Customer Reviews

Songs of Mass Destruction

5 star:		(85)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I've been a fan of Annie Lennox since her first Eurythmics album. She's still at the top of her game. Her voice is strong, and each track is a pleasure to listen to (remarkable since she wrote every song). She is a major talent, sorely needed in today's sorry music industry.

This special edition contains an extra disc, which repeats the entire album, and has Lennox comment on each and every song (similar to a director providing commentary to a movie). I believe this is the first time an artist had done this. There is also a music video for Dark Road, but it can ONLY be accessed with a computer.

I confess, I have a special place for Annie Lennox in my music collection. I admit my bias. After all, I was drawn to her from the first note of "Sweet Dreams" in the summer of 1983 at the tender age of 10. From then on, no matter what my peers said, I stuck with the Eurythmics through thick and thin. I saw them in concert at age 11 in the summer of 1984 for the "Touch" tour, with Howard Jones opening for them. I saw them again, at age 13, in the summer of 1986 for the "Revenge" tour. I stuck with them as "Savage" failed in America, and "We Two Are One" barely made a dent. I was disappointed when Dave and Annie split, but happy when Annie released "Diva", a near perfect album. Happy again when the Eurythmics reunited in 1999 for "Peace". And so on and so forth.

"Songs Of Mass Destruction" is by far Annie's best solo work since "Diva". It's her most consistent, diverse and confident work since "Diva". "Bare" was somewhat depressing and slow, but Annie definitely bounces back here.

Where to start? There are five upbeat tracks and six ballads. I liked all five upbeat tracks "Love Is Blind", "Ghosts In My Machine", "Womankind", "Coloured Bedspread" and "Sing". My favorites being the defiant "Ghosts In My Machine" and "Love Is Blind". I haven't heard Annie rail against personal demons like this since "Savage". "Coloured Bedspread" harkens back to "Sweet Dreams".

The six ballads "Dark Road", "Smithereens", "Through The Glass Darkly", "Lost", "Big Sky" and "Fingernail Moon" are pretty solid. My favorites being the moving "Dark Road" and "Lost" (which is featured prominently during the end credits of the film "In The Valley Of Elah", which is also very good I might add). If I have any complaints it would be the weaker ballads "Through The Glass Darkly", "Big Sky" and "Fingernail Moon". All three tracks were okay, but didn't quite make the cut for me.

At 52, Annie has made a very good album. Better than 2003's "Bare" and 1995's "Medusa", but not quite "Sweet Dreams", "Touch", "Be Yourself Tonight" or "Savage". I give it four and a half stars. If you like Annie, or you like the Eurythmics, you should get "Songs Of Mass Destruction". I think some Grammys are in order here.

Alright, first, it needs to be said that reviews on Amazon are supposed to be voted on by "WAS IT HELPFUL" in your decision to purchase. It isn't really meant to be "I already own it and loved/hated it--so this review is bad/good." Having said this--some of the reviews I have read herein are real stunners. We cannot usually listen to something ONCE in a store music cubicle and write a review or even make a decision.

I am a serious Annie Lennox fan and collector of 24 years(I have it ALL!)and am also in a place to be surrounded by extraordinary music (I am the personal assistant of vocal legend Yma Sumac) and know good from bad musically. And 'Songs of Mass Destruction' does NOT disappoint.

Many Lennox fans or passing admirers are addicted to her early 80's days of electro-pop (I adore it as well!) but we must understand that we all grow (or should!) and times change! And the artist changes! Lennox has NEVER made music for mass appeal or radio play or to be popular. She is less interested (based on my decades of research)in making you DANCE, than she is in making you FEEL or identify in some way.

SONGS OF MASS DESTRUCTION is one of those very rare albums where you can't only choose a few good songs as "the best". Each track has something considerably special about it. There are very upbeat tracks, some Delta blues kind of songs and some intensely sentimental slower tracks. Unlike many other singers (including opera singers) whose voices weaken by their 50's, Annie's has gone very much the other direction! That's amazing! Her voice is stronger and more clear than ever on this CD. Her vocals SOAR with great strength on 'Through the Glass Darkly' and it should be noted that on this album she experiemnts with higher registers than ever before (namely on 'Fingernail Moon' and the exceptional 'Big Sky'). Everyone I know, is INSANE over 'Ghosts in My Machine' and I have not yet heard feedback on the bumping-pumping 'Sing!' but I love it. The angry and fed-up "Love is Blind" (which is not really about love, as much as how damned hard life can be sometimes!) is not for the generally jovial! I could go on and on, but you get the idea. There is so much offered on this CD! I do recommend it.

Now this NOT recommended for the "Gimme, Gimme More" Britney Spears listener, who wants "a good beat so you can DANCE to it!" Dumbed-down lyrics are not Lennox's specialty! This is for people, perhaps a little over 25, who have had a little more time to really experience life's up and downs (not to say that all ages can't enjoy it or identify in some way). I cannot help but feel that women and gay men will somehow feel closer to this album.

Ok, so I have both the standard and Deluxe editions. Below are my negative and positive thoughts on the item:

Positive:
- Booklet has 19 pages compared to the 12-page booklet in the standard edition
- There are more photographs in this one, than the standard edition
- The booklet is connected to the package itself, meaning less damage
- You get 2 discs for only a few dollars more than the standard edition
- The deluxe edition is very slimine and fits into a protective plastic mini-lp CD sleeve

Negative:
- The CDs are subject to scratches while removing or inserting them into the cardboard package due to lack of protective plastic inner sleeves

My feelings on the album itself:
As I said in the review of the standard edition...SOMD is very powerful music. Annie has weaved for us, a spectrum, an array of colors, mood and emotion. As with DIVA and BARE, SOMD tells an emotional rollercoaster of a story of its own, although it's far less grumpy or sad as BARE. Whether Annie croons, drops to a soft whisper or just plain belts it out in her clear alto style, I love every song, now that I've heard the album enough. I still think "Coloured Bedspread" is my favorite, because it's mysterious, sensual and upbeat with an Eurythmics edge. The song in particular caught my attention and I added it to my ipod playlist instantly. "Dark Road" is the perfect opener for SOMD because of the marriage between "stepping on eggshells" feel, as well as the rock-chick edge Annie gives it when the organ & guitar come in about 3/3 of the way through the song. Couldn't have a better Glen Ballard edge to it, if you ask me.

Am not sure whether the album would've sounded any different with Stephen Lipson as producer, cos Annie's quite the powerhouse no matter whom she's working with. Annie's a genius when it comes to writing music/singing and dressing up as well. I simply adore the photos in the booklet and appreciate having more to look at when I open the booklet of the deluxe edition, regardless if it's glued to the packaging or not. After 3 solo albums, this is how I rate Annie's albums:
DIVA
SOMD
BARE
MEDUSA

BARE was raw, gloomy and vengeful. DIVA was exquisite, romantic and lovely. MEDUSA was a mishmash of everything while SOMD frees Annie of her saddened thoughts and showcases her powerful range and stellar songwriting talents. Annie always speaks her mind and sings it too. SOMD is such a strong CD and it sucked me in deep, though BARE and DIVA controlled my emotions many, many times. Upon listening to "Sing" for the 1st time, I was bored and wanted to skip it. But I listened to the entire album twice over and quite enjoy this song with its catchy chorus line. So much time & love went into the making of the song, and you can hear Madonna's voice in verse 2. "Fingernail Moon" inspired me to want to go look out my window at the moon and think in wonder. "Smithereens" is my 2nd favorite track on the album because of the heavy piano arrangement, paired together with Annie's clear, no-nonsense alto pipes. All the songs i haven't mentioned are fine just the way they are. There's no filler here. You should buy the Deluxe Edition because it's wonderful, and in time, it'll grow on you if you're not loving it already.

Bonus Features include an interactive menu with the choice of Audio or Video commentary + the video of Dark Road. There is a photogallery with 3 photos and links as well. I personally enjoyed listening to Annie's commentary on my discman because I'm better at listening to her speak than watching her.

SOMD (Annie's 4th Solo Recording) is a very powerful album and definitely worth the wait. I've been a fan of Annie's singing since way back in the early 80s'. As all AL's songs have, SOMD strikes right where a song should, track-wise. Track 8 (Coloured Bedspreads) really stands out and caught my attention...and I truly believe it could/should be Annie's next single. The arrangements in this particular song are dramatic and edgy, which remind me very much of "How Long" from the Eurythmics CD "We too are one".

Over the years, Annie's styles have evolved and I simply adore all 4 solo albums. With Bare and SOMD, Annie uses more of her upper range, which is jsut as powerful, clear and edgy. Her voice still sends chills when I listen to SOMD, and her lyrics are chilling and clever. That's why the woman is a living legend. She makes being an music industry icon look so easy. SOMD has an edge which her previous albums lacked, and the album as a whole, continues where Bare left off. Obviously having Glen Ballard as an inspiring producer has helped.

Since "Dark Road" was available for download online, I've had it on my myspace page...and the song really set the soundscape of my mood and my page for the past few weeks. "DR" is the perfect opener for SOMD and I believe Annie will gain many new fans because of this beautiful song and video.

Package-wise, here's what you'll find:
The cd comes in a jewel case with a 12-page booklet. The inside (traycard) has no artwork, so the cd is resting on a dark brown, almost black background. The booklet is fully illustrated, featuring full lyrics & song credits. The recent photos we've seen of Annie on the net are NOT in the booklet. But the 3 photos you'll find in the booklet are all based upon the artwork/style of the front cover. I think these photos are beautiful and showcase Annie as she's rarely been seen before. Dressed in a large tulle gown with gold lamé halter top, she's looking splendid and fierce. Annie is unlike any other artist in the current music industry, to the point where you can't tell her age. Only Annie can play around with such clever imagry and such.
Photography: Mike Owen
Design: Allan Martin

Emotionally charged, song after song, SOMD pumps out nothing but pure brilliance. Filled with pain and the power to overcome it all, Annie knows how to use her singing/songwriting gift to its fullest potential. Since 2003, she's only proven to us that she's gotten better with time. None of the material on SOMD is transparent or commercial. Everything hits home right where it should. Each song tells its story and has a strong purpose and place on the album. SOMD goes to all four corners of the music spectrum and back, allowing us a fair taste of Annie's fierceness and softer, velvet-smooth side.

Fierce is the exact word to describe Annie at this point in her career. Just by looking at the photo of her in the middle of the booklet, you'll see what I mean. Spread the word and buy this album for your family and friends. It's not a forgettable album and is certainly one of those gems which will quickly grow on you. SOMD definitely deserves more than 5 stars.

It is certainly heartening to know that any day Annie Lennox decides to step into the recording studio, she'll be able to delight her fans and the world with her words and melody.

Dark Road opens with its sunken melancholic before breaking into a rapturous bridge then closing with the quiet calm it began with. Such is a display of the multitudes of emotion Lennox is capable of packing in. On songs like Womankind and the archetypical anti-HIV/AIDS tribute, Lennox attempts to sing about female empowerment and knowledge, resulting in two gorgeous anthems. The latter, ambitiously includes the backing vocals of 23 female artists and a resounding sign-off that features a short African interlude. On other tracks (Big Sky, Lost), Lennox touches on love, loss, and hurt like no one else ever knew.

At her most experimental, Lennox shows her mastery. Through the Glass Darkly (probably inspired by Jostein Gaarder) begins like a piece of Zero 7 while Coloured Bedspread is a damn fine electronic synth track destined for the clubs.

Of course, Lennox's deep haunting voice is never compromised throughout the album.

If there's one album (along with Feist's The Reminder and Radiohead's In Rainbow) you have to listen to in 2007, Songs of Mass Destruction is the one that serves to add some soul into music.

The Deluxe edition includes extensive commentary of each song by Lennox herself as well as the video for Dark Road. If you get the Barnes and Noble exclusive edition, there's two bonus tracks - the acoustic version of Dark Road which features an entirely different arrangement to the original and Don't Take Me Down. Worth the money for fans.(A)

I grew to love Annie Lennox only a few years ago but have been reluctant to actually buy her CD's fearing maybe I would only like one or two of the tracks. Clearly the risk and gamble I took with Songs of Mass Destruction paid off. Each song is special, unique to only Ms Lennox, mixed with meaningful lyrics and soulful spirit. I'm actually short for words for once in my life...just buy this, you won't be sorry you did, and you will surely get many years of listening pleasure.

PS. Isn't she beautiful too? The Britneys of the music scene today can never come close to this kind of raw talent in my humble opinion.

This is a terrific release by one of the most dynamic and interesting artists working today. No longer the brash and shocking young lady of the early 80's new wave movement, Annie is now a mature, thoughtful, somewhat world weary woman singing with a new depth of feeling and experience. She is no less provocative than in her Eurythmics days, indeed some of her new songs smack you right between the eyes with a force and power she could have never achieved twenty years ago.

The title of the album gives fair warning; there are songs of loss, sadness and pain, as well as hope, joy and indomitable spirit. But her observations on the world around us; on subjects like war, love, poverty, aids, truth, lies, and ever changing relationships are at once touching, powerful, and ultimately beautiful.

The opening song, DARK ROAD is, in her own words, a metaphor for the journey of life. We can only see dimly what lies ahead of us as we travel this road. If we pay attention along the way, we are likely to see many terrible and wonderful things.

Annie is a stunningly gorgeous and talented woman whose remarkable gifts have afforded her the privilege of going places and seeing things many of us will never experience. It is a testament to her intelligence and spirit that she hasn't taken the easy path so many others may have when writing these songs. She hasn't barraged us with poppy, vacuous tunes tailor made for top 40 radio ubiquity, nor has she tried to convince us that life is an endless party for the elite; a party most of us will never be invited to attend. Instead, she has chosen to create lasting and meaningful art that touches us at our deepest levels and, heaven forbid, actually makes us think and feel.

An excellent album - in my opinion the best of her career.

Based on the lead single "Dark Road" - the best Tori Amos song Tori Amos never wrote - I'd expected this album would be infused with the desolate mood Lennox had drenched her prior album (2003's exceedingly personal Bare) with. I'd enjoyed Bare, but it's a tough listen, very raw and very dark, exploring the deepest recesses of the depressive side of Lennox's manic-depressive personality. It was a bit too much for some longtime fans, and the somewhat dated and maudlin production from Stephen Lipson probably didn't help (in all fairness, the album had been written and recorded over the better part of the decade prior to its release).

So imagine how surprised I was when the second track off Songs of Mass Destruction, the uptempo "Love Is Blind," came blasting out of my stereo. Ahhh, Manic Annie, we missed you girl! Lennox hasn't sounded this manic about her depression since Eurythmics' 1987 album Savage, and her theatricality is a welcome change following the earnestness of Bare. Sure Bare was moving, but it wasn't exactly an enjoyable exploration of depression, betrayal and self-doubt in the tradition of older Lennox songs like "Little Bird", "Walking On Broken Glass" or "Would I Lie To You?". Glen "Alanis Morissette" Ballard's meaty production helps take "Love Is Blind" exactly where it needs to go, although truth be told his work isn't far from where Lipson left off, and ends up sounding a lot like Dave Stewart's work with Lennox in many spots (it especially recalls Eurythmics' 1999 album Peace, only here the songs themselves are much stronger). Ultimately, Annie appears to be the primary architect of her sound, a fact which stands in stark contrast to traditional critical assumptions, which cast her as a puppet under the control of Svengali-like producers. Hardly.

But Ballard does bring with him a far more traditional rock sound than has ever been employed on Lennox's work before. Nowhere is that more obvious - or effective - than on "Smithereens", a slow-building ballad which is one of the finest tracks Lennox has written to date. Stripped of any quirky production gimmickry Stewart or Lipson might have employed, "Smithereens" takes flight as a straight-ahead, pedal-to-the-metal rock ballad. Lennox employs many of the dramatic vocal shifts on the song that she's been fond of since 1999's Peace, but her singing here is less (deliberately, one would assume) flat than it was on that release (or on Bare), and her vocals somewhat less strident. She's also using more of her lower registers - especially in her multitracked harmonies - than she has since Medusa over a decade ago. The result is the vocal equivalent of a face-lift, with Lennox sounding about a decade younger and hitting her targets in a way she hasn't since 1992's Diva. It's an absolute joy hearing her sing this way again.

"Ghosts In My Machine" is another uptempo track which recalls Eurythmics' middle period and albums like Be Yourself Tonight and Revenge. Even the production is a little quirky, combining accordions with a grinding electronic bass. Her voice is somewhat more ragged and strident here in the verses, but it works with the material and she continues to make good use of her upper and lower registers. She certainly sounds like she broke a sweat recording this one, which is something you can't say about most if not all of her past few releases. And the energy persists on the next track, "Womankind", which in spite of its title is less of a feminist anthem and more about the desire for a partner - Lennox making the personal political. It's catchy, and features a cacophony of vocal tics that could only come from Annie Lennox, in addition to an effective little guest rap.

Next come two moody ballads, "Through A Glass Darkly" and "Lost". "Darkly" is an almost eerie work, heavily electronic compared to its surroundings, and wouldn't have sounded out of place on Peace (where it would have been a highlight). "Lost" is equally eerie, and may be the most political track on the album with its references to planes in the night and marching drums. Lennox tests the limits of the upper reaches of her voice in a song that's reminiscent of multilayered vocal tracks off of Bare like "A Thousand Beautiful Things".

"Coloured Bedspread" follows, and it's a blast straight outta 1984, like an unreleased B-side to "Here Comes The Rain Again" or Annie Lennox as produced by the Pet Shop Boys. You apparently don't need Dave Stewart to make a Eurythmics record! It's interesting to hear her sing in a way she hasn't really utilized much in the past decade or so, a sort of Teutonic soul goddess. When the song hits its bridge Lennox delivers a vocal freakout straight out of "I Could Give You (A Mirror)" off of Sweet Dreams and every hair on the back of my neck stands on end. Who says you can't go home again? "Coloured Bedspread" probably should have been the last track on the album, as it might be as much a prologue as a flashback, with Lennox expressing a desire to release a dance record in recent interviews.

"Sing" follows, with its much-hyped chorus featuring just about every female singer in the western world, none individually identifiable ("We Are The World" this ain't). Advance word was that this track is a disaster, but I absolutely love it. Lyrically it's reminiscent of anthemic early Eurythmics tracks (like "Sweet Dreams") - musically it's more like mid-period Eurythmics - but the result is extremely catchy. Madonna gets a whole verse to herself, but she should have declined the offer to participate. You can't help but compare her voice side by side to Annie's, and it's like comparing a wrecked, rusted Yugo to a Porsche 911. Poor Madge. Her delivery is so monotone it's clear she isn't even trying, but kudos to her for participating (her monotone delivery actually works well for her verse) and to Annie for assembling a track that at least tries to bring attention to a specific issue (mother to child HIV transmission in South Africa) that could theoretically be resolved.

"Big Sky" and "Fingernail Moon" finish up the album. The former is a dramatic, vaguely hip-hop influenced ballad - the tinkly toy piano sample is very old school - while the latter is a somewhat rambling downtempo album closer that would have been at home on Bare, although it's a bit more theatrical than most of that record. "Big Sky" is the more successful of the two, an intrinsically better song with a more engaging performance - it's a pity Nina Simone isn't around anymore to cover it, as it seems almost tailor made for her voice and her delivery.

Lyrically this album isn't Lennox's strongest work, although there does seem to be some attempt to draw parallels between personal and political relationships (hence the album's deliciously cheeky title). My only real complaint with Songs of Mass Destruction is that the audio has had the dynamic range compressed right out of it, with many of the tracks sounding distorted as a result. The record has virtually no dynamic range, especially the uptempo numbers. This is a common complaint on albums released over the past 5 years or so though, and I blame the record companies for this, not the artists who presumably have little say in the matter.

Her contract's up with this record, so I'm guessing she goes for Prince-like one-record distribution deals with labels going forward. As Lennox has more money than God she can afford all the studio time, producers and musicians in the world, although since she owns her own studio and plays many of her own instruments she doesn't really have much need of either. Whether it's a dance record or an acoustic folk number it should be interesting to see exactly what Lennox wraps her exquisite pipes around next. Marianne Faithful once said of Lennox that there was no one like her before, and there's been no one like her since. Songs Of Mass Destruction makes this abundantly clear, and it's heartening to see that Lennox still has an ample supply of creativity and plenty of energy left to utilize it.

As a Eurythmics/Annnie fan from the early 80's, I learned a long time ago to never compare newest albums to previous works?

Why?

Because Annie is an artist who is always evolving. Eurythimics started out with synth pop/new wave and evolved into harder Rock. It would be hard to imagine a group or artist other than Eurythmics/Annie Lennox putting out the synth songs on "Touch" ("Regrets", etc) as being the same artists who then delivered the hard hitting rock of "Would I lie to you?" on their next major album, "Be yourself tonight".

I don't compare "Songs of Mass Destruction" to "Diva", "Medusa" or "Bare".

Each one of them showcases a uniquely gifted singer at different stages in her personal life. I've been impressed with every album. There are songs on each that are classics to me.

"Cold" and "Legend in my livingroom" and, of course, "Why", stood out for me on "Diva".

I loved "Medusa". Too many people dismiss it as a "cover" album. Well, Annie's "cover" album was far superior to the "new" music that most other artists were and still are making

Her rendition of "Train in Vain" still blows me away today.

Same with "Whiter Shade of Pale".

And of course,"No more I Love You's".

"Bare" was astounding in it's honesty.

When she hits that high note in "Wonderful", I get chills down my spine. And maybe some were turned off by the darkness of this album..but I was impressed by the songwriting. "Don't want to need you, but it's where I'm at". Genius, pure genius.

"Loneliness" was mesmerizing.

"1000 Beautiful Things". I dare any other artist to do a recording THAT complex.

And now this album...Wow!

There wasn't as much "production" on this album.

Gone are Annie's overlapping harmonies..singing with herself, which I admit I love. She does it better than anyone. This album is alot more raw in it's production. Her voice is as smooth, strong and beautiful as ever but more bare than it was on "Bare". I'm sure the irony didn't elude her.


She's in a different place in her life but she's still Annie.

"Fingernail Moon" is gorgeous.

I love "Dark Road". Can't get it out of my head.

Same with the chorus from "Sing".

"Coloured Bedspread" will be mixed and become a top dance hit. Trust me.

"Ghosts in my machine" evokes "Touch" era Eurythmics but more mature.

"Lost" is mesmerizing and then haunting and then almost surreal. I love that she takes chances. No one else would dare to sound almost crazed on a song..except maybe Kate Bush.

"Through the glass darkly"...a showcase for the undeniable strength of Lennox's contralto.

With all said, I love this album and don't judge it by her previous works. I wish everyone would acknowledge and respect that Lennox is one artist who isn't grinding out the same old "hooks" that sold previous records. She's an artist with integrity who is always willing to try something new.

The one thing you can always count on though is that magnificent voice.

And see her live, if you get the chance. Beg, borrow or steal to do it. If her album didn't impress you. Her live performance will. She's one of the best live performers of our lifetime!