EURYTHMICS - SWEET DREAMS (ARE MADE OF THIS)

I think this was the first essential Eurythmics cd of the 80s. The first release was rather lackluster and acoustic. This release was responsible for their first top 40 hit in the states. And it marked the beginning of a love affair with America that lasts to this very day.

Annie Lennox is an exciting vocalist. She's got amazing expression and Dave Stewart can write some off beat interesting songs that lend themselves perfectly to her style. They're an interesting duo. This is another one of those discs I can put in and listen to from start to finish. It's great all the way through. There's an intensity to the way Stewart composes music. The bass and rhythm section are usually fairly strong and drive the momentum of the song forward in a surprising way. When you couple it with Annie's expressively animated vocals, you come up with songs that seem more like scenes from a modern day musical. The stories are interesting and timely.

The opening track sets the darker tone for the album. Using a stranger with candy metaphor for love. It's a dangerous thing that can really mess you up if you're not careful. Both 'Wrap It Up' and 'I Could Give You (A Mirror)' are favs of mine. 'Sweet Dreams' is the chart topping hit, while 'This Is The House' infuses a latin flare to the duo's sound. The final track, 'This City Never Sleeps' is a mysterious and moody piece that effectively conveys the feeling of sleeping in a big city. It soothes and settles as well as unnerves. It's a complex piece and promises a diverse subject matter from future releases. In sum, this disc is an invitation to embrace and absorb the sound of a rising power in popular music. It's a classic 80s and Eurythmics album everyone should own. If you only buy one Eurythmics disc... This is the one. My final word: ESSENTIAL.

EURYTHMICS - SWEET DREAMS (ARE MADE OF THIS)
01. Love Is A Stranger
02. I've Got An Angel
03. Wrap It Up
04. I Could Give You (A Mirror)
05. The Walk
06. Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
07. Jennifer
08. This Is The House
09. Somebody Told Me
10. This City Never Sleeps