NorthernLad said:

Should we go for a Annie/Eury power ranking?

rank the albums, you mean? i'm game. it'll be tough to do, because whatever is in last place will be an album I adore!

NorthernLad said:

Yup. I think there are 12 main ones total to order.

GangstaFam said:

let's do it! separate thread?

NorthernLad said:

Just Eurythmics and Annie solo?

GangstaFam said:

let's do it! separate thread?

@ "The Last Time". I this song!! I think the Revenge album is underrated. Because "The Miracle of Love" rules too.

aiiiiight. Let's do this.

1. Sweet Dreams (are made of this)
2. Savage
3. Touch
4. Revenge
5. 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother)
6. In the Garden
7. Be Yourself Tonight
8. Peace
9. We Two Are One
10. Diva
11. Bare
12. Medusa

This was hard, because I love all 12.

1. Sweet Dreams. Sentimental favorite because it was my first Eurythmics love. But it was more than that... it was the first album that really brought me out from under my parents' wing when it came to music. They had a nice record collection of 60's and 70's rock and my dad was in a band, so there was always music around. But it wasn't until Sweet Dreams that I first realized there was "something else" out there.... I had the 45s of Sweet Dreams and Love is a Stranger, and I loved them and the b-sides. I saved up spare change my dad gave me to buy the album, which I played religiously on a little toy Fisher Price record player my little sister had. And the album has stayed strong. It doesn't sound hideously dated like so many 80's synth-pop albums. The remaster is amazing... it has a deep, rich, timeless sound to it. The whole album is strong, not a weak track on it. I sometimes waffle between Sweet Dreams and Savage at the #1 spot, but ultimately I have to go with Sweet Dreams. It also has my favorite Eurythmics track: The Walk. (swoon!!!!!)

2. Savage. Seeing the video for "Beethoven" for the first time (it debuted on MTV prior to "I Need a Man"), I was INCREDIBLY excited about the new album because it heralded a return to the much-loved more electronic sound of the Sweet Dreams/Touch era. It's a wonderful, dark, off-kiler collection of songs. No hit singles, really, which was always a shame. I don't think it got the respect it deserved at the time, but it always seems to end up near the top of Eurythmics' fans lists these days, which makes me happy. And that growl of "Mona Lisa!!" on "Wide-Eyed Girl" is worth the price of the CD by itself!

3. Touch. Another sentimental favorite. I was in awe of this album when it came out. I recorded tracks from Sweet Dreams and Touch + b-sides onto a cassette tape and played it on my new walkman religiously. I remember a school trip, I was in 5th grade and playing the tape (yet again) late at night, and I didn't realize but I was singing along. My teacher, who was sitting right in front of me, asked "who's Jennifer with her orange hair?" LOL. OK, i'm off topic a little. But "Touch" is a great album, all over the place. I once wrote to Dave and Annie via their Fan Club and told them PLEASE release "No Fear, No Hate, No Pain (No Broken Hearts)" as a single. Heh, even in those days I was trying to pick singles for people.

4. Revenge. This one had to grow on me, because I didn't like the direction of the guitars. But there are so many strong tunes on it... "Missionary Man" is like a punch to the face - great way to start the album. "When Tomorrow Comes", "The Miracle of Love", "I Remember You", the undervalued "In This Town".... great songs, all. The album is probably higher-ranked now than it has ever been, looking back at their entire career, and looking at the reissues. It's climbed my Eurythmics charts, probably because it just ROCKS. One quibble: "Let's Go" should be banished to the archive and never heard from again. Those lyrics... um, no. Hell to the no, in fact.

5. 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother). This was as weird as it got for me as a kid. All these bizarre psuedo-instrumentals... I thought I was far-out listening to this stuff while everyone else in my school was listening to Top 40 stuff. (Of course, I was listening to the Top 40 stuff as well, but still....) "1984" is a soundtrack that was essentially never used; it's essentially Eurythmics musical expression of what "1984" as a book, a film and a concept means. They capture it perfectly... the paranoia, the isolation and overbearing fear just comes through powerfully in the music. There are great songs - the stunningly beautiful "Julia" (perhaps the move undervalued song in their catelogue, and one of the most overlooked tracks of the 80s??), "Sexcrime", "For the Love of Big Brother", and the one that had me in utter thrall as a kid: "Ministry of Love." That song still sounds amazing, and we only have it on the crappy original CD. PLEASE reissue it!!

6. In the Garden. I thought I was so cool having the import album back in the day. It was worth paying the extra $$$ for. A very strong collection of songs. It didn't launch them into the pop charts, which on one level is a shame, but on another level - thank God. Cause if it had, we wouldn't have gotten the stripped down brilliance of the "Sweet Dreams" album. "In the Garden" is dense and has a very unique sound to it, very different than anything else Eurythmics has done. "Your Time Will Come" by the the high point, or "Revenge", or maybe "All the Young (people of today)" with that awesome organ swirl.... Lots of high points on that album.

7. Be Yourself Tonight. Gah... when I first saw the video for "Would I Lie To You?" I was dismayed. Who were all those people on stage?!?! What was that in Dave's hand, a GUITAR? Eurythmics are supposed to be Dave and Annie, and they were an ELECTRONIC BAND. Period. I had been peeved at Annie hammering away at a guitar in the "Sexcrime" video, but this took the cake. And where was Annie's orange hair? I eventually got used to the change in direction, but it took awhile. And of course then I fell in love with it. What GREAT songs, like "Conditioned Soul" and "It's Alright." I do think that it sounds perhaps a bit dated at times here and there, and a couple of the songs aren't quite as strong as they should be.... Side 2 kinda trails off, and the background vocals on "I Love You Like a Ball and Chain" mar the album. But still, it was a huge commercial success, and it sounds great all these years later.

8. Peace. "17 Again" is just divine. Lots of big, beautiful ballads on this album. It's missing the old edginess of Eurythmics - it almost sounds like an Annie solo album. But the thrill of Annie and Dave recording together again was just awesome... I think my anticipation for this album is maybe the strongest I have ever felt. I was disappointed upon its release, no question. Apart from "17 Again" and a few others, it didn't grab me. But it's aged well, and it's moved up some since the reissue. "I've Tried Everything" is a song that needs wider attention.

9. We Two are One. "Don't Ask Me Why" is a stunner - cold, icy, disdainful. Annie at her best. There are a few weak tracks - "How Long", in particular, and I never really got "When the Day Goes Down." To me, it's long, boring, and not particularly inspiring. I like the sound of "We Two are One", and there are some great tunes, but if I had to pick one Eurythmics album to place last, this would be the one. But I still love it, of course. "King and Queen of America"!!!

10. Diva. Annie's first and best solo album.. I didn't like the more adult contemporary direction she was going. I also thought she was overdoing things a bit vocally, especially on "Cold" (my least favorite Annie song, period), and the intro to "Precious." But "Why" is amazingly gorgeous, as is "The Gift" and "Primitive". The single mix of "Little Bird" improves on the album version dramatically, and "Legend In My Living Room" sounds like a Eurythmics song. I'm glad the album did well, but for me it needed Dave's spark.

11. Bare. "Pavement Cracks"... "A Thousand Beautiful Things".... a few others... I didn't listen to this one alot. It's sooo polished, and mellow. Gorgeous, yes. But it's not the Annie Lennox I fell in love with. I can appreciate it, admire it, enjoy it, but it doesn't "get" me like the old Eurythmics stuff did.

12. Medusa. I have to place this one last, since it's all covers.. I always prefer original material. But "No More I Love You's" is sheer perfection - the arrangement and production couldn't have been better. It was a grand choice for a cover and a gutsy first single, and it's by far the best thing on the album. The rest of the album, frankly, disappoints by and large. There are some good things on it, but it's without question the odd-man-out when I'm listening to Annie & Eurythmics. It just doesn't feel like it belongs, because of the lack of original material. Still, "No More I Love You's" redeems it, and nothing on it is horrible. I still enjoy it, just not as much as everything else Annie has done.

OK that's my list. Whew! That was long.

Didn't realize you liked Eury so much more than Annie solo.

Yeah I love Dave's influence... it just has a more edgy feel. I went apeshit over "I've Got a Life"!!! Especially the video, and the live performances.

aiiiiight. Let's do this.

1. Sweet Dreams (are made of this)
2. Savage
3. Touch
4. Revenge
5. 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother)
6. In the Garden
7. Be Yourself Tonight
8. Peace
9. We Two Are One
10. Diva
11. Bare
12. Medusa

This was hard, because I love all 12.

1. Sweet Dreams. Sentimental favorite because it was my first Eurythmics love. But it was more than that... it was the first album that really brought me out from under my parents' wing when it came to music. They had a nice record collection of 60's and 70's rock and my dad was in a band, so there was always music around. But it wasn't until Sweet Dreams that I first realized there was "something else" out there.... I had the 45s of Sweet Dreams and Love is a Stranger, and I loved them and the b-sides. I saved up spare change my dad gave me to buy the album, which I played religiously on a little toy Fisher Price record player my little sister had. And the album has stayed strong. It doesn't sound hideously dated like so many 80's synth-pop albums. The remaster is amazing... it has a deep, rich, timeless sound to it. The whole album is strong, not a weak track on it. I sometimes waffle between Sweet Dreams and Savage at the #1 spot, but ultimately I have to go with Sweet Dreams. It also has my favorite Eurythmics track: The Walk. (swoon!!!!!)

2. Savage. Seeing the video for "Beethoven" for the first time (it debuted on MTV prior to "I Need a Man"), I was INCREDIBLY excited about the new album because it heralded a return to the much-loved more electronic sound of the Sweet Dreams/Touch era. It's a wonderful, dark, off-kiler collection of songs. No hit singles, really, which was always a shame. I don't think it got the respect it deserved at the time, but it always seems to end up near the top of Eurythmics' fans lists these days, which makes me happy. And that growl of "Mona Lisa!!" on "Wide-Eyed Girl" is worth the price of the CD by itself!

3. Touch. Another sentimental favorite. I was in awe of this album when it came out. I recorded tracks from Sweet Dreams and Touch + b-sides onto a cassette tape and played it on my new walkman religiously. I remember a school trip, I was in 5th grade and playing the tape (yet again) late at night, and I didn't realize but I was singing along. My teacher, who was sitting right in front of me, asked "who's Jennifer with her orange hair?" LOL. OK, i'm off topic a little. But "Touch" is a great album, all over the place. I once wrote to Dave and Annie via their Fan Club and told them PLEASE release "No Fear, No Hate, No Pain (No Broken Hearts)" as a single. Heh, even in those days I was trying to pick singles for people.

4. Revenge. This one had to grow on me, because I didn't like the direction of the guitars. But there are so many strong tunes on it... "Missionary Man" is like a punch to the face - great way to start the album. "When Tomorrow Comes", "The Miracle of Love", "I Remember You", the undervalued "In This Town".... great songs, all. The album is probably higher-ranked now than it has ever been, looking back at their entire career, and looking at the reissues. It's climbed my Eurythmics charts, probably because it just ROCKS. One quibble: "Let's Go" should be banished to the archive and never heard from again. Those lyrics... um, no. Hell to the no, in fact.

5. 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother). This was as weird as it got for me as a kid. All these bizarre psuedo-instrumentals... I thought I was far-out listening to this stuff while everyone else in my school was listening to Top 40 stuff. (Of course, I was listening to the Top 40 stuff as well, but still....) "1984" is a soundtrack that was essentially never used; it's essentially Eurythmics musical expression of what "1984" as a book, a film and a concept means. They capture it perfectly... the paranoia, the isolation and overbearing fear just comes through powerfully in the music. There are great songs - the stunningly beautiful "Julia" (perhaps the move undervalued song in their catelogue, and one of the most overlooked tracks of the 80s??), "Sexcrime", "For the Love of Big Brother", and the one that had me in utter thrall as a kid: "Ministry of Love." That song still sounds amazing, and we only have it on the crappy original CD. PLEASE reissue it!!

6. In the Garden. I thought I was so cool having the import album back in the day. It was worth paying the extra $$$ for. A very strong collection of songs. It didn't launch them into the pop charts, which on one level is a shame, but on another level - thank God. Cause if it had, we wouldn't have gotten the stripped down brilliance of the "Sweet Dreams" album. "In the Garden" is dense and has a very unique sound to it, very different than anything else Eurythmics has done. "Your Time Will Come" by the the high point, or "Revenge", or maybe "All the Young (people of today)" with that awesome organ swirl.... Lots of high points on that album.

7. Be Yourself Tonight. Gah... when I first saw the video for "Would I Lie To You?" I was dismayed. Who were all those people on stage?!?! What was that in Dave's hand, a GUITAR? Eurythmics are supposed to be Dave and Annie, and they were an ELECTRONIC BAND. Period. I had been peeved at Annie hammering away at a guitar in the "Sexcrime" video, but this took the cake. And where was Annie's orange hair? I eventually got used to the change in direction, but it took awhile. And of course then I fell in love with it. What GREAT songs, like "Conditioned Soul" and "It's Alright." I do think that it sounds perhaps a bit dated at times here and there, and a couple of the songs aren't quite as strong as they should be.... Side 2 kinda trails off, and the background vocals on "I Love You Like a Ball and Chain" mar the album. But still, it was a huge commercial success, and it sounds great all these years later.

8. Peace. "17 Again" is just divine. Lots of big, beautiful ballads on this album. It's missing the old edginess of Eurythmics - it almost sounds like an Annie solo album. But the thrill of Annie and Dave recording together again was just awesome... I think my anticipation for this album is maybe the strongest I have ever felt. I was disappointed upon its release, no question. Apart from "17 Again" and a few others, it didn't grab me. But it's aged well, and it's moved up some since the reissue. "I've Tried Everything" is a song that needs wider attention.

9. We Two are One. "Don't Ask Me Why" is a stunner - cold, icy, disdainful. Annie at her best. There are a few weak tracks - "How Long", in particular, and I never really got "When the Day Goes Down." To me, it's long, boring, and not particularly inspiring. I like the sound of "We Two are One", and there are some great tunes, but if I had to pick one Eurythmics album to place last, this would be the one. But I still love it, of course. "King and Queen of America"!!!

10. Diva. Annie's first and best solo album.. I didn't like the more adult contemporary direction she was going. I also thought she was overdoing things a bit vocally, especially on "Cold" (my least favorite Annie song, period), and the intro to "Precious." But "Why" is amazingly gorgeous, as is "The Gift" and "Primitive". The single mix of "Little Bird" improves on the album version dramatically, and "Legend In My Living Room" sounds like a Eurythmics song. I'm glad the album did well, but for me it needed Dave's spark.

11. Bare. "Pavement Cracks"... "A Thousand Beautiful Things".... a few others... I didn't listen to this one alot. It's sooo polished, and mellow. Gorgeous, yes. But it's not the Annie Lennox I fell in love with. I can appreciate it, admire it, enjoy it, but it doesn't "get" me like the old Eurythmics stuff did.

12. Medusa. I have to place this one last, since it's all covers.. I always prefer original material. But "No More I Love You's" is sheer perfection - the arrangement and production couldn't have been better. It was a grand choice for a cover and a gutsy first single, and it's by far the best thing on the album. The rest of the album, frankly, disappoints by and large. There are some good things on it, but it's without question the odd-man-out when I'm listening to Annie & Eurythmics. It just doesn't feel like it belongs, because of the lack of original material. Still, "No More I Love You's" redeems it, and nothing on it is horrible. I still enjoy it, just not as much as everything else Annie has done.

OK that's my list. Whew! That was long.
[Edited 1/8/07 11:31am]