Arista Records (USA) ( October 02, 2007 ), Genre: Rock & Pop
Annie Lennox: Joel Shearer (guitar); Eddie Baytos (accordion); Glen Ballards, Mike Stevens, Randy Kerber, Zac Rae (keyboards); Sean Hurley (bass guitar); Blair Sinta (drums). Personnel: Annie Lennox (vocals). As the title indicates, Annie Lennox's SONGS OF MASS DESTRUCTION was largely inspired by global conditions at the time she was writing and recording the album. However, the songs are not long-winded polemics or political rants, but a collection of thoughtful, effortlessly melodic tunes given warm, richly detailed production and anchored by some of the best vocals of her career. Lennox's singing throughout the album, especially on the powerful "Womankind" and the gospel-infused "Ghosts In My Machine," is both passionate and expertly controlled. SONGS OF MASS DESTRUCTION was also released in a limited-edition set that included song-by-song commentary by Lennox and the video for first single "Dark Road."
Price Range: $0
| Store | Notes | Store Rating | Price | Tax & Shipping | Buy |
|---|
The Enhanced CD will include: Artist commentary by Annie Lennox / track-by-track ('Dark Road' audio visual, all other tracks audio) Dark Road video links to website.
Artist: Annie Lennox
Record Label: Arista Records (USA)
Contributing Artist: Madonna
Genre: Rock and Pop
Release Date: October 02, 2007
Album Duration: 46m:55s
Number of Discs: 1
Song List: Disc 1: Dark RoadLove Is BlindSmithereensGhosts in My MachineWomankindThrough the Glass DarklyLostColoured BedspreadSingBig SkyFingernail Moon
OMG!
Author's Rating:
After listening to this, if you can figure out why her record company dumped one of the greatest artists of our time, please explain it to me. The Deluxe edition is really nice.
Mar 18, 2008
Most Eurythmical Album by Annie
Author's Rating:
TouchBe Yourself TonightSavageBareAmerican Doll Posse
This new cd by Annie Lennox is the most like her Eurythmics albums than anything she has ever done solo.
The upbeat "Ghost In My Machine" & angry "Love Is Blind" remind me of "I Need A Man" from Savage & "How Long" from We Too Are One. The soulful "Womankind" reminds me of "Right By Your Side" from Touch and "Condition Soul" & "Its alright" from Be Yourself Tonight. "Sing" reminds me of "Sisters": from Be Yourself tonight. Then there are a few songs like "Through The Glass Darkly" & "Big Sky" that remind me a bit of Kate Bush or Tori Amos.
The song "Smithereens" is my favorite track and is very Elton John like.
I love this cd!! If you liked Diva you might love "Im Lost" & "Fingernail Moon" as these two songs are strong ballads kinda like "The Gift" & "Stay" from Diva. And "Dark Road" is a bit like 1000 Beautiful Things from Bare. But for the most part this cd is like Eurythmics! I also like the bonus disc of goodies!! Long live Annie Lennox!!
Dec 06, 2007
Most Eurythmical Album by Annie
Author's Rating:
TouchBe Yourself TonightSavageBareAmerican Doll Posse
This new cd by Annie Lennox is the most like her Eurythmics albums than anything she has ever done solo.
The upbeat "Ghost In My Machine" & angry "Love Is Blind" remind me of "I Need A Man" from Savage & "How Long" from We Too Are One. The soulful "Womankind" reminds me of "Right By Your Side" from Touch and "Condition Soul" & "Its alright" from Be Yourself Tonight. "Sing" reminds me of "Sisters": from Be Yourself tonight. Then there are a few songs like "Through The Glass Darkly" & "Big Sky" that remind me a bit of Kate Bush or Tori Amos.
The song "Smithereens" is my favorite track and is very Elton John like.
I love this cd!! If you liked Diva you might love "Im Lost" & "Fingernail Moon" as these two songs are strong ballads kinda like "The Gift" & "Stay" from Diva. And "Dark Road" is a bit like 1000 Beautiful Things from Bare. But for the most part this cd is like Eurythmics! I also like the bonus disc of goodies!! Long live Annie Lennox!!
More …
Globalaza
Author's Rating:
I have been an Annie Lennox fan since the days of The Eurythmics and "Sweet Dreams." I think her voice is solidly recognizable and her lyrics are strong, thoughtful and complete. I am particularly a fan of Diva, and a few covers of Medusa ("Thin Line..." "Wait in Vain," especially). I did not enjoy "Bare" as much as I'd hoped, and was fearful that she had given up on creating those strong, detailed, layered and innovative songs that made her a star. "Songs of Mass Destruction" completely buried the notion.
This cd is easily one of her best! It has elements of the Eurythmics and the best of Diva combined into perhaps the most deliberately crafted and well executed cd this year. Each track is amazing in its composition, style, lyrics, layering, innovation, attention to detail and sheer pleasure to listen to. "Big Sky," "Through the Glass Darkly," and "Coloured Bedspread" are true standouts! Masterfully produced!
None of the tracks get old, many are ready to be remixed and reworked for the dancefloor, but none are filler merely designed to complete a cd. It is as if EACH track is an instant Greatest Hit! I am not a big fan of the Public Service announcement on one track or the African chants at the end of it, but outside of that, I find myself listening to each detail of every song wanting (and finding) a new element to savor each time.
She has done a remarkable job bringing sophistication and intricacy back to "pop" music, after WAY too many years hearing the novices like Beyonce's overcooked vocals, Janet Jackson suffering through more albums with weak producers, or greats like Anita Baker devolving into essentially piano lounge music (on her last cd) and Chaka Khan breaking no new ground after years out of the studio for "Funk This." Annie's voice is immediately distinguishable, and somewhat unique.
I am amazed and delighted the "old" Annie has returned with such strength and quality. If you are a fan of the Eurythmics at their peak and/or the best of Annie Lennox solo, this is the cd you have been waiting for!
Oct 23, 2007
Globalaza
Author's Rating:
I have been an Annie Lennox fan since the days of The Eurythmics and "Sweet Dreams." I think her voice is solidly recognizable and her lyrics are strong, thoughtful and complete. I am particularly a fan of Diva, and a few covers of Medusa ("Thin Line..." "Wait in Vain," especially). I did not enjoy "Bare" as much as I'd hoped, and was fearful that she had given up on creating those strong, detailed, layered and innovative songs that made her a star. "Songs of Mass Destruction" completely buried the notion.
This cd is easily one of her best! It has elements of the Eurythmics and the best of Diva combined into perhaps the most deliberately crafted and well executed cd this year. Each track is amazing in its composition, style, lyrics, layering, innovation, attention to detail and sheer pleasure to listen to. "Big Sky," "Through the Glass Darkly," and "Coloured Bedspread" are true standouts! Masterfully produced!
None of the tracks get old, many are ready to be remixed and reworked for the dancefloor, but none are filler merely designed to complete a cd. It is as if EACH track is an instant Greatest Hit! I am not a big fan of the Public Service announcement on one track or the African chants at the end of it, but outside of that, I find myself listening to each detail of every song wanting (and finding) a new element to savor each time.
More …
This is what music's all about
Author's Rating:
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)
Oct 12, 2007
This is what music's all about
Author's Rating:
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.
More …
Beautiful Introspection
Author's Rating:
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.
Oct 10, 2007
Beautiful Introspection
Author's Rating:
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.
More …
Powerhouse Lennox
Author's Rating:
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.
Oct 08, 2007
Powerhouse Lennox
Author's Rating:
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.
More …
Still Top Notch
Author's Rating:
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.
Oct 03, 2007
FANTASTIC! GORGEOUS! ENERGETIC!
Author's Rating:
Best thing Annie Lennox has done. (and I don't through that around easily, being a life long eurythmics fan) her performance on this new disc is transcendent, evolved, polished, clear and passionate, there is an emotion she invokes lyrically and vocally; a philosophy, an intense intimacy, penetrating and relatable, all encompassing and utterly personal simultaneously. Musically very energetic, full of soul (naturally), authentic, highly danceable to most tracks, especially Ghost in My Machine, Womankind, Coloured Bedspread, Sing... You can decide which songs are best, for they're all fantastic!
Oct 02, 2007
