Jayne County's comeback through the early- to mid-'80s never received the attention it deserved -- or demanded. Indeed, by the time this album finally appeared in 1986, many of the fans who'd hooted through her live shows of two or three years previously had already moved away -- meaning they might never have gotten their hands on one of the finest collections of songs County had ever put her name to. "I Fell in Love with a Russian Soldier" and "The Lady Dye Twist" might have jokey titles -- indeed, the latter had jokey lyrics as well, as County demands a wedding "just like Lady Diana." But both songs are a solid pop master class regardless, a mood that stretches over the remainder of this infuriatingly seldom-seen album. Several of the songs are familiar from past outings -- the live Rock 'n' Roll Resurrection included both "Bad in Bed" and "Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl," but the new versions are at least as powerful as those renditions, and Private Oyster's only real downfall lies in the less than lavish production that is draped across the grooves. An album like this needed a genius at the controls -- Phil Spector or Andrew Loog Oldham should have produced County, or, failing that, Todd Rundgren or Bob Ezrin. Instead -- the record still sounds good. But it should have been better. ~ Dave Thompson, All Music Guide
