Track Listing

1. 1000 Beautiful Things
2. Pavement Cracks
3. The Hurting Time
4. Honestly
5. Wonderful
6. Bitter Pill
7. Loneliness
8. The Saddest Song
9. Erased
10. Twisted
11. Oh God

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3059 in Music
• Released on: 2003-06-09
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Bare, Annie Lennox's first album of original songs in 11 years, is a stylish tour de force that showcases the former Eurythmics chanteuse in all her chilly, shimmering splendour. Her formidable voice is still a supple and intriguing instrument, lithely shape-shifting between emotions, personas and musical forms. Lennox moves effortlessly from the sparse and pristine lament of "A Thousand Beautiful Things" to the deceptively simple "Pavement Cracks", a solemn ballad that is transformed by electro dance beats that recall some of the best of the Eurythmics. But Lennox's quixotic voice is best utilised as an old-school soul instrument; she makes a metaphorical journey to Motown on "Hurting Time", a reflective ballad that could have been lifted off a Miracles album. "Honesty" finds the Scottish diva at her well-mannered best, occupying the sophisticated space formerly held by Carly Simon. --Jaan Uhelszki

CD Description
Third solo release from Eurythmics frontwoman Annie Lennox and the follow up to her 1995 covers album 'Medusa'. Produced by Steve Lipton, 'Bare' continues along the same lines as her two previous albums, fusing adult contemporary pop with influences of soul, R&B and blues.

Customer Reviews

Bare is Bold, Beautiful and Brilliant.
Annie Lennox has one of the most lush and haunting voices in pop music. Match that with her ability to write interesting lyrics and beautiful melodies and you get BARE in a wonderfully exposed package. After hearing this recording, it makes one wonder why it takes her so long to release new material. Parts of this cd are reminiscent of Eurythmics. But most of it is all Annie solo. I belive she had the same producer on Bare as she had on Diva. So if you loved Diva, you will be equally satisfied here as well. Favorite tracks are ..Honesty, wonderful, 1000 beautiful things, bitter pill. Only one throw back and it is the last song Oh God. It is a very short almost hymn she sings that is not pop. I heard this recording on the internet and downloaded it. I will be rushing to the stores on June 10 to purchase Bare. I believe we must support artists like Annie Lennox in hopes that she will make more amazing music in the future. This CD is worth every last penny.

Lennox Is Free At Last
Bare is arguably the most personal work that Lennox has every produced. It is not immediately accessible on first listen, it is a record you have to replay and reflect on; but the effort is well worth the reward. The new collection of songs will appeal primarily to Lennox purists and anyone who has ever had a relationship hit the rocks (most of us right?!).

The album opens with the sparkling wistfulness of ‘1000 Beautiful Things’. Next is the first radio single from the album, ‘Pavement Cracks’ which stands out as the showpiece, that demonstrates that the power of her voice is as awesome as ever. The only thing to surpass it, is the live version and that can be found on the DVD of the solo tour. Next up is the gentle lazy soul of the ‘Hurting Time’ followed by ‘Honestly’, a beautifully layered double vocal arrangement on top of a hypnotic rhythm. While ‘Wonderful’ is a gentle massage that Lennox pushes deeper and deeper into the listener. The most up-tempo song ‘Bitter Pill’ is a deliciously funky track that is crying out to be remixed as a club anthem. ‘Loneliness’ is a track that leaves the listener spinning as if drunk, but if you take time to read the lyrics it makes sense; again Lennox requires the listener to work for their reward. A track that commands its own haunting space on the album is ‘The Sadist Song’ which leaves you feeling like you are standing in the middle of an Icelandic glacial lake. But there is no time for sentimentality, as the ferocious ‘Erased’ jumps from the record with the roar of old ‘I’ll just erase you from my memory’. The penultimate track ‘Twisted’ is a luscious close to a hypnotic 50 minutes. Yet it is not the last song, that place is reserved for ‘Oh God’ which the album listing makes clear is a prayer; with that, the spell is broken and you are released.

The reviews in the British press have been decidedly impatient with Bare, but with the sparkling back catalogue of highly commercial hits that Lennox has, she now clearly feels freed from the chart game. This record is an assertion of that right in the face of her critics and it will surely see Lennox sweep the board at next year’s BRITS & Grammy awards.

Welcome back!
The hardly prolific Annie Lennox returns with eleven new songs.

The music and lyrics may be different, but there is nothing new here. Fans of Annie Lennox will buy and love this work, but it's merely a continuation of what she does (and to be fair - what she does best).

I'd be interested to hear some new production styles. Okay - maybe Timbaland or The Neptunes may be going overboard, but I loved how the Insects subtley revitalised the fabulous Alison Moyet's latest work on Hometime. Some of the production here is really dated - which has it's nostalgic charm in places - but overall it comes across sounding like Diva and most of the Eurythmics work. The gorgeous opening of the funereal "Pavement Cracks" is stunning, though I cringe slightly when the beat kicks in. It is too familiar and too Annie Lennox.

Annie has never sounded so good though. The fragility of "1000 Beautiful Things", soaring vocals on "Wonderful" and the mournful lament of "The Saddest Song" highlight why Annie Lennox still holds here place in the world of music today. Her voice is perfect on every song.

The tone may be one of love lost and love thrown away, but it's not all maudlin ballads - there are a few 'rock' numbers than the mostly pessimistic track listing suggests - "Erased" in particular.

Three stars seemed a little harsh, a four seems a little generous, but the world is a better place with Annie Lennox in it, so four stars it is.

Enjoy.