Product Description

1991's GREATEST HITS is a somewhat conservative compilationwhich unfortunately overlooks both 1981's IN THE GARDEN and1984's FOR THE LOVE OF BIG BROTHER, two of Dave Stewart andAnnie Lennox's most interesting and experimental albums. That said, it's an excellent overview of the duo's career.
All of the band's singles and some of their better album tracks are featured here, in a balanced survey of their evolution from the chilly English art-rockers who recorded the hypnotic "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)", to the soulful R&B-influenced pair responsible for the ripping "Would I Lie to You", the passionate "Angel", and the billowing "There Must Be an Angel Playing with My Heart". Many of Eurythmics' albums are somewhat uneven--1984's TOUCH and 1985's BE YOURSELF TONIGHT are perhaps the best--but this 63-minute collection is an excellent starting point for the neophyte.

Track Listing

1. Love is a stranger
2. Sweet dreams
3. Who's that girl
4. Right by your side
5. Here comes the rain again
6. There must be an angel (Playing with my heart)
7. Sisters are doin' it for themselves
8. It's alright (Baby's coming back)
9. When tomorrow comes
10. You have placed a chill in my heart
11. miracle of love
12. Sex crime (1984)
13. Thorn in my side
14. Don't ask me why
15. Angel
16. Would I lie to you?
17. Missionary man
18. I need a man

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8851 in Music
• Released on: 2005-07-11
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
One of the earliest things that we learned about Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart was that the duo had style. In their first few videos, including "Sweet Dreams" and "Love Is a Stranger," they were just as notable for their androgynous suits and rubber utility coverall, as they were for their ice box synthetic dance beats. But as Eurythmics continued to churn out one hit after another, something else became refreshingly apparent: In the midst of all of the impersonal drum machines and frozen electronics, Lennox displayed both rhythm and soul. With a voice powerful enough to hold its own against genre queen Aretha Franklin ("Sisters Are Doing It for Themselves"), Lennox added another dimension to the haunting moodiness of "Who's That Girl" and "Here Comes the Rain Again". Changing personas and musical stylings with every release, Eurythmics blasted out horn-infused rockers ("Would I Lie to You"), country-fied twangers ("Thorn in My Side"), and melodic brilliance ("When Tomorrow Comes"). Greatest Hits captures the band's most inspired moments and justifies all of the original fuss. --Steve Gdula

Customer Reviews

Quality eighties pop music
I was never particularly keen on the electronic music that dominated much of the eighties pop scene in Britain, but I found that Annie Lennox's outstanding voice and Dave Stewart's superb songwriting outweighed any reservations I might have about the electronics they employed.

Annie (born on Christmas Day) and Dave originally made their mark in the Tourists, a five-piece group who had several UK hits including a cover of I only want to be with you (Dusty Springfield), which peaked at number four - exactly as Dusty's version had done in the sixties. The Tourists disbanded after a couple of years but Dave and Annie later emerged as a duo, the Eurythmics.

The Eurythmics were at their most successful between 1983 and 1986 during which time they had nine UK top ten hits, some of which also made the American top ten. They had a British number one (There must be an angel) and an American number one (Sweet dreams are made of this), which made number two in the UK. Two other songs made the American top five - Here comes that rain again (a UK top ten hit) and Would I lie to you (a UK top twenty hit).

Perhaps the biggest surprise came when the Eurythmics teamed up with Aretha Franklin to record Sisters are doing it for themselves. With very different styles - both musically and vocally - Annie and Aretha may have seemed an unlikely duo, but the combination worked really well.

After Thorn in my side (a UK top five hit in 1986), the Eurythmics continued to have hit singles but most of them were minor hits. There wasn't room to include all the minor hits but all the big British and American hits are here. Eventually, the Eurythmics disbanded, with Annie establishing a solo career while Dave stayed in the music business, but rarely as a performer.

This compilation contains all the essential Eurythmics tracks. If you enjoy the electronic pop music of the eighties, you will surely love this collection. Even if, like me, you have doubts about it, you may find that the sheer talent of Dave and Annie can enable you to enjoy their music anyway.

An Essential Part of Any CD Collection
I first bought this album 12 years ago, and instantly became a fan of the band. This was the first time I experienced buying an album as a magical experience - probably something akin to how it would have felt to open a chocolate bar and find one of Willie Wonka's gold tickets! But don't be deterred by its age - it has stood the test of time and still sounds excellent. From the start the rhythms, melodies and, above all, Annie Lennox's amazing vocal style are captivating and unique; something which just gets better and better with each listen. Dave Stewart is definitely an under-rated guitarist, and his backing vocals complement Annie's soulful and rich voice (at times, such as on 'Love Is A Stranger' sounding almost sinister). If you are unfamiliar with Eurythmics' music this is the place to start - for those who are already fans this surely has to be an essential purchase, even though there are several other great tracks that couldn't be squeezed in here! (Maybe there will be a Part 2 in future, especially as they have since recorded some more recent material.....?)

For Once, a REAL best of collection
One thing that cant be denied about Eurythmics is how ahead of their time they were. Where 80's competitors such as Culture Club and Duran Duran now sound outdated - Eurythmics music continues to be fresh, original and powerful. Annie Lennox is now legendary having won every award known to man including an oscar! And rightly so. Few other artists are as innovative, intriguing and musically gifted. This is essential for any collection. You'll be surprised how many of the tracks you know and love, and probably didnt even realise a lot of them were performed by Eurythmics!