When I first got this next album I had a very
limited musical library, and since then it has sat on my shelf with a bad case
of ‘overplayed’. As a result I was a bit nervous that it might sound old and
tired. Instead, I was delighted that it has kept young and beautiful - more on
that expression later - and still very much loved.
Disc 876 is….Diva
Artist: Annie
Lennox
Year of Release: 1992
What’s up with the Cover? Attention lame VH1 specials – this
is what a real diva looks like. Feathers, tiaras and heavy eye makeup, and blue
eyes so fierce they look like they could burn a hole through the back of your
skull. Fatal, yes, but what a way to go…
How I Came To Know It: I don’t remember. Everyone in
1992 knew this album, which spawned five singles and could have supported more.
How It Stacks Up: I only have one of Annie Lennox’s solo albums,
so it can’t really stack up. We used to own “Medusa” but it never really
grabbed me and I sold it years ago.
Ratings: 4 stars
It was depressing to learn about the disbanding of
the Eurythmics back in 1990. They were a great band; a brilliant combination of
Dave Stewart’s genius as a producer, Annie Lennox’s exceptional voice and their
combined skill at writing a great pop song. Luckily, we only had to wait two
years for Lennox to re-emerge with “Diva,” her first (and best) solo album.
While “Diva” has a few stray elements that feel like
the old Eurythmics sound, this album is very much a departure for her. The edge
and snap is replaced with a smooth soul quality, and some exceptional pop
melodies.
The record is a worthy showcase of Lennox’s voice, which
is rich and deep. Here she sounds like a Broadway singer, if Broadway didn’t
feel so fake (yes, I find Broadway numbers generally lack emotional context.
Sorry).
On the album’s opening track, “Why” Lennox presents a heartbreaking tale, richly layered with
keyboard, bass and just a hint of guitar around the edges. The very next track,
“Walking on Broken Glass” is a
similar theme, but this time the tune is up tempo and sprightly. In the album’s
first two songs Lennox shows she can tell a tale in any style, and never lose
the narrative.
She also demonstrates that she is as brilliant a songwriter
on her own as she was collaborating with Dave Stewart. She is the sole writing
credit on eight of the 11 songs, and cowriter on two more. The songs have a
theatrical flavour, and Lennox is clearly musically exploring the nature of
fame musically and lyrically; not surprising given the record’s glitzy title.
The songs have a moody quality, with punctuations of
whimsy served by the smooth production of Stephen Lipson. Lipson understands
that this album needed to be staged with the musical equivalent of thick velvet
drapes and padded chaise lounges. The sound of every song sits heavy but
comfortable in the air, and Lennox’s voice takes on a dreamy and evocative
quality that gives your ear a point of focus from which to explore deeper.
One such punctuation that has always been a
favourite is “Money Can’t Buy It”
which features Lennox delivering a pseudo-rap performance of midway through the
song. It could be jarring, but Lennox has a natural feel for the beat, and it
comes off playful and funky.
Later, Lennox uses a simple beat and synth riff to
perfectly evoke the feeling of flight on “Little
Bird.” It is a song about wishing you could be free as a bird, even as its
infectious rhythm gives your soul that exact experience.
On “The Gift”
Lennox once again shifts gears, with a melody that develops slow and languorous.
When Lennox sings “take this overcoat of
shame…it never did belong to me” the hurt in her voice is so real, you’re
certain your heart is about to break. Thank goodness the song ends on a happy
note. The singer inviting her lover out into the rain, presumably for the sort
of tearful reunion you might expect as the final scene in a romantic film.
Unfortunately “The Gift” is not the final track. That
goes to a song that has a jarring old timey sound that would make Tom Waits
proud, but is out of step with everything that comes before. It is a remake of “Keep Young and Beautiful” (originally performed
in the 1933 musical “Roman Scandals” by Eddie Cantor). The original version has
pretty women singing about winning men with their looks and Cantor singing to
them in blackface. It is a far cry from cinema’s finest moment. Lennox clearly
intends a modern feminist twist on the song, but it still feels dated, and
stands out starkly against the mood the album worked so hard to establish
earlier.
Other than this mis-step, the record has a good
feeling for what it wants to do. “Diva” has a strong pop flavour, so if you are
looking for the edgier Eurythmics rock feel you will be disappointed. But if
you’d like a pretty melody that you can dance to, or hum along with while stuck
in traffic, this is for you. What’s more, underneath all those pretty songs are
some thoughtful lyrics, sung by one of music’s great chanteuses.
No comments:
Post a Comment