Disco de Annie Lennox: “Songs of Mass Destruction [Hong Kong Bonus DVD]”

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.

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.

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)

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.

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!