Customer Reviews

Medusa

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I originally bought this album in 1995. After enjoying her previous solo album "Diva", I decided this could be a winner as well. It's actually more than a winner, a masterpiece is what this album is. A voice like Annie's is hard to beat, and this album features re-workings of classics such as 'Don't let it bring you down' (Neil Young) and Paul Simon's 'Something so Right'. Guess what? They are actually better than the originals which is a personal opinion but I am sure many would agree. Look out also for a brilliant cover of 'A Thin Line Between Love and Hate", and 'Take Me to the River'. Back in 1995 when it was released, it didn't do very well on the charts and that surprised me - it richly deserved a number one album placement. The song 'Don't let it bring you down' is featured in the 'American Beauty' film and hopefully it will lead more people to discover this masterpiece album. I only gave it 4 stars rather than 5 due to 2 tracks which seem out of place. I'll leave it up to you to work them out.

I've been a fan of the music of Annie Lennox (and her partner Dave Stewart) since the early days of the '80s band, Eurythmics. Once she said everything she could say with that musical pairing, Lennox went on to a solo career, that continued to prove she was a talented & original, consummate artist. I think, that is why so many people were rather surprised, when she came out with the 1995 CD, "Medusa", which was basically an album of 'cover' tunes. The funny thing about 'cover' albums is that it is a niche in the music industry, where artists can so easily fail and make a fools of themselves. Many cover albums have appeared in the past that are flat, uninspired and have come off as just bad 'kareoke'. This is not the case with Annie Lennox's "Medusa". She takes songs, that I'm assuming she enjoys or has in some way ment something to her and completely gives them her own original spin. In other words, she makes them her own. Case in point would be my personal favorite cut of the album, "Don't Let it Bring You Down". This Neil Young, folk-rock tune is a classic in it's own right. It takes a lot of guts (or a certain part of the lower male anatomy) to take on a tune that is so intertwined with it's creator. Yet, Lennox does it and she's quite successful. Her version isn't necessarily better, its' just that she emotionally takes the tune to such a different place. I think that this is a strategy, that Lennox uses with most of the tunes on this album and it works. Other personal favorites include beautiful and very original covers of Bob Marley's "Waiting in Vain", Procul Harem's "A Whiter Shade of Pale" and Paul Simon's "Something So Right". I particularly love Lennox's upbeat and very danceble reading of The Clash's "Train in Vain". It just makes you want to move! The one song I might have a difference with is her version of The Blue Nile's "Downtown Lights". While Lennox does a very fine reading of this really wonderful song, it just doesn't have the emotional impact of the original version. Still, this is a great CD and I would urge any music fan to make "Medusa" a permanent part of their music collection. I have and the more I play it the better it gets! Highly recommended!

I'm yet another person who was absolutely mesmerized by the song "Don't Let It Bring You Down" from the movie "American Beauty," and I wasn't a particular Eurythmics or Lennox fan in the past. I wasn't able to stay for the credits at the end of the movie, so I had to rely on the Net to learn who performed the song. Thank goodness I did NOT buy the movie soundtrack. "Don't Let It Bring You Down" isn't even on the soundtrack, and that makes absolutely NO sense!

I'm not the sentimental type, but that song nearly brought tears to my eyes w. its sheer beauty.

No matter what your listening pleasures may be, I defy anyone with a love of music not to be thoroughly intoxicated by this fabulous collection of covers. While we have all been seduced by NO MORE I LOVE YOUS in every bar, restaurant and even dentist's lounge since the album's release, there are so many more treats on this perfectly produced pop album. The arrangements reflect each original yet glimmer with their own distinctive sound, led, of course, by the supremely satisfying vocals by Annie Lennox. She truly bridges the gap between rock, pop and adult contemporary in her own niche, one that surely appeals to all. My personal favorite is WAITING IN VAIN, which has gotten me back in Bob Marley in a big way. Since I bought this CD three years ago, I rarely take it off my 5-CD carousel. It has brought me immeasurable joy and pleasure, and provides a perfect soundtrack to virtually anything you may choose to do with your time -- but every once in awhile, just sit and listen. The pleasures keep revealing themselves every time this CD spins.

Annie Lenox could sing pretty much anything and make it beautiful. In Medusa, she takes some of her favorite songs and sings fresh life into them.

I really love the first song, "No More I Love You's" - the soaring vocals are just gorgeous, and easily draw you into singing along. You move on to "Take Me To the River" which has a great techno-pop underlying to it, perfect for dancing to.

Probably everybody knows the classic original of "Whiter Shade of Pale" - but with the tinkling background and smooth vocals, this is pretty much an equal in its own way.

That's true with every song here. They all have her own interpretation on a much-loved classic. Take one of my favorites - Something so Right by Paul Simon. You'd think that Annie Lenox couldn't really improve on that - but it's not that she's "improving" here. She's telling her own story, using the same words. You get a whole new look on what is being said, and really appreciate it.

Highly recommended.

I guess I rate the longevity of music by how long I keep listening to it. I bought this album right before I went away to college failing to understand how it would impact me at the time. Since then I've downloaded it onto my computer at work, put many songs on my mp3 player and even mixed in many songs to cd's i've created for road trips or variety. I have to say this disc is perfect, and the fact that Annie pulls off these covers with such conviction suggests that she believes in every word. It was last year when I saw Serendipity and Waiting in Vain came on during a scene when I realized what a delayed effect this disc has on people. Downtown lights is still as cinematic and touching as it was when I first heard it. Don't let it bring you down, my least favourite in 1995 has since become a song I almost immediately return to each visit. No more I love you's will carry me through life I feel. I think you can feel every word on this album and relate. Having heard very few of the originals leaves little room for comparison. To me, this album is full of best friends and memories and maybe that is why it is so powerful, but it still amazes me how many years have gone by and how often I return to this disc. I am anxious for her new release and only hope that I can feel a little of that magic all over again. This album is classic and a true achievement. Too bad it took me 7 years to come up with these words.

There are not many cover albums that have the constant quality as Medusa, Annie Lennox second solo album. In the liner notes she explains that she didn't choose the songs as a concept but just because she loves them. Annie's best feature, her voice, really shines on this album. I think she is still on of the most underrated vocalists of our time, even after her recent win at the oscars for her song from the LOTR3 soundtrack. Her voice is versatile and has loads of soul in it.

The first track will sound familiar to your ears. No More "I Love You's" was the first single and a pretty big hit. It even earned her a grammy for best pop vocal. It's quite theatrical but has a beautiful melody that fits her voice perfectly.

Take Me To The River is a quick and uptempo song with strong R&B and gospel roots.

A Whiter Shade Of Pale is the weakest selection on this album but not bad by any means. It's just a bit to lightweight in my opinion.

I remember when I watched American Beauty for the first time and in the part where Lester is seducing his daughter's friend Don't Let It Bring You Down quietly starts and gives that scene an incredible atmosphere. Neil Young's original is really good and this version comes close.

Train In Vain pours over with Annie's soulfull voice. The brass section compliments this song even more.

I Can't Get Next To You is another uptempo track and has some nice Spanish guitars in it.

Downtown Lights reminds me of a nice roadtrip I had a couple of years back with a friend when I bought this album for the first time on cassette. Driving on the freeway around dusk passing all the streetlights is a sight I will not forget.

Thin Line Between Love And Hate is my personal favourite on this album. It starts a bit quiet with Annie's soft spoken voice telling a story about a couple that doesn't have a perfect relationship and the woman isn't taking it anymore. It's amazing to listen to Annie belting out the lines "come on baby baby/you don't give a damn about me/come on baby baby/you don't really care about me"

Waiting In Vain is another favourite of mine. Bob Marley's classic gets a beautiful makeover. This song contains the best lyrics on this album.

Paul Simon's Something So Right is the quiet closer on Medusa. Another lyrical highlight that sounds amazing reworked by Lennox.

Most of the time I don't like cover albums but Medusa is one of the exceptions. I even knew some of the originals before buying this record but they all got a beautiful makeover by one of the most talented voices of our time.

After watching the film American Beauty and having heard the song Don't let it bring you down in that movie, I had to buy the album. That song is my absolute favorite. And the rest is just as beautiful. Music dressed in elegance.

Few artists have pushed the boundaries of pop music more than Annie Lennox, so when I heard she was doing an album of "covers", I must admit I was disappointed. Why would such a creative force choose to rehash hits from other performers? Then, with great trepidation, I listened to MEDUSA, and all my fears we allayed. This is not your average cover album. On the contrary, MEDUSA is pure magic! The opening cut, "No More I Love You's" sets the tone, with a carnival-like atmosphere that is so unlike anything this reviewer had ever before heard, that I was forced to play this cut over and over, even before I advanced to the next song. It was pure rapture, and I was not disappointed as the remainder of the album played on. The classic "Take Me To The River" had an entirely new feel to it, as did the sometimes tired "Whiter Shade of Pale" into which Ms. Lennox breathes new life and soul. With so many strong cuts, it is hard to choose a stand-out, yet in addition to "No More I Love You's", the other favorite is "Downtown Lights". More dramatic that simple pop, these songs act as pure theatre, with Annie Lennox as the Ring Master....and Annie Lennox is one of the few current artists brilliant enough to carry it off. When you listen to MEDUSA, you will recognize the songs, but you will also hear them in a new and exciting way that transforms them into an entirely new work, filled with excitement and a fresh new spirit. This is the perfect cover album...adding new life and dimension to old classics.

More often than not, there are two types of cover tunes: note by note recreations that bring nothing new to the table, or abysmal hatchet jobs. Either way, you end up longing for the original. Annie falls into the rare category of someone who can actually put her own stamp on each and every song, and make it work. If I didn't know better, I would have thought this was an album of Lennox originals.
Someone said she brings nothing new to "Thin Line Between Love and Hate", and I have to respectfully disagree. I think she's the only artist who's ever truly sold the song's story of a neglected housewife on the verge of going postal. "No More I Love You's" is gorgeous, and my favorite track on the album.
I could go on, but you get the idea. Annie Lennox has a beautiful voice, plus something that the Jessicas, Christinas, and Kelly Clarksons of the world are sorely lacking: she has SOUL, and she does it without the vocal acrobatics. Buy this CD!