Customer Reviews

The Ultimate Collection

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Eurythmics singles were always much better than the complete albums they came from and The Ultimate Collection gathers together their greatest hits plus two new songs. "Here Comes The Rain Again" is their finest moment and one of the best singles from the 80's. "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" was their lone number one single and is a great synth-pop song while "Would I Lie To You?" has a crunching guitar riff and blazing horn section. "I Saved The World Today" from their late 90's comeback album is a beautiful track. The two new songs open and close the album. The upbeat "I Got A Life" is the opener and better of the two songs with a downcast "Was It Just Another Affair" closing out the album. The Eurythmics made some of the 80's most intelligent and best produced songs and they still hold up twenty years later.

Okay, the best part about this second hits collection is that all the songs are digitally remastered, that it includes "17 Again" and "I Saved The World Today" from their last cd "Peace" and that it includes two new tracks, "I've Got A Life" and "Was It Just Another Love Affair?", Dave and Annie's first music together in six years. Also, on one disc you have 19 songs and 80 minutes of music for good value, plus the lyrics to all the songs are included.

Now the bad part. There really should be an ESSENTIAL Eurythmics compilation consisting of two discs, so as to cover all the hits plus all the great album cuts. For example, this compilation left out "Never Gonna Cry Again", "Take Me To Your Heart" and "Belinda" from their 1981 debut "In The Garden". Take your pick of songs from their 1982 sophomore effort "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)". The only tracks included here are the title track and "Love Is A Stranger". Same could be said of their third album "Touch". There were other great songs on that album. There are no tracks from their soundtrack album to "1984 For The Love Of Big Brother". They ought to include "Sexcrime (1984)", "Julia", "For The Love Of Big Brother" and "Doubleplusgood".

There were other solid tracks from 1985's "Be Yourself Tonight" such as "Conditioned Soul" and "I Love You Like A Ball And Chain". 1986's "Revenge" is sufficiently covered. "Savage" is woefully under-represented leaving out "Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)", "I've Got A Lover (Back In Japan)", "Shame" and "Brand New Day". For some strange reason there are NO songs from 1989's "We Too Are One" album. They should include "The King And Queen Of America", "Don't Ask Me Why", "Angel" and then there's "My My Baby's Gonna Cry", "How Long?" and "When The Day Goes Down".

While we're at it, why not include some solo work like the Annie Lennox/Al Green 1988 cover of "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" or "Love Song For A Vampire" from 1992's "Dracula". There are some good Dave Stewart solo tracks as well from his four solo albums. Why not include Annie's "Why", "Walking On Broken Glass", "Little Bird", "No More 'I Love You's'" and "Pavement Cracks".

All I'm saying is that this could have been better for fans and for casual listeners. There are no extensive liner notes or chart information included in the booklet. As it stands, "I've Got A Life" is great, but too bad it won't get the radio play it deserves, and "Was It Just Another Love Affair" is good retro-seventies r&b fodder. So, let me be clear, the Eurythmics get five stars, but whoever put this compilation together receives three stars for lack of effort grade. I should give an F grade to lack of research and conciseness. With all the fad being two disc, career spanning hits collections these days, this was a great error.

Had this superbly remastered and attractively packaged greatest hits CD from Eurythmics included at least "Don't Ask Me Why" or "Angel" from their album "We Too Are One" (from which no songs were included), I would have rated this 5 stars. Other than that, no complaints about this compilation of fantastic, cutting-edge pop classics. The two new tracks "I've Got A Life" and "Was It Just Another Love Affair?" only show how time has strengthened Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox's somgwriting prowess. Buy this CD and check out all their remastered album CDs as well, all containing exclusive bonus tracks.

I've always been a fan of Annie Lennox's voice, so as I got older I not only enjoyed her solo work, but the work she'd done with Dave Stewart (excellent producer!). Seeing as how there has been a resurgence in 1980's music, the Eurythmics finally got onto the train, reissuing all eight of their studio albums from 1981 through 1999. Along with that, they reissued their hits package.

Originally there were two hits compilations: the U.S. version of 1991's "Greatest Hits" focusing exclusively on their U.S. singles & the U.K. version of that same set, which included the notable well-known hits, as well as the U.K. hits they racked up when their popularity declined in the late 1980's in the States.

The new reissue succeeds on it's merit of offering a much more meatier (in theory) hits package. It is the first domestic States release to feature all of their well-known singles, as well as singles that were well known in the U.K.. Add in two brilliant new tracks ("I've Got A Life" & "Was It Just Another Love Affair") along with both singles from their last full-length album "Peace"; you've got the complete singles collection for the Eurythmics. Right? Wrong.

Like Kylie, the Eurythmics titled their hits set "ultimate", & it slights several singles. While their very first record "In the Garden" once again is unrepresented, "Sexcrime (Nineteen-Eighty-Four)" from the "1984" Motion Picture Soundtrack, "Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)" from "Savage" (which as an album had no hit U.S. singles really), & the singles "Angel", "King & Queen of America", & "Don't Aask Me Why" from "We Too Are One" are left off.

I can't complain too much though, because I do have the original hits set, I just wish that when artists do hits sets that they live up to the title of that set. With that said, this is clearly the best buy, unless you own all of their albums. Also, the booklet features the lyrics with excellent full-color & black & white photos of Dave & Annie!

The majority of items on this disc are the exact same as the
Eurythmics collection previously released and already a part of many Annie fan's collections.
The tracks are crisp and clear and the re-mastering is evident, Annie's voice front and centre, as it always was.
'I've got a life' - was new to me, I didn't find it as good as anything on the album 'Bare' and whilst powerfully sung I didn't feel it wasn't any new tack for the group.
'I saved the world today' - again, not as good as anything on 'Bare', you get the sense of a message perhaps lost, we know her music does have a lot of saving graces but the world?
Maybe I missed something there.
Some classic items here, 'Thorn in my side', 'Sweet dreams', 'Miracle of love' - to be fair though any fans already have these in their collections.
Only buy if you don't have the first collection or if you are a die hard fan.
I did and don't regret it, I just didn't feel as though I got anything really 'new'.

As other reviewers have stated, this collection probably won't have much appeal for hard-core Eurythmics fans, who probably have all these songs and more, already, in newly remastered form.

But for just about everyone else, this collection is exactly what the doctor ordered - 19 remastered cuts filling out over 79 minutes on one CD, with all the hits one could want, as well as some choice album tracks. The Eurythmics were master song writers, and their excellent compositions are ideally suited for this treatment.

The sound is crisp and full - certainly, the cuts on this collection that I already own on other CDs sound far better on this CD, especially in the area of backing instrumentation and vocals. Very nice, indeed.

The booklet is also well done, with lyrics and credits for each song. No scrimping here, either.

I just reviewed the Kate Bush single-CD collection "The Whole Story", which was dismal in every area in which this one shines - thank goodness the Eurythmics received a much, much finer treatment.

As opposed to the Kate Bush collection, which soured me on buying any more of her material, this Eurythmics title inspires me to perhaps even spring for the Box, which features eight of their albums in remastered form with extensive bonus material.

Highly recommended.

The tracks sound great, although the selections aren't much different than the European release of the 1991 greatest hits package. The only disappointment is that "Sexcrime (1984)" is missing here. However, the new songs are brilliant, blending technology and soulfulness as well as the Eurythmics ever have. Hopefully a new album of new songs is in the works.

First of all let me say that no single CD could ever contain all of the best Eurythmics material. I think 3 discs minimum would be considered "ultimate". For die-hard fans like me, this set leaves a lot to be desired. For instance, there is nothing on this collection from "In The Garden", "1984 (For The Love Of Big Brother)", "Touch Dance", or "We Too Are One". Some bonus tracks would be good too. All of that aside, it is a wonderful CD, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is a new Eurythmics fan. Every older track sounds better than ever remastered, and the two new songs are as good as it gets. "I've Got A Life" is classic Eurythmics lite-techno dance-meets lyrical drama, and "Was It Just Another Love Affair?" sounds like something from one of Annie's excellent solo albums. The photos included in this collection are also superb! And Lyrics to all the songs! While it could be better, I do highly recommend "Ultimate Collection" to any Eurythmics fan...and if you're obsessed like me, you're gonna get it anyway!

It really is known that when it absolutely comes to greatest hits records, they most of the time can be either a hit or a miss when reflecting upon an artist, and their careers. Yet, most of the acts from the 80's have always made some great comebacks with hits packages. This year has been no acception with hits packages from Bryan Adams, Mike & The Mechanics, and other acts. But out of all the universal acts, the Eurythmics have been one of the most down to Earth ones. With Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart's collaborations, they've made a part of pop music history that has been untouchable. Now that music has been packaged all into one.

The Eurythmics Ultimate Collection, is a single disc compilation consisting of all of their big 80's hits. The album and the tracks have all been digitally reissued, and repackaged nicely. The album includes so many great songs including Here Comes The Rain Again, the 80's anthem Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This), There Must Be An Angel, and the driven Missionary Man, to name a few. The album also includes a few recent favorites like their reunion track 17 Again from their late 90's album Peace, as well as a few new additional tracks, which sound great.

Yet, for those who have the 1991 Eurythmics Greatest Hits package, might not be so sure about this compilation. Nevertheless, this is a better reflection of one of the most unique groups of the 80's. It is just so easy to forget about of the great 80's acts, but the Eurythmics will make you rejoy those Sweet Dreams. Would I Lie To You?

Album Cover: B+

Songs: A-

Price: B+

Remastering: B+

Overall: B+

The British duo of Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox crafted some of the most intelligent pop songs of the 1980's. While experimenting with different musical styles throughout their career it is Annie's recognisable vocals and image that helped shape the duo's idnetity.

The latest collection "Ultimate Collection" is new version of their greatest hits originally released in 1991 (with various tracklistings). For the casual fan this an amazing cd. All the major US and UK hits are included such as their international hit "Sweet Dreams (are made of this)", UK #1 "there must be angel (playing with my heart) as well as two new tracks "i've got a life" and "just another love affair".

Fans of the act will no doubt notice that the duo completely ignored their 1989 album "We two are one two" as well as the soundtrack to the film "1984" which spawned the minor hit "Sexcrime". Personally I was disappointed that they also chose not to include "i love to listen to (beethoven)" a single (and minor hit) from their album "Savage".

The booklet is amazing and much better than the foldout that was inlcuded in previous hits packages.

Overall a decent collection but I wouldnt call it an "ultimate" collection due to its failure to cover all their albums. Casual fans will find it to be a Fantastic package- given that its the Eurythmics we're talking about who could argue?