I was recently going through my collection, just to find something I hadn't heard in a while. I found a couple of things, But I chose to listen to this one. I love Lennox, Annie Lennox to be exact. She has been an innovative force in music for nearly three decades, and continues to grow and give her best as a musical artist. At least those are my own potentially overglossed thoughts, but oh well, we're here to share views on products we like.
For those who don't know, Annie Lennox began her career in 1976, after having studied at The Royal Academy Of Music in her teen years. Herself and bandmate Dave Stweart formed The Catch in 1976, which evolved into The Tourists in 1977, and into Eurythmics in 1980. After their first album In the Garden Flopped in 1981, The Eurythmics forged on and released their sophomore album, Sweet Dreams(are made of this) in 1983 to international acclaim. Bewteen 1983 and 1987 the five albums, also including Touch ,Be Yourself Tonight, Revenge and Savage, were all top 40 hits.
The two of them split up in 1989 after their Revival tour, taking a 10 year hiatus and focusing on solo projects. Diva, was released in 1992 and was Annie Lennox's first solo album, also hitting the top 10 albums. After two more solo albums from Annie, and a few from Stewart, that remained largely hidden from the public consciousness, reformed in 1999 for the Peace album and tour, and in 2005 when they released a more up-to-date best of...with two new tracks, Including I've Got a Life, which recieved a lot of airplay. They also released the repackaging of their eight studio albums and release of their first boxed set.
So, I popped the disc into the ancient Sony walkman CD player of mine(do these still exist? someone let me know, its not and Ipod, or a psp, or whatever.)and listened as the first track, Why, began to play. We are suddenly taken into a melody made of hushed synthesizers, but not cheesy synth, accomanied by a very atomspheric, light piano solo. Annie slips into the song with soft, but precise and strong vocal presence. Oh god, its just as beautiful when I first heard my mom play it. It came out in 1992 so I was five. The music is still very excellent, still hasn't aged on bit. The song ends with Annie repeating "Do you know how I feel? cos I don't think you know." still a true classic.
Oh my word....I forgot about Walking On Broken Glass, lovely track, pianos and upbeat percussion-like instruments all make for an adult-contemporary good time! But seriously, this song is another classic. Since you abandoned me my whole life has crashed, won't you pick the pieces up cause it feels just like im walking on broken glass...next we have Precious, which is my favorite track on this disc, great vocal introduction with the ripping and scat, great trumpet solo mid-track. Definitely a standout.
Legend In My Living Room is track number four. Bare and synthesized prodution with a soulful, gospel feeling. Annie sings "When I was just seventeen, I ran away from home. To be with all the pretty people, to be on my own." Another favorite is up next though, Cold. This slow tempo, ambeient track is paired with an emotional vocal preformance by Ms. Lennox, Nice soulful bridge in the middle of the track. Some of the most beatuiful lyrics I have ever heard in a song. "Cold is the color of crystal, the snowlight, that falls from the heavenly sky, catch me and let me dive under for I want to swim in the pools of your eyes." very nice.
Money Can't Buy It, is another really nice track, slow, melodic, jazzy, with bass and we even find Miss lennox "rapping" in the song:
Now hear this pay attention to me
cause i'm a rich white girl and Its plain to see
I got every kind of thing that the money can buy
let me tell you all about it, let me amplify
I got diamonds you heard about those
I got so many that I cant close my safe
at night, in the dark, lying awake
in a sick dream.....
Awesome. Great! Little Bird is also a good, upbeat track, lots of fun, but not cheesy synths. Annie's vocals are very good, clear, crisp....Primitive is interesting, with an almost middle eastern feel with bongoes, and other unusual percussion. Nice ballad, very unique and timeless still. Stay by Me also a great ballad track, great piano intro, a little on the long side, but still very relaxing.
The Gift is another of my favorites. a simple rhythmic beat and light, but not chessy synthesizers make up the musical backdrop to Annie's emotional performance. Very memorable, excellent.
Lastly, we hadv on the tracklist at number eleven, Keep Young and Beautiful. Hot off the old Victrola, this song has a very noticeable 1920's-30'scabaret atmosphere. Sort of campy, but I like it, I'll admit when I was younger I thought it was really old and Lennox just put it on for fun. But Still, cool, unique.
Final Thoughts? Fifteen years later, Diva holds up really well. I give props to Ms. Lennox on crafting a really good, something for everyone, durable, well produced album. This is what true artistry is all about, and she does it better than anyone here. Honestly if I was a casual listener, I probably wouldn't have imagined it to be this old, not brand new but not over ten. Everyone should have two copies. Also if you are a big fan of the album, There is the Diva album DVD video album, which is also great, but is strangely missing the Little Bird Video. But anyway, Buy all her stuff, You'll always be happy. And Thats advice you can take to the bank...yeah....The Money Bank!
Great Music To Play While:
Taking time out for yourself when you realize you too, are a human being.
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