Customer Reviews

Acoustic

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Ben Watt & Tracey Thorn spent quite a bit of time touring in the late 80s and early 90s, playing concerts to smaller audiences in theaters and similar venues all over Europe and the US. Most concerts included a purely acoustic set. By the time of this release, ebtg had quite the stable of lushly produced, beautifully orchestrated albums to their credit. The most beautiful instrument in Ben Watt's arrangements, of course, is the voice of Tracey Thorn. "Acoustic" is the prime showcase for her vocals, over and above every other ebtg release.

There is a poignancy to Thorn's vocals that demands yearning, aching, hope and solace from the listener. Her naked rendition of "Come On Home" can transmute hope to dispair or back again. Their treatment of "Tougher Than The Rest" reveals the vulnerability behind the lyric's bravado, which is nearly lost in Springsteen's own interpretation of this tune. And, of course, the album wouldn't be complete without this riveting rendition of "Fascination", one of their most-requested songs.

I will admit a bias since I've been an ebtg fan for well over ten years now, but even given that, "Acoustic" is a must-have for appreciating the musical - and emotional - chemistry between Ben & Tracey. It's what makes them work.

I heard this CD in a cafe and immediately fell in love with it. In a place I usually ignore the music in favour of conversation with friends, with every song we both became more determined to find this for ourselves. Beautiful harmony and vocals.

The absolute reason that Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn have staying power is clearly evidenced in this set. Inspired by and taken from their Acoustic concerts, "Acoustic" is a treasure. While many of their comtemporaries had opted to burn intensely for the pinnacle of fame, EBTG has, instead, gone the more daring route. They stay low-key and craft their music with care. Sure... it may not be the best way to get rich, but it is their public who is richer for holding on as EBTG takes you on the ride. Each album introduces the listener to what really makes EBTG tick- Ben and Tracey are music lovers themselves. Their talent lies in their ability to recognise a good melody and a meaningful lyric and make it perfect. Whether covering another artist's song or revisiting their own classics, EBTG excels in their sheer musicianship. Tracey has never sounded better. Her vocals are raw and exposed, giving the listener the chance to really FEEL the words she is singing. There is not a bad cut on this disc, and I am thrilled that, for once, the US market was not stiffed. We actually came out ahead as the acoustic studio tracks were only released as an EP in the UK. The rest of the tracks- the live versions, etc. were culled from various odds and ends in the vault.

Treat yourself to an amazing musical and emotion-filled hour with EBTG. You won't be sorry. This what REAL music is all about. Also check out: HOME MOVIES: the best of EBTG, WORLDWIDE, AMPLIFIED HEART, WALKING WOUNDED and TEMPERAMENTAL. These are among the best of their offerings and a good way to experience their broad musical palette.

This is my 2nd, instrument arranged, EBTG album, and it is as its titled, ACOUSTIC. They do a few covers & a few originals, all with acoustic guitar, piano and some songs have a lite, jazzy like drumming to them in the background. You get to hear Ben & Tracy singing, and there are 2 live tracks which are beautiful. So far the song that is stuck in my head is "Driving" which is Tracy singing to the Piano, spellbinding.
Its the perfect complament to there Amplified Heart, only with less drums and more vocals.
I LOVE it.

For the first few listenings of the very subdued and eloquent Acoustic the covers caught all my attention. They are well-selected. Love is Strange from the near dawn of rock and roll still sounds fresh as Mickey and Sylvia sang it, but this update proves that the song transcends time and place. Tougher than the Rest is one of the Boss' less overexposed songs and Girl brings out all its determined beauty. Time After Time? Well, whether it's this version, Lauper's original, Eva Cassidy's or the Strictly Ballroom soundtrack, they're all worth hearing time after time. Alison is another inspired pick and while I prefer Rod Stewart's version of Downtown Train for its edginess, Girl gives the song a softness that also works.

Those five songs are so diverse and superb that they still dominate the collection, but two of the originals come close to their quality. One Place praises the joys of being anchored in a race-around life, Apron Strings does the same for a family life not lived. Both are memorable and grow with each listening. Me and Bobby D is not quite there yet, but it's starting to assert itself too.

I was copying some tracks off of my copy of this CD to send as part of a wide ranging "collection" to a friend who's currently deployed.
I happened to read an online review which said "Acoustic is a pleasant sounding, inessential Everything But the Girl album".

Well, it's most certainly not. It's beautiful.

"Acoustic" by 'Everthing But the Girl' is one of those CDs that just picks you up no matter what kind of mood your in or day you've had. It is a mixture of acoustic renditions of both original and cover tunes.These songs are done with an adherence to simplicity and beauty. Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn use nothing more then a guitar, piano and those beautiful harmonizing vocals. Many performers in the past have attempted to do 'covers' albums and they often fall flat on their faces, because they can do no more then attempt to reproduce the originals.That is not the case with this album. Ben and Tracey take these covers (everything from Bruce Springsteen to Elvis Costello) and deconstruct these songs and make them their own. You get the feeling that these two performers really love these tunes and sing and play them with a sense of truth, honesty and conviction that comes from the heart.A good example of this is the old tune "Love is Strange", which Tracey and Ben sing with such a sense of naivete'and wonderment.I also really enjoyed the acoustic renditions of the group's original music. My personal favorites include the very emotional reading of "Come on Home" (what an amazing vocal!) and also a very entertaining and fun, "Me and Bobby D". I can't say I know 'Everything But Girl's' catalog well enough (but that will soon change!)to make comparisons to the original versions. I will tell you, that as a whole this is an amazing album, that you will listen to over and over again.

this rather bittersweet (raw) album is full of truth and heart and knowledge. their cover of elvis costello's "alison" is superb, rivalling even the original. the gel of their voices is like syrup, coating everything and all. the fact that this album is not necessarily orchestrated, not necessarily crafted makes it perhaps that much better. the harmony is comforting. these two people are smart and they can sing. play this album at night, in the dark, a shot of malibu at your side, and delve into the somewhat dark underworld of acoustic/pop that is everything but the girl in this instance.

EBTG has always been talented, vocally and lyrically they consistently transcend other singer-songrwriters. However, their earliest albums have all suffered from a very overproduced and dated sound. Acoustic finally allows the lyrics and vocals to take stage, unencumbered. The arrangments of the covers are so dyamic, it is easy to forget that they are not uniquely EBTG's. The orignals stand even stronger, Driving and Come on Home may be two of the most beautiful songs ever written.
Acoustic is a timeless, lovely album. This is a must have.

EBTG is now known primarily as a dance act after their brilliant single "Missing" was remixed. Before that song, however, the group recorded many acoustic masterpieces, such as this CD. The first 5 songs are a collection of excellently chosen covers by Cyndi Lauper, Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, and Mickey and Sylvia. The Mickey and Sylvia selection (Love is Strange) is particularly unexpected and wonderful. It fits nicely alongside the more contemporary songs. The remaining songs are EBTG originals and stand up well with the other, better known material. This song is so gentle that it plays like an adult set of lullabies. Slip it on your CD player when you're in a mellow mood.