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Home » Blogs » the linster's blog » Annie Lennox: She didn’t get there by herself

Annie Lennox: She didn’t get there by herself

by
the linster

Some songs have the power to stop conversation. When such a song starts to play, each person in the room has a moment of recognition, pauses, and starts singing along. The Indigo Girls’ “Closer to Fine” is one for my group of friends. So is Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” And just about anything by Melissa Etheridge. I once was at party that ended with everyone singing with the entire Yes I Am album.

I predict that “Sing,” a track from the new Annie Lennox release, Songs of Mass Destruction, will become one of those songs. Or at least its chorus will.

As bad machine told us a few months ago, Lennox enlisted 23 female singers to join her on this anthem devoted to the treatment of pregnant women with AIDS to prevent the spread of HIV to their babies. When I read about the song, I pictured a “We Are the World” moment with the women crammed into a studio, rocking back and forth while they sang. Instead, each vocalist recorded the song in a nearby studio and sent the track to Lennox for mixing. Parts of the song are a little inaccessible at first listen, but by the end I was right there with them, hand over my ear, singing my little heart out. (Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about.) Listen to it a couple of times and let me know what you think. Then go to Annie’s site and download “Sing” — proceeds go to Treatment Action Campaign.

The rest of the album, which was released Tuesday, is Lennox at her finest. My favorite song, “Lost,” is the simplest. Lennox shines brightest when her rich and resonant voice is the primary instrument, and Songs of Mass Destruction puts vocals front and center. Not that it’s an acoustic album. The hard rhythm and synthesized accompaniment on “Coloured Bedspread” would be at home on a Eurythmics CD. Really, the only thing on the recording that I didn’t love right away was the Cajun-style accordion riff on “Ghosts in My Machine” — and even that is growing on me. I think this is her best collection yet.

Songs of Mass Destruction is Lennox’s last album on her Sony BMG contract, so her next project could be almost anything. As she told The New York Times, “It could mean collaborations with other artists, and I don’t have to check in with anybody else to see whether that fits my contract. I’d like to make a dance album that’s just purely electronic. I’d like to make a folk album. I’d like to make a Latin album. I think I would really like to make a lot more music, to be honest. And I’m hoping that I will.”

You can catch Lennox on The Tonight Show on October 5; she leaves on October 8 for a 15-city tour to promote the album. To tide you over, here’s Annie Lennox singing the first single from Songs of Mass Destruction, “Dark Road.”



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    • Submitted by
    the linster
    on October 3, 2007 - 12:00pm.
    TAGS :: 
    Harpy's picture

    Annie Lennox

    Submitted by
    Harpy (9567 posts)
    on October 3, 2007 - 12:30pm.

    Am I the only one who is completely enamoured with the album cover?   And the album title is just wonderful, I really like it.

    'Dark Road' sounds really good; it was a good video too.  I liked it better than 'Sing' personally, but 'Sing' was nice also - Made me feel like burning my bra or something.  Well, not really, but I thought about it for a second or two.

    I'm going to definitely get this album now.  I didn't care much for her last album, 'Bare'; it was just a bit too slow for me.  Glad you blogged this because I didn't realize she had a new album out!

    _________

    "If you go flying back through time, and you see somebody else flying forward into the future, it's probably best to avoid eye contact." - Jack Handey

    BrownEyedGirl's picture

    nope! me too harpy

    Submitted by
    BrownEyedGirl (153 posts)
    on October 3, 2007 - 1:48pm.

    I LOVE the album cover too! I havent heard any of ther songs but ive already decided i love it!

    ~I've been watching your world from afar, I've been trying to be where you are, I've been secretly falling apart...~

    Slym's picture

    Awesome Album!!

    Submitted by
    Slym (1845 posts)
    on October 3, 2007 - 3:17pm.

    If you love the cover, then the album itself will blow you away.  Truly awesome and I won't say anymore on this because you need to hear it for yourself and I'm sure you'll come to the same conclusion.  Sing is nice but it's not my fav.  Truly worthwhile album to add to your collection.  I agree that it's her best album yet and I look forward to her going out and doing her own "thing"!

    The album title is one that I really like - how original is it!

    I picked up the album this morning and have been enjoying it ever since.

    If you're a Bruce Springstein fan, his album is a good listen as well.  He's still got it.

    I'm waiting for Carrie Underwood's new album (Carnival Ride) to be released (23 Oct).  LeAnn Rimes also has an album due out next Tuesday (9 Oct)

    JK_Singer's picture

    " LeAnn Rimes also has an

    Submitted by
    JK_Singer (213 posts)
    on October 4, 2007 - 3:55am.

    " LeAnn Rimes also has an album due out next Tuesday (9 Oct)"

    Really? Nice, thx for the info, I didn't know (old LeAnn fan here hehe...) 

    But back on topic, Annie Lennox is fantastic, such a brilliant woman - I'm so gonna buy her new album!

    "Even in death Gabrielle, I will never leave you"- Xena

    Slym's picture

    Faith Hill

    Submitted by
    Slym (1845 posts)
    on October 4, 2007 - 12:10pm.

    If you're a LeAnn fan then you most likely are a Faith Hill fan and if that's the case Faith released an album "The Hits" two days ago.  I haven't gone out and got it as yet but just looking at the tracklist, I know it's a "must have" for my collection!  Below is the track list of Faith's album.

    01 Red Umbrella 03:40
    02 Stronger (Live) 06:15
    03 I Need You (With Tim Mcgraw) 04:09
    04 Lost 04:11
    05 Mississippi Girl 03:53
    06 Cry 03:48
    07 There You’ll Be 03:42
    08 The Way You Love Me 03:29
    09 Breathe 04:08
    10 The Secret Of Life 04:15
    11 Let Me Let Go 04:25
    12 This Kiss 03:15
    13 It Matters To Me 03:19
    14 Piece Of My Heart 04:02
    15 Wild One 02:47

    I got a chance to preview LeAnn's album and it won't disappoint.  Track 4 - Good Friend and a Glass of Wine is a track that jumps out at you right off the bat.  Tracks, 3 - Fight, 13. Till We Ain't Strangers Anymore (with Bon Jovi) and 14. When You Love Somebody Like That (with Reba) are sounding wonderful.

    Melissa Hsu's picture

    *cries* no more

    Submitted by
    Melissa Hsu (not verified)
    on October 18, 2007 - 8:29am.

    I have to wait until tomorrow to get it ! But I love her anyway. To me, she is the greatest living musician. And I so wish I could see her on her US tour. I´d take a plane to cross the pond (and I am terribly scared of flying).

    Love the photos. She is just adorable, in every possible sense of the word.

    EDIT:

    Have been listening to the new album inside out now. It´s like it always is: some of her songs capture you immediately whereas others only sneak into your ears after repeated hearing. And your heart. Those are not songs but musical pearls. Besides her fantastic voice and her great writing/composing, how great are those arrangements ?

    My favourite songs at the moment are: Dark Road, Love Is Blind, Smithereens, Ghost In My Machine, Sing and Big Sky. I am not saying that the others are bad but I am just drawn to the ones I mentioned much more.

    I think I have to investigate how Ms Lennox knows so much about me, her songs (over the decades) seem to be direct reflections of every stage of my life.

    Shasta's picture

    Annie rocks

    Submitted by
    Shasta (89 posts)
    on October 3, 2007 - 3:12pm.

    I'm so excited to hear how great this album is. I'm being a dork and waiting to get the deluxe version so I can have commentary with that lovely Scottish voice. Oh BOY! I was lucky enough to get to see her in concert when she toured with Sting (Sting who?) and she blew me away. She's just so electric in person. Anyone who has the slightest chance of seeing her should go! I hope she'll extend her tour and get to more cities. Please Annie!

    I also love the cover image. She's always interesting! I didn't love the cover for Bare even though I appreciate what she was trying to do with it... My favourite image of her is this one although I think I prefer the black and white version. Just so simple and beautiful.

     

    I also found a picture of her on some site that may or may not be real. Annie, nude, smeared with... chocolate? No idea!

    Harpy's picture

    Grrrr...

    Submitted by
    Harpy (9567 posts)
    on October 3, 2007 - 4:48pm.

    So, I went to Circuit City and Best Buy today and neither store had the album.  On top of that, I just checked for shits and grins and no Melissa's new album either.  Seriously, I know downloading music is the rage now, but the inability to find albums, where you once had no problem, is ridiculous.  Neither store even had a new release section.  I wasn't sure if Bruce's new album was out yet, but I checked and guess what?!  No new album.

    I'll download Annie and Bruce's new albums when I get home from work, but I wanted to buy her album because I liked the cover so much. 

    _________

    "If you go flying back through time, and you see somebody else flying forward into the future, it's probably best to avoid eye contact." - Jack Handey

    dypole's picture

    Barnes and Noble has all

    Submitted by
    dypole (255 posts)
    on October 3, 2007 - 7:49pm.

    Barnes and Noble has all three.

    "Out of the box is where I live." -Starbuck

    godsbedamned's picture

    She seems genuine

    Submitted by
    godsbedamned (60 posts)
    on October 4, 2007 - 1:42am.
    I respect Annie Lennox, and I love her music so much. (My favorite song is "There Must Be An Angel (Playing with My Heart)," where her voice, live and recorded, sounds so ethereal.) I grew up with Eurythmics and have only rediscovered them and her solo efforts. To say she's an exquisitely talented musician, with one of the world's most soulful voices, is an understatement, for sure. She's a great actor, too. (I think of all of her music videos -- she's just as much an icon, important to the growth of MTV, as Madonna -- and her performances in them, and I'm just riveted.) I don't usually respect celebrity activists (and am generally skeptical of Bob Geldof/Bono-type 'events'), but I think Lennox really believes in her work and is committed to using her celebrity for humanitarian purposes.  
    Slym's picture

    I Agree With You

    Submitted by
    Slym (1845 posts)
    on October 4, 2007 - 11:43am.
    She has always been genuine with her music and for that I certainly respect her.  For the same reason I respect Prince, Madonna, Cher - just to mention a few.  They have not altered their work to suit anyone.  They stay true to their expression.  As Frank so rightly put it they did it (and still are doing it) their way!  Gotta respect that.
    fairly butch's picture

    Annie Lennox, how do i love thee? let me count the ways....

    Submitted by
    fairly butch (60 posts)
    on October 4, 2007 - 5:44pm.

    (and not necessarily in this order) 

    1. her voice
    2. her politics
    3. her integrity
    4. her rage
    5. her age
    6. her smokin' hotness

    ....and for being one of my biggest crushes when i was a teenager - seeing her as a quasi-Elvis on "Who's That Girl?" (at about 2.00" and 3'15" in) and i was completely smitten....  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDv_US-1a7U

    still crazy, after all these years!


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