I was at my son’s open house the other night and when we walked into the cafeteria I thought I heard “I Saved the World Today” coming out of the jam box. It turned out to be a “Muzak” version of “The Sounds of Silence.” Isn’t the hearing is one of the first things to go as you get older?
Anyway, it prompted me to pull out the Eurythmics album, Peace. I purchased it after hearing “I Saved the World Today” at the end of The Sopranos episode where Richie Aprille is gunned down, chopped up and, well, you know the rest. Like many CDs, I never listened to the whole thing. It turns out it was my loss.
I have always been a fan of Annie Lennox. Her solo tune “Why?” is as good as it gets. However, I was never a big fan of the Eurythmics. I liked “Would I Lie To You?” with it’s harder guitar sound, but, to this day, “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This”) with it’s keyboard-driven sound is not a favorite. What I like about Peace is the songwriting and the lushness of many of the arrangements. Lennox and Dave Stewart wrote fantastic hooks. “Power To The Meek” stands out with its pop edge and Stewart’s catchy guitar lick. Songs like “17 Again,” the aformentioned “I Saved the World Today,” “Lifted,” “Peace Is Just A Word,” and the acoustic driven “Beautiful Child” give Lennox’s outstanding, soulful voice a chance to soar.
The 2005 remastered re-release (available on iTunes) has different versions than the one I have that was released in 1999. More drums were added, along with some acoustic versions. Either way, this is a great album that I am sorry I let collect dust for so long. It makes me wonder what other gems are sitting in the cabinet. I’ll go through them and let you know.
30 Days Out 