| Product Summary | | Label: Bmg/arista | | UPC: 00743212571721 | | Release Date: 3/14/1995 | | Buy.com Sku: 60133473 | | Item#: M995X5 | Format:  CD |
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Song Listing
| Disc 1 | | Song Title | | 1. No More "I Love You's" | | 2. Take Me To The River | | 3. Whiter Shade Of Pale, A | | 4. Don't Let It Bring You Down | | 5. Train In Vain | | 6. I Can't Get Next To You | | 7. Downtown Lights | | 8. Thin Line Between Love And Hate | | 9. Waiting In Vain | | 10. Something So Right |
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| | Album Notes and Credits |
Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel: Annie Lennox (vocals, flute, keyboards), Tony Pastor (guitar), Kirampal Singh (santoor), Judd Lander, Mark Feltham (harmonica), James McNally (accordion), Marius De Vries (keyboards, programming), Peter-John Vettese, Andy Richards, Matthew Cooper (keyboards), Doug Wimbish (bass), Dann Gillen, Neil Conti (drums), Pandit Dinesh (tabla), Louis Jardim (percussion, bass), Stephen Lipson (programming, guitar, keyboards, bass), Danny D, Steve Sidelnyk (programming). | | Recorded at The Aquarium. Includes liner notes by Annie Lennox. | | "No More `I Love You's'" won a 1996 Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. MEDUSA was nominated for Best Pop Album. | | Eurythmics' Annie Lennox made her solo debut with 1992's lavish, self-descriptive DIVA. MEDUSA, her second release, takes a different tack. By recording an album of cover songs, Lennox gets to do what she does best--interpret lyrics and deliver the dramatic impact of a song. By abandoning DIVA's extravagant production, Lennox returns to the synth-pop sound that made her famous, giving MEDUSA a much sparser feel. "No More `I Love You's'," originally recorded by The Lover Speaks, benefits from this approach. Arriving at the dreamy, other-wordly lyrics with a child-like naivet?, Lennox immediately gets to the point, sounding at once innocent and frightened, then understanding and compassionate. The same sense of tension that made Eurythmics so interesting can be found here: cool synthesizer hooks and repetitive vocal ostinatos pitted against Lennox's soaring vocals, which provides a fascinating dichotomy. Similarly, The Clash's "Train In Vain" gets a sophisticated, mature treatment. This time, a jazz/hip hop element is introduced, countering the often desperate lyrics with slick grooves and sassy, Motown-inspired production. In lesser hands such an approach might destroy the songs' sense of urgency; Lennox, however can convey these feelings without raising her voice, giving the song new possibilities. | | Personnel: Annie Lennox (vocals, flute, keyboards); Steve Lipson (guitar, keyboards, programming); Tony Pastor (guitar); Anne Dudley (strings); Judd Lander, Mark Feltham (harmonica); James McNally (accordion); Marius de Vries (keyboards, programming); Matthew Cooper, Peter Vetesse, Andy Richards (keyboards); Neil Conti, Dann Gillen (drums); Dinesh (tambourine); Louis Jardim (percussion). | | Annie Lennox's solo debut, DIVA, enjoyed tremendous success, spawning two hit singles ("Walking On Broken Glass" and "Why") and selling millions of copies. But Lennox has always been far more than a pop star; she's also possessed of a riveting alto and a unique performance style that made her one of the most compelling vocalists of the 1980s and '90s. These latter qualities are particularly highlighted on DIVA's follow-up, MEDUSA. | | For MEDUSA Lennox tackled a batch of well-known cover tunes, bringing her distinctive vocal stamp to songs by Al Green, Paul Simon, the Temptations, and the Clash. The album's single "No More I Love You's," from little known British popsters the Lover Speaks, is one of the highlights, as is her take on Bob Marley's "Waiting in Vain" and Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade of Pale." The music here doesn't bear much resemblance to the Eurythmics' underground new wave, but this polished, professional pop shows an artist in full command of her instrument. | | In 1998, BMG International released Medusa/Live in Central Park, which contained two complete albums -- Medusa (1995, originally released on Arista) and Live in Central Park (1996, also originally released on Arista) -- by Annie Lennox on one compact disc. ~ Tim Sendra | | The critics savaged Annie Lennox's sophomore effort when it first came out, and it's easy to see why: it's not that an all-covers album was a bad idea, but she did pick some rather large shoes to fill and she did kind of run roughshod over the songs themselves, taking gritty material by the likes of Neil Young and the Clash and turning it into super-slick electro-pop ear candy. But on the other hand, candy sometimes really hits the spot, and Lennox's rendition of "No More I Love You's" by the ultra-obscure British pop band the Lover Speaks is ravishingly, heartbreakingly lovely. Those who have never heard the Clash's original version of "Train in Vain" might not find her version as objectionable as the critics did, either. But there's no arguing with the critics when it comes to her anemic take on the Al Green classic "Take Me to the River" or her equally numb rendition of Neil Young's "Don't Let It Bring You Down." Those who have given up on looking cool, however, might find themselves able to enjoy her gentle arrangement of "A Whiter Shade of Pale." Don't pay full price for this, but snap it up if you find it in a bargain bin somewhere. ~ Rick Anderson |
Producer: Stephen Lipson; Steve Lipson |
Engineer: Heff Moraes |
| | Artist Overview | | During her early career, the androgynous, smoky-voiced diva was best known as one half of the hugely successful pop duo the Eurythmics. However, after parting ways with her collaborator Dave Stewart in 1991, Lennox emerged as a successful and critically acclaimed solo artist. Mixing crisp, slick production with songs that borrowed heavily from classic soul, traditional pop, and the singer-songwriter tradition, Lennox released several albums of sophisticated adult-alternative pop. Her inimitable aesthetic, stunning voice, and tasteful songwriting make Lennox a unique and beloved performer. |
| | Compilation Appearances |
| | Associated Artists and Works |
| | Technical Info | | Release Date : 03/28/1995 | | Original Release Date : 1995 | | Catalog ID : 25717 | | Label : Arista Records (USA) | | Number of Discs : 1 | | Runtime : 47m : 11s | | Studio/Live : Live | | Mono/Stereo : Stereo | | SPAR Code : n/a | | UPC : 00743212571721 |
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| | Professional Reviews | | Rolling Stone (4/20/95, p.70)
- 3.5 Stars - Very Good - "...The songs on MEDUSA are fine showcases for [Annie Lennox's] wistful, understated elegance, her ability to milk a lyric for all its beauty and poignancy without resorting to histrionics..."New York Times (Publisher)
(1/6/96, p.C16)
- Included on Stephen Holden's list of the Top 10 Albums of `95 - "...fiercely intelligent and beautifully sung, and the material is consistently fine..." |
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