Idlewild [Original recording reissued]

Everything But the Girl | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: 1988
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued
• Label: Sire / London/Rhino
• ASIN: B000002LE7
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,867 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. I Don't Want to Talk About It

2. Love Is Here Where I Live

3. These Early Days

4. I Always Was Your Girl

5. Oxford Street

6. The Night I Heard Caruso Sing

7. Goodbye Sunday

8. Shadow on a Harvest Moon

9. Blue Moon Rose

10. Tears All over Town

11. Lonesome for a Place I Know

12. Apron Strings

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

Everything but the Girl have always taken a languid approach to their music, but they were at their most sublime on Idlewild. Produced by the duo's own Ben Watt, the music is stripped down to the bare minimum--a rhythm, a melody, and Tracy Thorn's divine voice--yet somehow they make it feel lush. Some of EBTG's most affecting songs are on Idlewild: Thorn's adolescent reminiscence in "Oxford Street"; "The Night I Heard Caruso Sing," Watt's ode to father and (someday) son in which he explains that the great tenor is "almost as good as Presley"; the tale of friendship in "Blue Moon Rose"; and "Apron Strings," a song of love and loss. EBTG are just as touching on Amplified Heart and Acoustic, but Idlewild is a classic in its own right. --Randy Silver

Product Description

Japanese reissue, featuring a miniature LP sleeve of the original artwork. Tracks are to mirror the US pressing. Originally released in 1988. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I simply never tire of it...., August 14, 2001

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Idlewild (Audio CD)

One of the few albums I heard playing in a record store and bought on the spot, knowing nothing of the group. That was, oh, ten years ago, and I return to it regularly. For simple pleasure and for consistant quality in lyric and melody, it is hard to find a more pleasent listen. I would name my favorite tracks, but it speaks to the album that any given track can be a favorite depending on mood. Beautiful, thoughtful, witty.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best cd they ever made, October 10, 2005

By 

Van's fan "gloria_in_dc" (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Idlewild (Audio CD)

This is one of my top three cds, ever. And I own over 900.


I never tire of this music. It is the echo of my youth and the whisper of my future. "Then someone sat me down last night, and I heard Caruso sing" comes from one of the most hauntingly beautiful songs ever written, in my humble opinion. And if you don't agree, that's fine because this disc will still be the one for which I reach on those evenings when I'm not sure what mood I'm in but I do know that I need soothed.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Favorite For Years, September 27, 2001

By 

R. D. Hanson "rdhanson1" (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Idlewild (Audio CD)

Granted, it's not macho music, but this album is one of the best for when you want unwind. My favorite EBTG song is "Twin Cities" on "Worldwide," but this is a better CD. The music may be quiet, but the lyrics are strong. It's pop music at it's best: it connects a large audience with a message or story or image.