Tina Turner, the undisputed Queen of Rock ‘N’ Roll and one of
the most successful female singers of all time, earns her crown with Tina!
an 18-song compilation of hits, live recordings, and a couple of new ones to
let you know she’s still got it. Her time with Ike Turner is pretty much passed
over, with the exception of “River Deep Mountain High,” but on her
own, Tina Turner had no trouble striking gold, as evidenced on Tina!
So how do you follow up a magnificent Phil Spector production like “River
Deep Mountain High”? It took two decades, but Turner defiantly answered
back with her 1984 album Private Dancer, which boasted two
Grammy-winning singles, “Better Be Good To Me” and “What’s
Love Got To Do With It.” Stuffed between these two mega-hits is Turner’s
wild rendition of “The Acid Queen” from the Who’s 1975 film
adaptation of their rock opera Tommy. It’s almost like this one
was strategically placed to proof Turner’s edge hadn’t softened
in lieu of her new-found role as a pop diva.
As the 80s rolled on, so did more hits from Tina Turner. “We Don’t
Know Need Another Hero (Thunderdoom),” another tune (and a hit) from a
movie, was arguably the only bright spot in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome,
a dismal sequel that Turner also starred in. It didn’t seem to hurt her
stock much though; in fact, the song went to Number 2 largely on the strength
of its eerie, futuristic video. Turner continued to churn out more hits into
the 90s. In 1993, she landed inside the Top 10 for the last time in America
with an unlikely hit — “I Don’t Want To Fight” from
the film about her life, What’s Love Got To Do With It.
But wait, there’s more. Live versions of Al Green’s “Let’s
Stay Together” and Robert Palmer’s “Addicted To Love,”
along with a 1993 remake of John Fogerty’s “Proud Mary” (first
tackled by the singer back in 1971) demonstrate an ongoing flair for covering
material and transforming it into something else entirely. “I’m Ready”
and “It Would Be A Crime,” two new songs added for prosperity, may
come off like shallow attempts at presenting Turner as an artist with modern
relevance, but they’re easy and inoffensive enough to carry the disc to
its ultimate conclusion. All while keeping the door open for new music in the
future, whether it’s relevant or not.
~ Shawn Perry
