Track Listing

1. Rollercoaster
2. Troubled Mind
3. I Don't Understand Anything
4. Walking To You
5. Get Me
6. Missing
7. Two Star
8. We Walk The Same Line
9. 25th December
10. Disenchanted

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19276 in Music
• Released on: 1995-10-30
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Amplified Heart marked a number of changes in Everything but the Girl's career, the most obvious of which was their sudden popularity when a Todd Terry remix of "Missing" became a dance-floor hit. But before the album was even recorded, Ben Watt--who with Tracy Thorn is EBTG--was hospitalized for a life-threatening intestinal disorder (see his book, Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness, for a full account). His recovery invigorates Amplified Heart, making the love songs that much more passionate, the relationship songs that much more tender, and "25th December"--the one song in which Watt sings lead--that much more heartbreaking. Thorn's captivating vocals are the focus on the rest of the album, and she's as smooth as ever; combined with the focus that she and Watt share here, it makes for EBTG's best album. --Randy Silver

CD Description
On AMPLIFIED HEART, this pop duo's mesmerising blend of swooning Fleetwood Mac-like vocal textures and modern dance floor beats is a departure from their previously sparse, jazzy acoustic style, but is equally as beautiful. Out of a fertile territory of delicate melodies and precise musical passages, vocalist Tracey Thorn allows us to peer in at both her chilling memories and warmest moments. With the often overwhelming sincerity of Ben Watt's musical accompaniement to Thorn's settled vocals, AMPLIFIED HEART is everything adult-oriented pop needs to be.

Customer Reviews

Bedsit music has never sounded so good!!!
If you're a fan of 'bedsit' music then you can do no better than Everything But The Girl to give you a taste of life in the not so fast lane. Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn's world is one of loneliness, misunderstanding, confusion, emotional turmoil, and insecurity. This is probably why they have built up such a loyal fan base. They manage to connect with so many people by tackling taboo subjects such as these and the ultimate fragility of the human heart. They're sensitive souls, these two.

They are also incredibly talented, in a refreshing and delightfully understated way. 'Amplified Heart' just served to reinforce this view, which is one that I have held of them for years. Tracey Thorn has got a lovely voice, there's no other way to describe it, and she sings in such a soulful and emotional way, it is hard not to get totally absorbed in the songs she sings here. The opening track 'Rollercoaster' illustrates the world I have described previously and sets the standard for the rest of the recording. 'I still haven't got over it even now, I want to spend huge amounts of time on my own', is the opening line, and then later on she sings, 'I want to spend huge amounts of time in my room'. Everything But The Girl are the only band in history who can make wallowing in self pity sound simply wonderful. You get more of the same on the next track, 'Troubled Mind', which is a slightly faster pace than the preceeding track. The best thing about EBTG is that they make such great use of instrumentation to convey feeling. The instrumental breaks on 'Rollercoaster' sound like whining, but Tracey Thorn can get away with whining. Not many people can.

On the next track, 'I Don't Understand Anything', she is really crying out to be understood. Help her Ben, help her! 'Walking to You' follows, and Ben is heard on joint lead vocals with Tracey. Ben isn't the greatest singer, but because he is such a creative genius, he is forgiven. In any case, Ben and Tracey harmonise so well together it ends up sounding fantastic anyway. You then get more inner turmoil on the next track 'Get Me' on which Tracey pleads, 'Do you really get me?'. I think we do Tracey, I think we do.

Things cheer up a bit towards the end, with the excellent 'We Walk The Same Line' and the positive '25th December'.

The best tracks are probably 'Walking To You' (excellent harmonies), and two tracks solely written by Tracey: 'I Don't Understand Anything' and 'We Walk The Same Line', which demonstrate what a great songwriter she is as well as a vocalist.

If you live in a bedsit already you'll love it. If you don't, try to imagine what it's like with the help of this album. Or better still just enjoy the album for being 11 tracks of excellent, thought provoking music, from what are surely a still very underrated pair.

Late Night Reflections
This is the third Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn (Everything but the Girl) CD I have reviewed. It is quieter, more reflective, and so personal it's as if we are listening in on conversations between these two gifted artists. I find myself popping this one in late at night a lot.

Every fan of this eclectic British duo were happy to receive another EBTG album as Ben Watt had spent months in the hospital, a rare intestinal disorder ravaging his body and nearly killing him. His final recovery left Ben a shell of his former self, with a continuing life long battle to maintain his weight and health, only three feet of intestine left. It is little wonder that this is a quiet and reflective effort.

Every song is something special on this one. From the opening song "Rollercoaster" to the short and poignant "Disenchanted" there is just one elegantly produced and intellectually engaging pop song after another. When the lusciously smooth vocals of Tracey Thorn are added to the mix what you have is magic. The only way I can think of to describe her vocals is maybe if you took Annie Lennox's wonderful voice, took the edge off, and replaced it with a smoother tone.....?

"Two Star" and "I Don't Understand Anything" are particular highlights in a CD full of them. Oddly enough, "Missing," the dance floor sensation which finally got them noticed in America, is the only song out of place here. But it's a great song to listen to so just enjoy it as well. If you pick this up and just listen to the first three cuts, you'll be hooked.

Want to listen in to Tracey Thorn talking to Ben Watt in a sweetly arranged song? Here are some words to 'Disenchanted':

"Look at you now, your disenchanted, can't believe how things can change. How much can you withstand? The wasted time, the money spent, a sign that reads 'For sale or Rent.' You know your not the only one to wait so long. I wonder can you try again? Are you that strong?"

If you think pop music can't be well produced, catchy, and still be about something, then give this one a try...

this was my first cd by the band and I was very happy
I borrowed this cd after I heard the song "Missing". As much as I love this cd now, if you are expecting a lot of songs that are more or less dance focused you will be surprised. The music here is much mellower and much jazzier than the dance remake of Missing. Although I was surprised at first, the cd grew on me easily and I now enjoy listening to it quite a bit. They sound the tiniest bit similar to Swing Out Sister (for those of you familiar with them). They are now moving much more towards the dance types of songs, and this is certainly an equation that works for them. They do both types of music equally well, and I enjoy listening to both. Just don't say you were not warned if you wind up with a bunch of mellow songs that you were not expecting! Oh yeah - I did wind up purchasing it myself.