strident voice and ample wig. Sorry.

Both bland and grating somehow , couldn't finish it

Very one track, same sounding throughout

It pains me to give this such a low rating to Tina Turner. The awful 80's production is unbearable on this album. Plus some of the covers are just so bad, Let's Stay Together especially.

I never realized this was such a terrible record. And that Mark Knopfler and David Bowie each have terrible songs on it. What’s Love Got to Do With It is a pretty ok pop song. I guess it worked for Tina Turner.

I liked "What's Love Got to Do with It", maybe just out of nostalgia. The rest of the album has some heavy production. A weird choices of cover songs as well.

I really wasn't a fan of this album. Maybe one or two listenable songs, but overall not for me at all.

Definitely a one of a kind singer. Too much 80’s for me.

She's simple the best but not for me. Fun and energetic music but not something I would play for myself.

One of the best voices every recorded trapped in '80s purgatory.

Yeah just not my thing. I gave it a go. Next please.

"What's Love..." is fun. I don't know that there's much else for me here. Obviously her voice is amazing. But the production is a little sad. I like “Better Be Good to Me.” And "Steel Claw" is some surprising fun. Same with "I Wrote a Letter;" those songs absolutely rock. Do not need this Beatles cover. The Al Green cover is better but not much. No thanks to the Bowie cover. But the live collaboration with Bowie is a cool add. Okay this track listing for the 30th Anniversary edition is all screwed up. Not only bonus songs, but they've changed the order of songs. Why would they do that? The actual album in question though is mediocre. Even "What's Love," isn't good enough a single to breathe some much needed life into things here. There are eye-popping names in the credits, but I do hear production value to match. 2/5.

Meh. For me, it's an okay album by a great singer, ruined by "the 80s".

Tina Turner is a legend. I just don’t particularly like her music.

Holy shit these music videos have an inconsistent frame rate and it's bothering me a lot.

I wanted to like this more, and Tina Turner is a force, but the rest of it really left me flat.

She just keeps repeating the same phrase over and over in each song. No love for this album.

Spotify gave me the extended remastered version. I had to stop at track 10, the end of the original release. Just not for me this one.

og så har man også fået nok tina turner for i dag. altså fair nok hahah men man er godt nok mættet efter at have hørt det hele 2/5

Well it’s the 80s and not on the good side or the 80s. 2 stars

Another beautiful, iconic voice but I had higher expectations for the album. Some great songs but also some crap 2.5

An undeniably iconic voice that is competing for attention within an over-produced and overly commercial typical 80s pop-rock explosion of sound that will forever be a period piece.

Long boy album. Clearly an 80s album feel. It sounds like someone is just smashing a soundboard with miscellaneous electronic sounds. This album is long. Steel Claw is not my jam...I miss What Does Love Got to do with it... Oh no, what is she doing to the beatles...Help me.. This is painful. So long. It feels like these songs have nothing in common and isn't really a though out album. Makes it even worse. I'm giving it a 2 because she is talented but this was tough to get through.

Something about this album really turns me off. I think it's that type of 80's sound that I hate. I also might be the only person in the world who doesn't really like Tina Turner's voice. Sounds like she's crying the whole time. Does get some emotion behind it at least. Bunch of covers makes me want to listen to the originals. High 2

It pains me to rate a Tina turner record so low but that plastic 80's sound just grates on my ears. Tina has a voice and it's the only redeeming thing about this record. I don't know how someone with so much soul could soldier through the experience of making something that winds up so soulless and not go crazy but, here we are. 2.5 because it's Tina .....

Surely Turner, a dazzling, distinctive vocalist and an artist of pedigree and influence, deserves better material than this awkward, artificial recording? Cobbled together by the A&R man at Capitol, a few covers here, some originals there, the album never feels organic or artist led. Clearly this tapped into something, though, as it was such a huge hit and revived Turner's career. Private Dancer is the highlight - a seriously subversive mainstream chart release - and What's Love... shows what Tina can do; and whilst she doesn't top Ann Peebles on I Can't Stand the Rain, she comes pretty close. But you hope for something more.

Good voice, dorky production/ instrumentation

3/10 - The whole time I just wanted to Tina Turn her off. But its not as bad as some other things. But at least they were kinda interesting.

Sounds super dated and her voice really doesn't do it for me. 4/10

I only liked a literal couple of songs. I think I'm missing some context to better appreciate this album but os to what it is, is not something I enjooyed as a whole.

Very 80s

I was surprised to not enjoy this almost at all

I thought maybe I’d like Tina Turner but her voice is grating to my ears

Not really my jam, I was feeling a disconnect between her really powerful voice and the almost cartoonish tracks. Sometimes they are fine, but then some wild synth line comes in and it felt really out of place in otherwise somber ballady songs.

Fine but nothing to interest me

She’s got a killer voice but man some of the songs are a mess

Must have been good at the time. Like most 1980s albums, it has aged like milk.

She sounds that an estranged aunt that thinks shes good at singing. I am a certified hater, so don't take my opinion too seriously if you like her music. "What's love got to do with it" has a fun 8 bit nintendo music sound to it when she isn't screaming like a walmart denizen scrabbling over the last discounted TV. It's not horrible but I don't like her voice and what she does with it. Wouldn't ever listen to it by my own volition, but I think Kelsey likes a few of these songs.

Bro, I'm straight up not having a good time. I've stopped and started this album like four times and each time it turns out only like 10 minutes have passed. Her voice is very grating at times and really gets to me. I guess this is rock and roll? But also R&B? Bleh What's Love Got To Do With It is very popular and I'm fine with that one. The rest I'll pass on.

Very Average album. I liked it more than I expected, but it was still nothing to call home about. I didn’t dislike any of the songs, but the album definitely felt like it dragged, and the cover of ‘Help!’ is definitely one of the most unusual Beatles covers I’ve ever heard, and not in a good way. Not much else to say 2.5/5

Has not aged particularly well

Amazing voice, but not for me. 2 stars

Sometimes she sounds like she could be in a hair metal band or something. Anyway, much respect for Tina but I don't care for her comeback records.

Pretty dull album for such a powerful voice.

Tina Turner is a legend, but this album is a average 80s pop record.

Painfully 80's. Lots of synth and stale drum machines. Vocals were great, though!

Old people music

Almost got a 3 as it was all so familiar despite being very meh... then i realised it's cause 2/3s of the album was released as singles. Bog average and terrible backing tracks

Not as good when Ike’s not around to beat a tune out of her

Obvious hits on the album, and an important album for her re-emergence as a superstar. But doesn’t really stick with me. Maybe I have memories of the hits saturating the radio. I never knew that Private Dancer was a Mark Knopfler song (seems to feel like it know that I know). I also don’t remember Help! from the album. Looks like it wasn’t on the US release. Not sure in Canada.

This is really not my cup of tea. I’m not saying it’s bad, but just not for me.

Hendes bud på "lets stay together" er sku bare klasse. Resten af albummet har nogle indlysende klassikere og også okay sange. Heraf er "private dancer" nok min favorit. Lidt intetsigende danse album. Fint nok.

Let's get one thing out of the way, Tina Turner was a brilliant, electrifying singer who deserved every ounce of success she got. It's a shame this had the misfortune to come out during an era defined by the most hideous production techniques in history. Her vocals are fire and the songwriting itself is fine but the way it's recorded is just garbage. I wish someone had had the foresight to re-record this before she passed. It's really, really hard to recommend even though she was a genius.

meh

Artist was a talented just not my taste better than some others.

Nothing special in my mind, just old pop music. 2/5

Let’s Stay Together is a disgrace to the Alfa Al Green original. Thanks O’Byron. I have a headache now hearing this.

has soul but felt kind of one note / very of its time

Tina has a great voice but everything else about this album is lacking and a bit dull.

Opening track feels like it’s from a random 80’s movie soundtrack. Very cheesy production. What’s Love definitely much better than most songs... Private Dancer is good too, production holds up and all. Still really boring IMO. I'm excited to hear "Let's Stay Together" since that's one of my favorite songs... interesting lead-in with the synth pads. She's singing well, pretty emotive in parts, I just do not like her voice... ok this sucks. Do not like the Casio-sounding beat here. Gonna need to listen to Al to rinse out this overproduced version out of my ears. This doesn't really hold up. I think this will be my first subjective 2/5, just compared to my other 3s I've done, this is less despite the popularity of a couple tracks, and historical significance. I don't think I'd put this on again, even ironically. I just don't think I like Tina Turner. Good for her though, fuck Ike.

I wanted to like this. I love Tina's voice and she has sung on some of the greatest singles ever released (River Deep and Nutbush, to name two). Sadly, this is less than the sum of its parts. Heaven 17? Check. Bowie, Beatles and Peebles? Check. Sadly, this has been produced to within an inch of its life, killed off, and then not quite revived. I can't get past the slickness, the polishing off of any interesting edge. The title track is interesting as a period piece, I guess, but the album sounds like the Eighties, and not in a good way.

Too slow and dramatic for me

Sure, her voice is fantastic, but the music was kind of bland for me. There's so good songwriting and some rather mediocre one.

If this had more songs like What's Love Got To Do With It? it'd be a much better album. That song is a tour de force from a tour de force, the rest of it isn't up to the same standard and doesn't do her justice.

I wanted to like this more than I did, but it just doesn't really do it for me. Her voice is super powerful, but there's really nothing else to the album than that, the drums are tinny, there's a bit of odd synth and a saxophone every now and then, it's everything that you learnt to hate about the eighties. 2/5.

Tina has a great voice, but these songs weren’t my favourite. They just had nothing to say, no meaning, no interesting instrumentations or melodies either … so like what’s even the point of making an album like this, let alone putting it on a list of 1001 albums to listen to before you die…….. I could have gone a million lifetimes without feeling this was an album missing from my life. Fav tracks: Let’s Stay Together, 1984 Worst track: Private Dancer

You can't deny her talent or her distinction. The Amy Winehouse of the 90s. Not something that I would listen to regularly, but I get the hype.

vuoskymmen... kolme sanaa. yksi kaksi kolme! 80 luvun huumaa... knopfler kirjoitti biisin... private dancer... sooloilee.. noh... annetaan siitä yksi tähti lisää... muuta ei tässä... ei tässä... ei tässä... ole... paska steel claw versio... dave edmunds...legendaa...kuritetaan ja kunnolla... private dancer

Has its moments but not my jam

Could it sound more 80s? It is quite groovy tho. Does get quite repetitive after a while.

I managed to download the 1997 remastered version. Which is longer. Which isn't good. BUT it contains I wrote a letter - clearly, obviously the best track I listened to by a mile. That has what the rest of the album, with it's oh so precise 80s production, is missing. Heart. Grind. Guts. Stuff that makes it more than just carefully placed. I grew up in the 80s and they produced some great music. Some of the time at least. But this just feels like it's being done on a cruise ship by some kind of tribute act. Or it's Opportunity Knocks. Tonight Matthew, I'm going to be Tina Turner. It sounds knocked off. I do get why her voice is important. I do get why the album might be important in terms of her control over it and so on. But I just don't like the way most of it sounds.

This was an okay album. Very 80s, very pop, quite middling in my opinion. There were a couple of more exciting songs but a lot of it was just slow and boring. I'm sure it belongs on the list but I can't say I cared that much. Favourite: I Wrote A Letter

This is a "rock" record in the same way Rod Stewart made "rock" records. To me this is a soul album that is overproduced, overwrought, overthought, and dated. She's giving it her all with the vocal performances but they don't do enough to save this one.

She got a nice voice and yea it some 80s pop which I feel like lately I’ve been writing off the whole genre nothing in it sunder crazy different so I’ll continue to listen and keep lookin for the stuff

Takler ikke 80-tallet, men det var en gjennomført plate

Prime 80s Tina turner. I can see why I this would appeal to the masses, and why in the 80s this would have been huge, but honestly it's just not my style.

Her voice is really impressive, but I just didn’t enjoy the music at all.

⭐️ What’s Love Got To Do With It

There are many enjoyable grandma pop stuff around, this isn't one of them.

Show some resoect is an obvious 'Nutbush city limits' rewrite, poorly done. The album is a triumph of 1980s production over songwriting content. Hopelessly dated. Great voice, terrible productions.

One of the first albums I had as a kid was Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome so my first exposure to Tina Turner was We Don't Need Another Hero (plus she was in the movie). Another memorable Tina moment in my teen years was Nutbush City Limits, also heard many times at my kids' school discos. This album doesn't really grab me with What's Love Got To Do With It being the only stand out.

2.5/5 She has such a powerful voice, it’s truly amazing. Apart from that the album doesn’t cut it for me. Just not my type of music. Favourite song: - Private dancer

Not my style

I love Tina Turner’s work from the 70s. And I respect her career revitalization in the 80s. I really just feel like her vocal style doesn’t work with the slick 80s production. She needed something more raw like funk imo.

too repetitive but stl represent

2.4? It's ok just not my thing.

Not my cup of tea, but it’s OK. 2/5

Larguisimo, mucho relleno, por lo menos en el reissue. Tina tiene muy linda voz pero la produccion no envejecio muy bien, me gustan las canciones un poco mas organicas como Private Dancer y el cover de Help.

Strong 2, doesn't feel like it aged well

Love that 80s vibe but Tina's lack of restraint gets tiring after a while and this is a LONG album

Не считаю это культовым Сори

the music is largely uninteresting 2.5

Starts an ends like an intense 80s film soundtrack loses its way in the middle a bit. Steel Claw the best montage song of the lot, though it's basically a rip off of one section of bat out of hell. Beatles cover was particularly painful. In summary, nah.

A lot of the songs sounded the same as each other. Powerful voice. Didn't enjoy the Let's Stay Together cover, -1 star.

I had heard her famous tracks like "What's Love Got to do with it" but never properly listened to her music. She has a great voice but it's quite a dated album.

Very much the sound of the 80s, but just not that interesting.

2.5 1/2 ⭐️ for Tina's voice. All and all, pretty terrible

alright

Tina is great. The issue I have is that this album was a couple of good songs that were buried in a pile of way overproduced 80's sound. The production values just haven't aged well and I, personally, just can't get over that.

Simply the worst

It was alright. Already knew What’s Love Got To Do With It and Private Dancer, of course. (And the original I Can’t Stand The Rain.) Don’t really like this style of music that much. It’s a bit generic.

Couple of good pop songs, some terrible covers and a rehash of an old cover. Mundane production but an extra star for her fabulous voice. Overall though a very bland offering.

This is all wrong on this list.

Giving it a generous 2 because I liked the synth I Can’t Stand the Rain cover, but the original’s better. Help and Let’s Stay Together sound like cheap knock offs. Wasn’t a fan of any of the original music.

This is where ratings are a bit hard. I get this album is a ‘classic’, I didn’t hate it, but I wouldn’t listen again.

Sounded like an album that every middle class family had in their CD rack. Great voice, but the music lacks any sort of welly. Prime cut: I Can't Stand The Rain

Didn't like it when I was a kid. She's immense, yes, but this was poison to my ears back then

Los van dat ik haar attitude geweldig vind, heb ik verder niks met haar. Erg gedateerde sound en die stem kan ik maar weinig mee.

Tina's great. The rest of the instrumentation and production, not so much.

some classic tunes on there but not likely to bother going back to it

Painfully 80s.

2.5 Favoritas - What's love got to do with it - Let's stay together - Better be good to me - Help!

Just ok. Very 80's sounding. a few good songs.

I didn't like the 90s tones here, sampling seemed pretty cheap on most tracks, including the cover.

kinda mid

Crack is whack kiddos.

It's just not my thing. I really like two songs and that's it. Why is this album so long!

So very 80s. Title track is pretty lame. What's Love Got To Do With It is cool, but the best songs are covers and not as good as the originals - I Can't Stand the Rain & Let's Stay Together

80s cheesy. A few good songs, and of course her voice is great, but that's about it.

This album was weirdly fun, but overall not my favorite. I have heard “What’s Love Got to Do With it” many times before, and always thought it was an okay song. “Show Some Respect” was enjoyable as was “Private Dancer”. For some reason Private Dancer reminded me of Steely Dan, but after doing a little digging I found it is actually originally a Dire Straits song. “I Can’t Stand the Rain” is catchy. Let’s Stay Together was an interesting rendition. I snoozed through the last three songs though if I’m being honest.

It wasn't as bad as I had feared

Very much of its time. And "Private Dancer" written by Mark Knopfler - who knew!??!

bucks fizz x dire straits. bucks straits? dire fizz?

Better than expected

i didnt really vibe with the synth-soul stuff, i feel like it didnt mesh really well which is odd bc i’ve heard synthy-soul-y production on rap tracks before and really liked it — maybe a feature of how old this record is?

I gave it a go.

En ninguna canción sentí que fuera un álbum que mereciera la mención entre 1001 discos. Ya sé que son muchos pero.

I feel like I'm supposed to like this - and her - but I really don't. Her voice is unique and cool, but the music is pure cheese (made cheesier by all the cover songs). I don't care and you can't make me.

Love her voice, album kinda rocks, but idk, too pop forward

What’s love got to do with it is a good song. The rest are not quite so good.

It's interesting that Mark Knopfler wrote the title track but thought it was too girly for Dire Straits. Also interesting that she elected to cover 1984, probably for no reason other than it was 1984! I don't mind the opening track and Steel Claw is a rocker, but they all have that commercial radio 80s sound that I hate. As far as the hits, there were far worse songs on the radio at that time.

She had a tough early life with that douche Ike, but she's a survivor and kudos to her. She was also smart to team up with some pretty slick producers, Rupert Hine and Martyn Ware, who were some of the best in the biz in the 80s and they put out this monster album full of poppy hooks and covers of some fan favourites that sold a shit-ton and got lots of air-play so again, good for her. But musically this is really not my jam, too cheezy and AOR for me. I much prefer her material when she was doing R&B and more edgy rock. They didn't call her the Queen of rock and roll back then for nothing. Unfortunately this is smaltz.

I'm sorry Tina. I know that you are talented, but this album is not for me. I've heard at least two of the tracks from this album so many times, that I've had enough of the album as a whole. I have never liked "Private Dancer" on its own, but it is also tied to so many other pop-culture references - I've heard the track more than enough times to last my lifetime. "1984" is the track that I disliked more than "Private Dancer". Rounding down to 2 stars.

There are some great songs on here, some classics. But all in all this whole album feels terribly dated and boggles the mind that this is what catapulted Tina's solo career - that she was performing to world record sized audiences shortly after its release.

2.9 - A mixed bag. The extended guitar solo on "Private Dancer" makes that song extra sensuous. "I Can't Stand the Rain" is a quirky arrangement with cool synthesized effects to capture the sound of rain. On the other hand, the covers add some unimpressive filler to the mix: Tina Turner bashes "Let's Stay Together" with her vocal mallet and "1984" is just bizarre. I can overlook the lame cover of "Help!" since it didn't appear on the original release. Man, and that synthesized harmonica solo on "What's Love Got To Do With It" ruins the whole song for me. Tina Turner is clearly a vocal powerhouse and sexual diva but she made a bunch of tacky decisions here.

Didn't care much for the album. What's Love got to do with it is great, but every other track is forgettable.

From the year of my creation. Looks a bit like the cat lady off the Simpsons had a makeover. Sings other peoples songs well. Outside of the singles fairly unremarkable though. The Beatles cover was a fucking travesty. 2/5

Amazing voice. Original girl power. Backing tracks are distractingly awful. Not for me.

Bog standard 80s AOR couldn't get too excited. A couple of good tunes but it really sounded like Genesis with Phil Collins in.

I can take it or leave it or tie it up in a bag with a brick and throw it off a bridge in a torrential midnight rainstorm.

I am not seeing why this is on the 1001 albums list. The vocals sound similar to little richard, emulating southern preacher singing style. I like this part. The song subject matter is pretty mundane - boy girl relationships. I'm not inclined to relisten to this.

nah ik lige mig

Hey I tried. I got the urge to buzz by this one, told myself thats not what I signed up for. Listening to the first couple of songs I kind of got into it. Thats pretty much where it ended for me. I remembered all the terrible music that was so hallow back in those days, Great voice thats about it.

I dug some songs, but did not dig most

Not my favorite, but had its moments.

Prima album, maar hou er niet enorm van

Not for me

Not my bag

5/10

It's like none more 80's. She's got a hell of a voice but it's dated badly. Just don't ask to see her nutbush city limits. Best Tracks: What's Love Got To Do With It?; I Can't Stand The Rain; Private Dancer

Tina was a force of nature. She had a set of pipes, for sure. But this album is too heavy on the 80's production vibes, and I can't really say I enjoyed it too much.

Top Picks: Show Some Respect and I Can't Stand The Rain. Skipped the second half of this album, kinda got the measure of it after 7 or 8 tracks. Not a bad listen, but not something i'd really seek out myself.

Har väldigt dålig koll på Tina Turner sedan innan, så gick in helt utan förväntningar. Blev varken blown away eller besviken. Ett stabilt popalbum, bra produktion (även om 80-talssoundet som bekant inte åldrats jättebra) och mycket fin sånginsats från Turner. Efter en lyssning var det ändå inte jättemycket som stack ut. Den största höjdpunkten är såklart What's Love Got to Do with It. Fucking hell vad bra den är!!! Annars var Steel Claw bra, rockig och taggig, och covern på Help var fin. Bästa låt: What's Love Got to Do with It.

did not like first songs, did not listen to the rest

I really wanted to like this more than I did

it was okayyyyyy sorry tina you were great in flushed away

I know this is like THE Tina Turner album, but I can't handle it.

Hätte ich mehr von erwartet. Ziemlich langweilige 80er Mainstream-Nummer mit 1,8 Punkten.

Some bangers, had no idea she did What's Love Got To Do With It or Let's Stay Together. But yeh, at the end of the day, it's Tina Turner, its fine but it ain't my jam, sorry Tina 😂 2/5

used to listen to it but tastes have changed over 30 years

I love me some Tina Turner, that smoking hot Buddhist grandma that starred in a Mad Max movie and prowls around the stage like a benevolent lioness. The other day I heard an old Ike and Tina song by chance and I was reminded that the woman is a powerhouse singer with enough energy to light up a small city. But Private Dancer came out in the darkest days of the 80s, with textbook mainstream 80s production. The songs almost don't even matter, and even Tina herself can't redeem this music. I say all that without having listened to a note of the album, because the incessant radio play of her hits from that period is burned into my brain whether I like it or not. Okay, I'm gonna take one for the team and listen to this and report back.Later: Private Dancer is a lousy album, but the picture is far more complex than I first thought. For one thing there are five producing teams, and out of 9 tunes, 4 are covers! Clearly, the goal here was to restart Tina Turner's career and bring her up to date, and the strategy was to throw everything against a wall and hope something stuck. The only thing unifying the album is Tina herself. The Rupert Hine produced tunes are aerobicized, machine tooled arrangements that wouldn't be out of place on a Jane Fonda workout videotape. In their defense, there aren't any horrible synth patches and Hine uses the rockist guitar of Jamie West-Oram to anchor the tunes. Producer Terri Britten distinguishes himself with the mid tempo hit What's Love Got To Do With It, which has a reggae lilt--he also wrote it. He does less well with the Ann Peebles classic, I Can't Stand the Rain. The orchestral hits bring it up to date all right, but we're talking about disgusting 80s production, so that's no accomplishment. Better Be Good To Me and Show Some Respect are indistinguishable in style from Rupert Hine's work. Next up is producers Greg Walsh and Martyn Ware. They desecrate the Al Green standard Let's Stay Together with gated drums, nasty synth breaks, and chickenshit disco guitar. Their other contribution is a totally unnecessary retread of Bowie's 1984, one of his lesser works in any case. The tune features the most egregious and tasteless synths on the album and the most overblown, icky production. Probably the most interesting cover is the Lennon/McCartney standard Help, from the producing team of Joe Sample/Ndugu Chancler/Wilton Felder. Instead of simply updating the tune to 80s standards, they completely rework it, slowing it down and turning into mid-tempo gospel pop, complete with a chorus and a sax solo. It doesn't really work, but points for creativity. The last producer, John Carter, comes up with a minor gem, Private Dancer, written by none other than Mark Knopfler, of Dire Straits fame--respect! It's a good tune to start with, and Carter has the sense not to ruin in with stupid 80s production tricks. It's actually fairly restrained. The other Carter-produced tune is Steel Claw, and we're back to the slick style of Rupert Hine. Sigh. There's a few things I can say about the album overall. Practically every track has gate reverb on the drums to some degree or other, and I hate it a lot. The album is crammed to the gills with synths, both keyboard and percussion. The production is uber-slick and airless for the most part. One good thing is that there are fewer than expected wretched synth patches on the album, which is doubly surprising because there aren't any amazing synth programmers on the album, like Larry Fast, but rather a number of them who I've never heard of, none of whom have particularly impressive technical credits. In the end though, Private Dancer is a tedious album to sit through. For a change, the best songs are the big hits, Private Dancer and What's Love Got To Do With It, but that's not nearly enough to put it over the top.

Weird.

Tina Turner is a fantastic singer and performer, but she depends on songs of others. Private Dancer and What's Love Got to Do with It are good songs written for this album. The cover of I Can't Stand the Rain (Ann Peebles) is ok. The covers of 1984 (David Bowie) and Let's Stay Together (Al Green) are poor. Other songs are filler.

Not bad

kind of an odd choice here.... it was fine, not somethng i really want to listen to though.

Meh, synth and drums

Crud

80sest production massively overplayed soz Tina

Some interesting arrangements for the covers which amply showcase the vocal talents. But something just isn't there. Maybe it is that it sounds of the time or that there were plenty of guest producers.

What I expected. 6.4/10

Американская Алла Пугачева

This was okay. Not my style but it is a good album.

would prob deserve more if it was my kind of music

not my cup of tea didnt really enjoy it at all

I’m excited for the pending 1984! A few too many power ballads for my liking to rate in turn. I Can’t Stand the Rain is best

T_T

just wanted more bangers

Hittibiisit toimii, muuten ei

Eh. It seemed like it was machine sounds in there infancy. Kinda boring.

Show some respect, and few other songs, would bee great track if done at 60s or 70s. This 80s style and arrangement drops stars remarkably.

I get that this is a classic, but there is something about these big hitters of the 80s that sound so forced, to the point of being hard graft. Is it the production, is it the coke? Everything pushing hard to be the biggest gets pretty exhausting. I guess that's also the world's challenge with American culture in general.

Bitiremedim affet allahım

first woman #nooticing wow i had no idea whats love got to do with it was her song let's stay together is kinda nice def not anywhere as messy/noisy as the rest but not at all for me so i have to rate it low soz

This mid eighties production and recording style is very jarring to my taste. The album has a lot of mid covers, mid production, some hits, but really don't understand why this album is essential in any way to experience. Tina is a legend and i'm not familiar with her full discography, but i'm looking forward to listening to something much better than this.

Absolutely awful. Painful, grating, cheesy, overdone. That help cover isn't getting nearly enough hate.

Bailed at Help! I thought I liked Tina Turner, I definitely like what I've seen of her in the late 60's, but this was horrific. Really sounded like a cat being strangled. I watched some documentary about her and was so moved and held her in such high regard but now I'm very confused as to why. The modern documentary are just really good advertisements I guess. I'll chalk it up to a bad album. Still team Tina.

iIdidnt listen, but I like the nutbush so.

Sorry nothing against the album I just hate 80s music

mudpie: “This album was an absolute celebration of all the very worst aspects of 80s music production.” me: “The songs on this album barely exist.” Truly unbearable.

An absolute celebration of all the very worst aspects of 80 music production.

bodishi fexebze mekida

Not my bag

Two days is a row. I really cannot stand 80s pop. No disrespect to Tina but this is such tepid garbage, very tinny beats, not much bass. What's Love cannot save this from what I must do...1/5

Not for me

not really my thing