Eurythmics - Be Yourself Tonight

Change of direction and still great songs and music

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R377GCBFMSU4AG My name is Jeremy Gloff. I am a musician (check me out on Amazon!) and retro music enthusiast. If you enjoyed this review make sure to check out my Amazon user profile to check out my other reviews. I am always up for making new friends and discussing the music I love!!! July 29, 2008

Dave and Annie Doin' it for themselves

Over the course of three albums, Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart had carved a mighty impressive block of work. But for most, despite the great singles, Eurythmics were hampered by the limitations of a "new wave" sound. So when the MTV World Premiere (remember those?) debut of the video "Would I Lie To You" came on, what a shock to see Annie come out in a leather jacket as Dave coyly whispered in her ear..."just be yourself tonight"...and Annie wailed into Dave's ripping guitar chord with gale force soul.

All of a sudden, everything changed. Eurythmics had crossed the bridge from being a very interesting band to a great band. "Be Yourself Tonight" was their most ambitious album to that date; proving that the duo had more up their sleeves than previously thought. Hints of soul that dotted "Touch" and "Sweet Dreams" burst through on "There Must Be An Angel" (featuring not only Stevie Wonder on harmonica, but most of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers) in a manner that only Culture Club had even come close to. But there was no way Boy George would have ever kept up with Aretha Franklin the way that the empowerment anthem "Sisters are Doing It For Themselves" had Annie cavorting with the Queen herself. Yet at the same time, the lovely "Adrian" found Annie making a soulman out of Elvis Costello.

Even without the star power of the guests, "Be Yourself Tonight" shown bright on its own. Other, lesser heard songs like "Baby's Coming Back" and "Conditioned Soul" found Dave and Annie working the ideas found on the original albums with the addition of organic horns amidst the swirling synths. To bring the album to a rousing close, there was "Better To Have Lost In Love" which was the most human song that Lennox/Stewart had written.

If it isn't obvious that this is my favorite Eurythmics album, let me state it for the record now. One or two of the other albums may have sold better or been a shade more popular, but "Be Yourself Tonight" was the album that still holds a place in my CD collection. To me, it was the pivotal moment when Dave and Annie broke their icey veneer and really did "become themselves." February 8, 2007

FIVE STARS YES!

The rating says 3 stars, although I rate it FIVE! Totally worth the money and the time I waited for the CD to arrive. The album + 6 Bonus Tracks simply rock! Annie's great in French, and I just adore "Grown up Girls" and "Tous Les Garcons...". They're both really fun songs. The ET Mixes (extended mixes) of "Sisters..." and "Would I lie to you" are amazing! Even "Conditioned Soul" LIVE is great. Never expected it to sound so good, actually. And last but not least, track 15, a cover version of "Hello, I Love You" by The Doors is super. Would definitely make any live Eurythmics concert rock...especially with an updated backgroud arrangement.

The 20 page booklet is full of excellent, never before seen photos of Annie & Dave, from that particular era. The interior of the gatefold packaging features a celestial image if Annie, as well as a her pale apparition in "It's alright", back to her "rocker chick" image as seen on the album cover. Dave looks great too...with his tough-guy image too. Throughout the booklet, Dave is decked out in leather, jeans and beard. This seems to have been a really fun era for Eurythmics, although their album "Savage" appealed to Annie the most. Overall, this is definitely one of the best Deluxe Editions of a Eurythmics CD I've purchased. Sound & Recording quality is excellent, once again. Although the song styles are eclectic, "BYT" goes together really well (including the bonus tracks). Actually, I expected this edition of the album to be a flop, considering the bonus tracks on other Eurythmics Deluxe Editions have left nothing to the imagination. I was totally wrong this time. Thank You, guys!

Tracklisting:
01- Would I Lie To You? - 4:25
02- There Must Be An Angel (Playing with my heart) - 5:22
03- I Love You Like A Ball And Chain - 4:04
04- Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves - 5:54
05- Conditioned Soul - 4:30
06- Adrian - 4:29
07- It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back) - 3:45
08- Here Comes That Sinking Feeling - 5:40
09- Better To Have Lost In Love (Then Never To Have Loved At All) - 5:06
Bonus Tracks
10- Grown Up Girls (from 'There Must Be An Angel' 7") - 4:32
11- Tous Les Garcons Et Les Filles (from 'It's Alright...' 12") - 3:25
12- Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves ET Mix (from 'Sisters are...' 12") - 7:48
13- Would I Lie To You - ET Mix (from 'Would I Lie To You' 12") - 4:54
14- Conditioned Soul - LIVE (Previously Unreleased) - 5:07
15- Hello I Love You (Previously Unreleased) - 2:50

Album Credits:
- 25 page glossy booklet with bio & beautiful photos
- Glossy Gatefold digipack packaging
- Silver CD with black & red lettering (titling)
- FBI Anti-Piracy Warning on backside of packaging
- www.eurythmics.com
- Printed in the USA
- Project Manager: Charlie Stanford at Blue Cube Consultancy
- Music Consultant: Neal Wickens
- Sleeve Notes (Bio): Phill Savidge
- Remastering by: Ian Cooper at Metropolis Studios, London
- Design & Art Direction: Laurence Stevens - LSD Studio March 21, 2006

Eurythmics "rock out" ... so to speak

This is the one where Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox decided to "rawwwwwk". Eurythmics have always managed to put at least a few great songs on each of their CDs (well, except for "Revenge"). The question was always just how bad would the filler tracks be. This one has less (and less bad) filler than any of the others. "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" is one of the signature songs of the 80s: a great sing-along song even if you're neither a sister nor "doin' it" for yourself. "Tous Les Garcons Et Les Filles" is a gem of a bonus track. March 9, 2006

Soulful Annie and Dave

It's easy to forget the contributions of the Eurythmics to the pop scene, particularly in the 80s, but listening to "Be Yourself Tonight", arguably one of their best albums, you realize they had a knack for creating great pop hits ("Would I Lie To You?") but they could cross musical boundaries effortlessly -- electronic, synth, pop, soul, rock, and gospel can be heard here, and they come together seamlessly.

This album features some of the Eurythmics finest pop hits including the hard-rocking "Would I Live To You?", the shimmering "There Must Be An Angel...", the feminist anthem "Sisters are Doing It For Themselves", and the infectious "It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back") which was not as popular as the previous three songs but stands on its own.

You could say this album has a warmer sound than the previous Eurythmics albums because of the move away from machines to guitars and a live sound, plus the appearances of Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder, who appear on the album, which is one of the reasons why the album is often referred to as their "soul/Motown/R&B" record. There are also some great album cuts including "I Love You Like a Ball and Chain" and "Adrian".

The remastering on this is excellent and the additional cuts are interesting, but the original album is the real deal. January 15, 2006

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