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Bare
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ASIN:
B000095JTT
Avg Rating
[4.0 Stars]
32 Reviews
Pub. 09-Jun-2003;
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Authors/Performers
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Annie Lennox;
Product Description
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Bare, Annie Lennox's first album of original songs in 11 years, is a stylish tour de force that showcases the former Eurythmics chanteuse in all her chilly, shimmering splendour. Her formidable voice is still a supple and intriguing instrument, lithely shape-shifting between emotions, personas and musical forms. Lennox moves effortlessly from the sparse and pristine lament of "A Thousand Beautiful Things" to the deceptively simple "Pavement Cracks", a solemn ballad that is transformed by electro dance beats that recall some of the best of the Eurythmics. But Lennox's quixotic voice is best utilised as an old-school soul instrument; she makes a metaphorical journey to Motown on "Hurting Time", a reflective ballad that could have been lifted off a Miracles album. "Honesty" finds the Scottish diva at her well-mannered best, occupying the sophisticated space formerly held by Carly Simon. --Jaan Uhelszki
Track 1. 1000 Beautiful Things;
Track 2. Pavement Cracks;
Track 3. The Hurting Time;
Track 4. Honestly;
Track 5. Wonderful;
Track 6. Bitter Pill;
Track 7. Loneliness;
Track 8. The Saddest Song;
Track 9. Erased;
Track 10. Twisted;
Track 11. Oh God;
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BARE finds Annie in a dark, reflective,and soul-searching headspace! The overall vibe is sombre and melancholic, with beautifully honest and insightful lyrics that most listeners who have suffered significant loss or grief will identify with! Stephen Lipson's production is as lavish and textured as previous Lennox outings, and Annie's vocals are crisp and flawless, perhaps the best tuned instrument to be found in the mix, soaring effortlessly over the sparse synth and string arrangements that have become the basis of her trademark sound!
BARE is a criminally under-rated album that will be judged less harshly in years to come! It strikes me as odd that people choose to find fault with artists who lay their souls bare in music, as some of the best material to be found in music history has been borne out of great suffering and misery! It is, afterall, a part of the human condition! Annie has never been afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve, and her knack for exploring the entire spectrum of human emotion through her music is unsurpassed on this outing! 'Loneliness', 'Wonderful' and 'The Saddest Song I've Got', for example, are heart-wrenchingly pleading and despairing!
As Annie herself says in the lyrics of Loneliness': "Come to me with your open mind, you never know what you still might find"! And I would implore you to do the same, for there are some wonderful treasures to be found on BARE......you just have to unlock the key and find them!;
[Rating: 5 Stars]
Annie's scary, powdered face looking out at me, the angst of the songs clearly evident in the titles alone ... but wait, this is wonderful, moving, beautiful music which speaks to me deeply on every listen. Forget 'Medusa' which was fairly thin gruel, this is the real deal - profound, energised, intelligent, synth-based music. Buy it (especially with the DVD thrown in). It's a thousand beautiful things. ;
[Rating: 5 Stars]
I have always found the voice of Annie Lennox, ex of Eurythmics, fantastically powerful yet very warm and clear. So it was not difficult to immediately buy this album when it first appeared. At the end of the day I'm not certain if I like this disc or not - let me explain. I love tracks such as "A Thousand Beautiful Things", but I find that the collection of tracks is just a little too soft and sad. Each track has its merits and her voice is superb, but as a collection, played one after another, it is just a little too depressing for my taste (others might consider it mellow rather than depressing). Maybe, the production relies a little too much on the quality of her voice. It's nice when one of the tracks pops up in a random play-list, but this one I won't be playing in its entirety. ;
[Rating: 3 Stars]
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