Customer Reviews

Sweet Dreams Are Made of This (Dlx)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Sweet Dreams" is one of my favourite Eurythmics releases and I've been waiting a very long time for the reissue of the back catalogue. I got my hands on this the day it was released and here's my take on it. The remastering is pristine. The expanded liner notes are a little spare on information ( and there are no lyrics, which the original cd release did have ) but contain a wealth of unseen photographs. But as others have noted, there are many B-sides missing here. I thought that what "bonus" was all about. It is nice, however, to see the B-Side "Monkey Monkey" finally on CD, despite the fact that it was mastered from a vinyl source ( I can hear the pops and clicks at the begining of the song, and it is all mid-range, with hardly any bass or treble in the mix. ) Most disappointing are the 1991 remixes of "Love Is A Stranger" and the title track. They are very badly dated; I would have preferred the original 12" mixes. Get this one for the terrific sound upgrade, but beware a few of the other Eurythmics reissues - they are a spotty lot.

With their second release, Eurythmics hit paydirt. Unfortunately, in America, the only tracks that received airplay were the hits "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" and "Love Is A Stranger". Also, any time there has been a greatest hits compilation, those are the only two songs included from this album. However, "Sweet Dreams" was so much more. As an electronic, new wave album, it definitely set itself apart from Depeche Mode, Human League, Howard Jones, Thompson Twins, Tears For Fears, OMD and the faceless others of the time.

"I Could Give You A Mirror", "Wrap It Up", "Jennifer", "This Is The House", "This City Never Sleeps", "Somebody Told Me", "I've Got An Angel" and "The Walk" all hold their own alongside the two hits. This was the first of many seamless albums from the duo. The remastering is excellent here--just listen to "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)", and the b-sides are nice. This time there is a keeper--the previously unreleased Lou Reed cover of "Satellite Of Love". Simply excellent. However, "Home Is Where The Heart Is", "Monkey Monkey" and "Baby's Gone Blue" are not bad either. I enjoyed the 1991 remixes of "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" and "Love Is A Stranger".

Dave Stewart remastered the series, and he added additional photographs taken at the time which were amusing. The liner notes cover how the album was made (amazingly on a budget of 5,000 dollars--just proving once again that passion and simplicity can make unforgettable and timeless music). The only drawback is that there are no lyrics to the songs. The old version of this album came with the lyrics.

All in all, this is a great entry in the remastered series.

Going back to this I was struck by how consistent this CD is. After this album they started doing more genre pieces and their albums seemed like (fantastic) singles plus filler--there's no overall mood. But on this one, after the silly cover of "Wrap It Up," the kind of thing they couldn't get enough of later on, it moves into this gorgeous stretch that is unbroken through the amazing "This City Never Sleeps." It's like Sade meets Nico or something, and notably lo-fi, in a cool way. After all these years of "Missionary Man" and "Diva" and all that big pop stuff, which is great but kinda blowsy, the sustained late-night mystery of this album is something that is really special and a wonder to rediscover.

Length:: 1:19 Mins

Eurythmics followed up the fragile and ethereal but somewhat inaccessible In The Garden with this album of pure pop genius. The early 1980s saw an explosion of synthesizer-driven sounds and there were other duos too, like OMD and Yazoo, but Eurythmics outlasted them all. This enhanced album contains 6 additional tracks and a booklet in a fold-out sleeve with historical notes and beautiful full colour pics.

Sweet Dreams provided Eurythmics with the commercial breakthrough in its shimmering masterpieces such as Love Is A Stranger and the dreamy title track. The videos of these two are superb too. Not all of these are flowing pop songs though; there's also the ethereal I've Got An Angel and the enervated experimental Wrap It Up, plus the more soulful outings I Could Give You A Mirror and The Walk with its great trumpet solo.

Besides the aforementioned hits, my favourites also include the atmospheric Jennifer and the elegant This Is The House with its Spanish spoken intro, its instrumental flourishes and its mood of sadness. It's true that not every single track on the original remains as memorable as the ones mentioned, but the album certainly deserves five stars for its melodic and lyrical beauty, especially with the added songs.

Of the bonus tracks, my favourites are the lilting Home Is Where The Heart Is, the Hot Remix of Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This), the Coldcut Remix of Love Is A Stranger and this awesome rendition of Lou Reed's Satellite Of Love that in its vocal style reminds one somewhat of great atmospheric tracks like Belinda from the debut album In The Garden. The classic Sweet Dreams album is now even better, revealing more of the greatness of this pioneering synth-pop band.

This Is A Amazing Album By The Eurythmics, Packed With Lots Of Fun And Funky Dance Beats Full Of Rich Textures And Moody Atmosphere. The Bonus Tracks Are A Great Addition To This Newly Re-Mastered Album, But A Few Key Tracks Are Missing From This Updated Version.

1. Let's Just Close Our Eyes. (B-Side Track)
2. I Could Give You A Mirror. (B-Side Track/Original Version)
3. The Walk. (Part II)
4. Doctor Trash. (B-Side Track)

These Song Should Have Also Been Included. Lets Hope They Will Appear On A Rarities Set.

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)

I first heard "Sweet Dreams" in a mall in Las Vegas as a teenager. I still remember stopping in my tracks and listening until the song was over. Thus began my three decade love affair with Annie Lennox (and Dave Stewart).

I loved the original lp - still have it - and I love this CD. While most of the album is not as commercial as Sweet Dreams, it is a remarkably consistant record. The songs are individually great, but somehow form a cohesive album better than the sum of it's parts. It's one of those perfect records that doesn't have any duds, and just flows from start to end. I love the cool electronic mood of the record, and I am amazed at how well this has aged over time. As always, the best instrument on the record is Annie Lennox. Annie is one of the best rock/soul singers of our time.

I enoyed this cd so much, I purchased the entire Eurythmic discography for a second time. The pictures and liner notes are wonderful, the sound is incredible, and I love the new songs. On a side note, sadly, "1984" is not included among the reissues.

There are a few minor flaws. I did think the mix of "Love Is A Stranger" sounds a bit dated and could have been better. Furthermore, when you listen to the entire disc with the additional tracks, the continuity I mentioned is somewhat lost. I usually listen to the original album or make a playlist picking and choosing from the various cuts. Those are certainly minor issues.

This CD is like a trip to the candy store for this kid. Highly recommended.

One of the most abrupt turnarounds in music history (listen to their first album, it's like an entirely different band. Remember the difference between Radioheads 'Pablo Honey' and 'The Bends'? Well, if you do, you get the idea), Sweet Dreams is an astonishing piece of 80's pop history. I am suprised how little this album has aged or how it has avoided feeling dated. Sure, there are a few sounds and synths here and there that do bring you right there, but Annie sings with such gusto, and the vocals are so upfront. A lot of music from this era have the vocals drowning in production, not so here. The songs are meaty and catchy, the elctronica works, without taking away from the rest, making the record warm and edgy at the same time. There are of course lot of moments anyone aged 11 in 1983 will remember, specialy Love is a stranger and Sweet Dreams, but I never bought this album back then, so discovering all the rest was a real treat in January 2008.

Oh, and I really enjoyed the bonus tracks on this release. The 7'' b-sides are good, even fun, and remembering buying 12'' singles, it's always a treat hearing those remixes again or for the first time!

This album is duly recommended!

Eurythmics followed up the fragile and dream-like In the Garden with this album of pure pop genius. The early 1980s saw an explosion of synthesizer-driven sounds and there were other duos too, like OMD and Yazoo, but Eurythmics surpassed them all. This enhanced album contains 6 additional tracks and a booklet in a fold-out sleeve with historical notes and beautiful full color pics.

Sweet Dreams provided Eurythmics with the commercial breakthrough in its shimmering masterpieces such as Love Is A Stranger and the oneiric title track. The videos of these two songs are superb too. Not all the tracks are flowing pop songs though; there's also the ethereal I've Got An Angel and the enervated experimental Wrap It Up, plus the more soulful outings I Could Give You A Mirror and The Walk with its great trumpet solo.

Besides the aforementioned hits, my favorites include the atmospheric Jennifer and the elegant This Is The House with its Spanish spoken intro, its instrumental flourishes and its melancholy mood. It's true that not every single track on the original remains as memorable as the ones mentioned, but the album certainly deserves five stars for its melodic and lyrical beauty, especially with the added songs.

Of the bonus tracks, the best in my opinion are the lilting Home Is Where The Heart Is, the Hot Remix of Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This), the Coldcut Remix of Love Is A Stranger and this awesome rendition of Lou Reed's Satellite of Love that in its vocal style reminds one somewhat of great atmospheric tracks like Belinda from the debut album. The classic Sweet Dreams album is now even better, revealing more of the greatness of this pioneering synth-pop band.

Of all the new remastered versions of Eurythmics albums, this is the best. First, because the original version was one of the most important releases of the 80's, and secondly, it contains the best variety of bonus tracks.

The remastering of the original tracks is superb, and the album is so deep. Aside from the hits (Love is a Stranger, Sweet Dreams), the album captures Eurythmics at their most inventive and experimental. "The Walk," "Somebody Told Me," and "I Could Give You (A Mirror)" are my favorites of the remaining tracks, but they are all strong. Song for song, this is the best album Eurythmics produced.

The bonus tracks here show even more experimentation from Dave and Annie. "Home is Where the Heart is" is one of the few of the unreleased tracks which attains the quality of their original releases. "Satellite of Love" does not reach the level of intensity of the superior live version to be found on the "Sweet Dreams" DVD, but it is better than most of the other cover songs in the reissue series.

It is amazing that this largely self-financed album, produced on an 8-track recording machine for 5000 British Pounds, sounds so full, rich and diverse. This, along with "Touch" is Eurythmics most important contribution to music. It is a must have recording.