Pirates [CD]

Indeed, Jones was nominated for a clutch of Grammy Awards, and at the 1980 ceremony picked up Best New Artist. However, she would not be pushed into making a rushed follow-up.

Instead, she took more than two years to deliver PIRATES, her second album. But the wait was more than worth it, and when it appeared in the summer of 1981, it was a breath of fresh air when the hits of the day came from post-punk rebels, New Wave pretenders and the invasion of the New Romantics.

PIRATES is undoubtedly one of the essential Rickie Lee Jones albums, if not THE essential Jones album. It appears to be short, with only eight songs, but they all act almost as musical suites. The work is not easily accessible like her sultry jazz-pop debut, but she sounds so confident and professional you are sure to be entranced.

Her vocals are obviously an acquired taste, and when she launches into unstoppable Beat rap on "We Belong Together" or the squeals of "Traces of the Western Slopes," it can be a little disconcerting on first listen.

But as you play PIRATES more and more, its magic works on you and it is truly a classic album to have in your collection (see the five-star Rolling Stone review). Jones uses piano here more than on her debut, as on the beautiful "We Belong Together," which changes pace from waltz to bopping jazz funk in an instant.

She reprises the mellow, subdued sound of "Company" and "After Hours" (from her debut) on "The Returns" (strikingly similar to "After Hours"), and "Skeletons" is a simply heartbreaking tale of murder for mistaken identity.

"A Lucky Guy" is probably the easiest composition to take, with its recurring drowsy piano line and slow, slurry melody (indeed, it was the album's only mainstream hit single). "Pirates (So Long Lonely Avenue)" is also a brilliant tune, changing from funky bebop to slow singer/songwriter ode and back again, and the epic eight-minute "Traces of the Western Slopes" displays her talent at long musical suites with plenty of tempo changes and shifts in mood.

The real standout here, however, is "Living it Up," quite possibly the finest tune of her entire career. It has as many tempo changes as you can think of, but the multiple hooks and forlorn piano melodies are beguiling, and it is one of Rickie's best vocal performances.

A lot of the tempo changes here owe a lot to Laura Nyro, an artist Rickie herself acknowledges as a favourite, but the daring compositional skills Rickie employs here are all her own. PIRATES is one of the most individual and rewarding records of all time, and you can never tire of its dazzling storytelling vibe and dark imagery. It is simply a masterpiece, and deserves to be on those fabled '100 Greatest Albums of All Time' lists. It established Rickie Lee Jones as a formidable artist, and she continues to be one of the most visionary composers of our time.