Perfect for when you want to feel what it was like to try on jeans at the Gap or Banana Republic in the late '90's.
Walking Wounded is the ninth studio album by British musical duo Everything but the Girl. It was released on 6 May 1996 by Atlantic Records in the United States and Virgin Records in Europe. The album saw the group adopting a more electronic and dance-based style, following the success of the remixed version of "Missing" from their previous album, Amplified Heart. Four tracks from the album were released as singles, including the drum and bass-influenced "Walking Wounded" and the house-influenced "Wrong", which became top ten hits on the UK Singles Chart, as well as the downtempo track "Single", which set Tracey Thorn's emotionally direct vocal against breakbeats, organ and strings, and "Before Today".
Perfect for when you want to feel what it was like to try on jeans at the Gap or Banana Republic in the late '90's.
Everything but the fucking will to live after listening to this God awful piece of shit. I don't understand how they're on this list twice...at least. I recognised track 2, so good for them. If this was a footballer, itd be Emiliano Sala.
Tracey Thorn's career is so varied and rich. I was surprised by the subtle, minimal electronica but it works really well. It's a satisfying contrast to her haunting vocals and leaves me feeling some kind of way. I'm really impressed with how such a drastic shift in instrumentation doesn't feel like a lark, but a fully realized vision that's also alive with a sense of discovery. I can hear how this record bridges singer-songwriter and British house music in a way that has influenced a lot of millenial pop music that followed. Favourite song: Before Today
Back when I was in college, there was this dude who would come into the bar I worked at on a Friday night and play fucking 10 Neil Young songs in a row. He would also hit on girls by doing magic tricks. I remember how angry I got every time he made me listen to an hour of Neil Young because I was just trying to have a good time, and he fucking made me listen to this sad, soppy fuck who writes nothing but songs that sound indistinguishable from each other and never seemed to enjoy a happy moment in his entire like. Fuck that guy, and fuck Neil Young. 2/5
How lucky am I to have the opportunity to listen to all of this great music and appreciate artists that I may or may not have gotten to know if it was not for this 1001 list. The only number I think that I have heard from this duo is Missing - The Todd Terry remix, which is a classic dance hit in my mind. I like this album and it is very relaxing and for lovers of artists such as Air, Groove Armada or Massive Attack kind of music. If I was playing at Stella Polaris I would definitely play this.
Never heard it before this but what a great glimpse into a special time in British music. Drum and bass mixed with trip hop and ethereal vocals. Immediately connects bands that I was listening to at the time such as Faithless (Dido's voice is very similar), Portishead, Tricky with this crossover album.
90s chillhouse? Fuck yeah
not a fan of 'easy listening' type music, I want my music to challenge me, hurt me, surprise me on a walk with a shank in the back etc. what's the point otherwise
This is why I love this random album generator-I had never heard this all the way through. Tracey’s voice is beautiful, and the music is perfect. Definitely now a favorite album of mine.
This opens with a stunner, and stays highly engaging. That's something of a surprise given the DnB bones. Perhaps I'm biased against looking at anything from the genre as masterful, because this comes close. I get a lot of the same feelings I got from Jessie Ware's latest (and in that case I 100% have a positive disco bias). There's a gentle ebb and flow, but Thorn's vocals carry the record. Can't say, however, that they would sound as nice over any old beat. The third-act introduction of acoustic instruments is extra poignant: It reinforces the tone of the preceding songs while demonstrating the collaborative nature of the duo's sound. Lingering on that sound instead of turning to remixes would have been it for me.
Ok, so a few pages back I said "I also rate EBTG. None of their albums are a total smash, but there's always something interesting happening that I can enjoy". I retract my statement, because upon revisiting, this one is their smash. Within a few years, they'd got from folk, to jazz-pop, to indie rock, to synthpop. Now they slide effortlessly into the downtempo/trip-hop craze. Tracey Thorn had featured on Massive Attack's second album with great results. Cynical people might say they were just changing their sound to chase whatever seemed popular. But the results don't lie, and this album has a great carefully managed electronic palette that doesn't sound cheap and dated like the work of many other "pop turned synth" artists. Thorn's vocals gel so well with that sound. "Mirrorball" is a weak link, and the two remixes included on the original album are doing nothing for me.
Amazing record. Massively influential. It’s a proper night time-driving album.
EBTG basically pioneered the English downtempo drum and bass sound and everyone but EBTG were influenced by their lounging in the coffee shop style. Although this doesn't have anything as good as their big hit Missing you, the first three songs set the mood nicely. However I found my attention lagging for the rest of the album as the drum and bass in every song started to meld together.
“Walking Wounded” by Everything But the Girl (1996) Electronic jazz/pop, chiefly interesting for its innovative and highly contrasting sound textures, but limited by the underwhelming melodies, with their restricted tonal range and and performed with an airy reverb-enhanced voice to match. Heavy emphasis on synthetic drums and bass lines, dynamically stark. Lyrics show moments of cleverness, but seem detached from the music, as if musical compositions and lyrics on each song were two separate projects This is done to an even comic extent on “Good Cop Bad Cop”—really funny, with Thorn lazily complaining about her bad feelings while Watt is making little fart sounds on his gizmo, assisted by his favorite speedy snare roll thing. I laughed my butt off. Some electronic sounds are used rather frequently, as if Watt needs a bigger bag of tricks. Not unpleasant to listen to, but nothing profound here. I bet it sold well in Japan. 2/5
Well, you've managed to surprise me once again with how terrible this band is. I had almost forgotten. I have no idea how they managed to get on this list, let alone twice. I feel like we're all being punk'd. Please, for the love of god, do not let them be on here a third time.
Surprise album that I really enjoyed
I think above average in general. Some of it reminded me of ape escape for some reason, which is never a bad thing.
Coffee table drum & bass with smooth female vocals over the top - what's not to like? I only really know that "Missing" song from EBTG, so this was surprisingly trip-hoppy. I really enjoyed it! Fave track - the title track I think. "Single" was also great.
A very elegant album. I had their first (US) release from ’84 and while I liked the acoustic & jazzy feel, I think they were smart to move to this down-tempo, D&B sound which as all the rage in 95. The singles are good, the lyrics are bleak and I like the cover. It fades a bit after Walking Wounded and after two listens, I would have given 3 stars, but somehow, I managed to listen to the opening 6 tracks a third time.
Wow, this was a really nice change of pace! Very cool ‘90s music, the vocals reminded me a bit of Natalie Merchant, the overall sound reminded me of Massive Attack. Really dug this, very chill all the way through. Favorite tracks: Before Today, Single, Walking Wounded, Flipside, Mirror Ball. Album art: The picture is pretty simple, but the text elevates it significantly, especially the Japanese characters. I was expecting some kind of vaporwave type project based on the cover, and honestly it’s not too far off. 4/5
29/10/2020 Listened in block room - talking to Jake Really enjoyed this album, way more than I thought I would. Early DnB influences mixed with vocals. Song repeatedly singing "are you happy being single?" attacked me personally. Almost a 5 but not quite.
Listenable 90s English techno with a nice vocal. Simple arrangements, lovely chord progressions, beats very much of that era. Tracey Thorn's voice here is as rich and lovely as ever. I don't think this phase of EBTG's career really touches the more jazz-pop stuff they made back in the 80s, which now seems a lot less dated than the techno. This album was pleasant enough to listen to, but overall unremarkable. Fave Songs: Wrong, Before Today, Walking Wounded
Impatiently Waiting For Your Mom To Finish Shopping At Boscov’s In 1999: The Soundtrack
This week’s main theme has been flawed records with strong female vocalists. Everything But The Girl present the beigewave entry, maybe on a par with Sade, but not as good as Chic. There’s a better fey record hiding in here, I reckon. I’ll save my lecture about the gentrification of jungle’s breakbeat innovations for an album I know is coming up, but leave here my prototype conclusion on that record: this takes one of the most energetic forms of the nineties and turns it into jogging music. Including remixes of tracks already on the album seems weak - “maybe you’ll like this version” - and at a stretch I’d say maybe Neil Young’s bookending “Tonight’s the Night” versions could count as exceptions. The different versions of “Wrong” and “Walking Wounded” on here are not.
You can date this almost to the minute by the omnipresent mild drum'n'bass backing. Very pleasant, with all the negative connotations that invokes. Tracey Thorn rarely gets the material she deserves, although she does usually write some of it so is hardly blameless..
90s UK trip hop is poor
This was fine "easy listening chill out" music, but I was just really bored. Someone else's review said that now they know what it was like to try on jeans at banana republic or gap in the 90s and that's TOTALLY the vibe. Not my cup of tea and the first song I really enjoyed was the one that autoplayed AFTER the album was over. Not a good sign.
Sounded like very generic and bland electronica. It was fine as background but as soon as I paid attention to the music I was extrememly bored. The biggest question I'm left with is, how do these guys have two albums on the list!?
I can't tell the first four songs apart - everything here blends into a hell march of mid-tempo sludge with random blips and bleeps supporting vocals from the over-earnest folkie girl at an open mic night. Moody is fine. Atmospheric is fine. Painfully dull and indistinguishable is not.
Really enjoyable - a band sometimes maybe thought of for one track, but there's more to discover here.
Devastatingly smooth. Achingly longing, but oh so exquisitely beautiful. Such a pristine work of art.
It was so fucking good. I thought it would feel old and all but it felt so modern. And it was so excellent and Nice to listen to
Great album
This is a great, atmospheric album. The superb vocals runs smoothly and pleasantly like a river and are complemented by the minimalistic snappy electronic accompaniment. Yes it's very same-ish but in a good way - you could almost see this as one very long, great song. So it works great as a genuine "album" and I'll happily listen to this many times again. I like the smooth trip-hop sound.
Beautifully put together. Maybe my nostalgia is giving this five stars rather than its actual musical merit.
Really great album - production, composition, vocals, and lyrics are all very well done. I've heard this album a bunch of times already, it seemed like everyone had this CD at one point, but I still enjoy the whole thing. 5/5
I think liking this album brought me closer to my dad, 5 stars
AWESOME!
best make-out album in the list so far!
I feel every second of this album. Mesmerizing!
Стильно
WALKING WOUNDED EVERYTHING BY THE GIRL This was the Ear Candy of the 1990s. Sounds as direct, moving and sensually erotic as it was then. Do Listen to their earlier stuff to understand how this is amped up and repackaging of the earlier ‘acoustic’ and raw recording style. Earlier EBTG remains, for me, some of the sexiest sumptuous music there was. Sunday morning music that would make you grab your lover and gently sway and dance them back to bed. Her gorgeous vulnerable, wonderfully pure, and soothing voice and their original feeling lounge-but-not-lounge bossa-nova infused vibes are the thing. And this techno version of the is just a pop-translation that got chart success. I'm not judging... I liked it too.. Back then, all up-to-date people of good taste had the (previous) “Amplified Heart” album. The cultivated chill out set. “Missing” was the name of the sexiest and most propulsive track - it was all about YEARNING. Some fortunate and hard working genius bastard hit the magic formula with a remix of MISSING and the result is massive chart success and this album.... As they confess in the final collection of remixes, it was time to “adapt or die”..maybe they were told. I don't know the story. I do see how their acoustic sound risked slipping to oblivion after having a minor moment, after working at it for decades. But I remember for a few wonderful years, this music was at all the summertime parties and we felt good, and groovy and sexy when we heard it. So happy to rediscover them here. So yeah, I'm so grateful and happy they're here to represent in this list all that was right and bright from that era - a shining musical moment in the world. It was ear candy. And great love making music. True. And the success of on acoustic pair who did beautiful art together. Go listen to their early stuff. In pairs. OMG YES. sigh.
Very beautiful. The instrument combination, production and mixing is expert and entrancing.
I've never heard of this band or album before, but I'm very intrigued based on the description of the album. Oh, I really like this first song, "Before Today." What a great, chill sound. I love the beats, and those vocals are fantastic. "Wrong" is really great too, for all the same reasons. That voice sounds familiar though. This reminds me of The XX, maybe that's it? No, I've heard this voice before. Oh wait, do these people sing that 'I miss you, like the deserts miss the rain' song? Oh wow, I had no idea that was them. I haven't heard that in a long time. I always thought it was kind of boring when it first came out, but I dig it now. Who did I think sang that? Some sort of Paula Cole or Sophie B. Hawkins type? I digress... I a had great time listening to this album. The overall sound is really enjoyable, and in addition to the overall sound, there are plenty of wonderful little details too take in as well. There's definitely a mood that permeates the whole album, but I never felt like things were repetitive or boring. The musical arrangements were fantastic, and I loved how EBtG put their own stamp on the trip hop sound. The vocals were great as well, and Tracey Thorn will now be on my mind when I think of vocalists that I really like. This was a great discovery, and another reminder of how much fun it is to go through all of these albums.
chill vocals over a the mid-90s precursor of break beats, liquid dnb, and house elements with glitch elements mixed in make this an easy listening album and perfect vibe for the workday.
After weeks upon weeks of banal and trite classic rock per usual, and the occasional "one-hit-wonder's arbitrarily chosen album" on this list, this album was such a breath of fresh air. Every song on here feels richly produced, wonderfully sung and performed, and feels like an early precursor of the future deeper house and darker electronic music to come since this album's release. Thoroughly enjoyed every song here and I'm glad I did. I was so tired of giving out scores of "1" and "2' on this site week after week that I was getting close to abandoning this list entirely. Glad to see there are some good, lesser-played albums hiding on here instead of the typical "Beatles / Radiohead / (Insert classic rock band here)" which have already been praised to death
This is so my thing and I liked it a lot!
High-end dance club music, very sultry.
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
One of the best albums so far
Was already somewhat familiar with this dudes from a song on Eden (I Must Confess) which appeared on my discover weekly at least 5 or 6 years ago and ended up in my Jangle playlist. Had no idea that album was all the way from 1984. Anyway, I'm glad I had that point of comparison because this album that came 10 years later demonstrates some serious range and ability to adapt - Walking Wounded sounds so so different but equally as good. This is like a full on triphop masterclass. Beautiful production, heartfelt writing. Very tidy stuff.
Loving it right off the bat... great beat, her voice is butter....I'm totally in Love ❤️ and, I still am at the end, I'm so excited I found them !
A fave
9/10 I can’t decide if I like this more or less than Idlewild they’re both so great but in really different ways
I DID NOT EXPECT THIS TO BE SO GOOD???
Yes! This was the first Everything But The Girl album I ever listened to and I still absolutely love it through and through. I don't even recall why I chose to play it in the back at work back in my HMV days, but on a whim I did and I've been glad ever since. Extra nice to have this one come up now as their latest single was by far my most listened-to song of January, and I still can't get enough. The opening trio of songs wins me over and draws me right in. "Wrong" and "Single" are probably my two favourite songs on the album. The only stumble for me is "The Heart Remains a Child" - I don't hate it, but I don't love it either. Makes the album more of a 4.5 for me than an outright 5.
Aw hell yeah. I love Everything But The Girl and just a few months ago they announced a new album (maybe tour??). I love trip hop and EBTG is one of the first bands that introduced me to the genre.
Smoooth
I enjoy this quite a bit, I could really imagine vibing to this on a rainy drive.
Love it!
super chill easy listening
Need this for next break up
contains everything but what was advertised, subpar shit tbh. 10/10
Suena noventero y supermoderno a la vez. Avantpop y trip hop revolucionado, casi house en ocasiones. Para volver a él en cualquier momento, pega con todo y da muy buen rollo siempre.
I had some low expectations coming into this album. It seemed like a blotted electronic album and the score/reviews for this didn’t seem promising. I thought I was heading for almost an hour of background music. But holy fuck, was I wrong. To be fair, the album is long and the two remixes at the end didn’t do much for me. But for most of the album, this was shockingly good. This wasn’t so much club electronic music, but rather lounge-ish. Some might find that boring and I thought I would too. But between the smooth ambiance and Tracey Thorn’s vocals, this was more tranquil to me than sleep-inducing. If it was a little shorter, I might have given it a 5. Favorite track: Walking Wounded (original) Other hits: Wrong (original), Single, Mirrorball, Big Deal, Before Today
honestly EBTG... i was not familiar with your game. this was flames ... i LOVE DnB !!!!
Walking Wounded is the ninth studio album from English pop duo Everything But the Girl. The band makes soft-spoken pop songs, featuring the smooth, rich vocals from Tracey Thorn, supported by an ambient version of techno and trip-hop elements. The result is an unusual, interesting mixture for pop songs. Walking Wounded was the pair's most successful album; Thorn called it their "pop triumph." It includes what may be their biggest single, Walking Wounded, which has been described as "ambient jungle."
I only really know "Missing" from EBTG which was a big hit in the 90s and the single which inspired a bit of a change in style on this album. I find that Tracey Thorn's voice really suits the chillwave/ laid back drum 'n' bass vibe on this record, I could listen to this again when I just wanted to drift away and be peaceful.
I feel like I should be less surprised that this came out in 1996, but that's one of the most impressing things about it. Funneled through all of the different layers of pop, downtempo electronic music, and further development of EDM this sounds so familiar yet clearly dated. Deserves a bit more credit
Tracey Thorn could sing the phone book and it would sound lovely. This was massive at the time. Still chill af. 4/5
Ótima combinação de vocais e elementos eletrônicos, sendo os remixes o ponto alto.
Varied in genre, yet consistent in atmosphere. Very enjoyable throughout, will definitely keep this in rotation.
pretty greaty
Good electronic music that transports me back to the 90s. Thoughtful lyrics and a pleasing voice (albeit a little old by the end of the album).
They weren’t on my radar back in the day but should have been. Good all the way through.
I’ve always loved Tracy’s voice. Missing, Wrong, and Driving were the songs that introduced me to EBTG. But the magic happened when I listened to Protection, the Massive Attack album in which she participated. It’s something melancholic, the yearning… I don’t know. Now listening to this album at my 40s, I can discover the textures. It’s a shame it took so long to me to understand it.
A very chilled listen, thanks to Tracey Thorn's haunting, ethereal jazz- inspired vocals set against trip hop beats and keyboard pads, strings and bleeps. The best tracks for me are 'The Heart Remains A Child', 'Flipside' and 'Mirrorball'; it's probably no coincidence that these feature acoustic guitars, have a slightly faster tempo and generally stick out as an experiment (which i like). I don't think EBTG have ever made a completely perfect album, not that the music is ever bad, it's just that they cover all the bases, meaning most people find something they enjoy. A review on Wikipedia mentioned EBTG being national treasures, and they might be right.
This should be ticking all my trip hop boxes, but it's all just a little same-y after a bit. I felt I could sing Missing (off a different album) along to most of these songs.
I knew some tracks, but hadn't listened to the whole album before, enjoyed it more than I thought. Similarly, I kept finding myself muttering "...and I miss you" on most of the choruses.
edm dance hop. at least a 3. pretty good but got a little samey at the end. 3, or if I'm generous, 4.
I enjoyed this a lot. Accomplished
This is exactly my kind of music, but I can’t say every track grabbed me. Looking at the release year, this album feels ahead of its time. The songs have a feel that reminds me more of the 00s. I enjoyed this listen, I was into it from the first track. I will make sure to return to this album in the future to give it another listen.
I dig these mellow grooves. 4
I liked this more than I anticipated! Will listen to them more often
These guys are cool. Deserves a 2nd listen.
It’s something I would listen to again.
Strong start! Need to listen to a couple more times, 4.25
I like this one a lot. Top end of a 4 for me.
Great laid back 90s electro
As soon as I heard that stereotypical lo fi electronica sound at the very start of this I knew I was gonna at least enjoy most of the album regardless of how engaging it was and I was right. Flipside stuck out to me but overall I was just along for a nice ride.
Pretty cool pop. The voice reminds me of Annie Lennox. I really liked downtempo for a while. My taste has changed in the meantime. But maybe I'll listen to it again now. 4/5
Actually this is pretty decent northern soul. She’s got a great voice and the songs are decent and the playing is good. It’s on the border of must listen though …. 3.5 rounded up
I am currently on a much needed holiday in a small beachside town in northern New South Wales. I am lying on the couch in the winter afternoon sun with a book, but truth be told I am closer to napping than reading. And I'm listening to Walking Wounded by EBTG on repeat. It's the perfect record for this moment; sophisticated pop music for adults. Smooth, clever, warm and inviting. The electronic production bed is the ideal foundation for Tracey Thorn's vocals, which is the real star of this record. I've always loved her voice, notably on her guest appearances on Massive Attack's Protection album. EBTG clearly learnt from that and the success of the remix of 'Missing' and realised that this trip-hop/dance backing was a perfect frame for her lyrics and voice. There are actual songs here, that reveal their pleasures shyly over repeated listens. Too good.
Everything But The Girl is one of those artists I had forgotten about, so revisiting this album was definitely fun. The music is mostly trip-hop oriented beats or really cool atmospheric jungle and drum and bass beats, which I enjoy the most. Due to its laid-back vibe, I think it has aged pretty well compared to other bands making commercially available electronic music at that time. Unfortunately, when it comes to electronic-driven music, there are only a few bands whose albums feel timeless. This is one of them, alongside other artists such as Portishead.
Already a favourite of mine
4 - I was a bit worried when it first started that it was going to feel really dance beat vibes. But it actually kept me interested and worked well against the vocals. The vocals were really good and tracey thorns voice was super familiar. Think I know it most from massive attack. But yeah, cool interesting album
A beautiful exploration of being wounded in love. A favorite album for years in that it is carefully understated. Not maudlin or angry. An excellent blend of music and voice with thoughtful lyrics that all set an atmosphere.
I enjoyed this loads more than I thought I would, but then I really don't like "Missing" and had kinda imagined that this album would be more of the same. It's not. It's pretty much a mid 90s mildly experimental lean towards drum and bass. When listening to it, I thought of Kosheen and I haven't thought about Kosheen in years. So yeah, I'm gonna say this is a 4. They're definitely a notable act, and this is a decentish album.
hip, enjoyable music
Forgotten how rave-y this album was. So evocative of the 90s jungle scene in Bristol, as it matured into something beyond warehouses. Before the… unpleasantness… Hard recommend and got 2 spins today, one immediately after the other.