Reviews (page 3 of 8)
Always a fun album to listen to. Yet as much as I enjoy it, I can’t help but feel this album was included for the title track alone. The album never reaches a height of you must hear this before you die. I could definitely agree if “Sweet Dreams” was on a list of songs you must hear before you die though.
Annie to legenda. Uwielbiam jej barwę głosu. Same kompozycje są dla mnie zbyt elektroniczne i trochę sztuczne, ale nie jestem w stanie odmówić im mocy. Szczególnie pierwszy utwór zmiata z podłogi. Płyta trochę traci na impecie pod koniec ale i tak można do niej wracać w całości. 7.5/10
Honestly, I'm mostly just stumped about why I wasn't able to come up with anything specific to say about this album. I mean, come on, it's is Eurythmics! And it's Annie Lennox! People love 'em! I should be able to come up with **something** to say about them! If nothing else, I should be able to find out where they fit into my ongoing "timeline of New Wave." This came out after Duran Duran's RIO, so what does that mean? What is this thing's place? I had options! Ideas! And yet... Nothing. I listened to this album **twice**, which is a luxury I rarely grant **any** album these days, and even though I quite liked what I heard both times... Gosh, I'unno. The specifics of **why** I liked this stuff just kept eluding me. Like, yeah, it's real fine New Wave, and Annie has a nice voice, and of course the title track is great, but... I mean, these are the worst kinds of 4's to get, aren't they? The kinds that are just so straight-forwardly good that you can't even really articulate why exactly. Jus', yep. If I was someone in the 80's who bought this album off of the strength of the title track... I mean, nothing else here hits as hard as that one — and, honestly, side two beyond it isn't all **that** exciting — but I think I'd be happy with my purchase. It'd get some spins. But even back then I don't know if I'd have much to think about it. (Honestly, there is some part of me that wanted to give this whole thing a 3 just because of how little I was able to specifically come up with about this album, but, like... That's not entirely fair to the album, I don't think, first of all. Second, I mean, come on, the presence of the title track alone keeps it from falling down there. So, like, if it wasn't here... Sure? But since it is, nah, I'm fine giving it a 4 and just movin' on. "Keep your head up, movin' on...")
Niiice
Yet another great voice.
Una banda imprescindible, a un nivel excelso en un su segundo álbum y con una discografía llena de temas esenciales. Annie Lennox es una de las cantantes más importantes de la historia, por calidad, imagen y actitud. Love is a stranger y la titular son absolutas gemas. The Walk o Jennifer (abosultamente magistral y eterna, entre OMD, Glass o el mejor Bowie) o This city never sleeps (cierre frío, glacia, e industrial al que Lennox le insufla vida), también. Cierto es que algunos temas (Wrap it up, una versión soul en calve tecno pop, entonces toda una herejía ) han quedado anclado en los primeros 80 y que discos posteriores (uno al año durante toda la década y en todos ellos hay reconocidas gemas musicales) han aguantado mejor el paso del tiempo. Cualquier disco suyo es bienvenido.
I loved this album so much. Female led synth pop is right in my wheelhouse. Love is a Stranger and Jennifer are the standouts.
Daleko od toga da je ovo loše ali nevjerojatno je koliko ovaj bend ovisi o glasu annie lennox
Cool
Always thought it was a pop crap album as a kid. Whole different album today. Pretty wholesome and well produced can even say ground breaking at the time. Insane I only remember one single that its overplayed still when there are a few songs as good if not better. Really enjoyed but songs are too many and songs are long whoch is maybe why they didnt get airplay.
Early 80’ music and art! Great album
Excellent music. Beautiful voice.
All I knew was the title track but wound up enjoying most of the album. Lots of wobbly synth, not terribly deep but still poppy fun!
Only knew the title track but loved how dated and corny a lot of it sounded. They wrote a lot of bangers though! And the best song about safe sex
Eurythmics' *Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)*, released in 1983, is a landmark album that solidified the duo's place in music history. Its blend of innovative electronic production, introspective lyrics, and Annie Lennox's commanding vocals made it a defining work of the synth-pop era. Below is an in-depth review focusing on its lyrics, music, production, themes, influence, and a balanced assessment of its strengths and weaknesses. ## **Lyrics** The album's lyrics explore themes of ambition, disillusionment, identity, and human desire. The title track, "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)," is particularly notable for its juxtaposition of seemingly optimistic lines like "Sweet dreams are made of this" with darker undertones. It reflects on the pursuit of dreams and the inherent struggles in achieving them. Annie Lennox described the song as a personal statement about vulnerability and nihilism during a challenging period in her life. The line "Some of them want to use you / Some of them want to be used by you" delves into power dynamics and human relationships, often misinterpreted as referencing S&M but actually addressing broader existential themes[1][2][6]. Other tracks like "Love Is a Stranger" examine the complexities of love, portraying it as both alluring and destructive. Songs such as "Jennifer" offer haunting narratives with melancholic undertones, while "This Is the House" uses abstract imagery to convey a sense of detachment. The lyrics throughout the album balance introspection with universal appeal, making them both thought-provoking and relatable. ## **Music** Musically, *Sweet Dreams* is a masterclass in synth-pop innovation. Dave Stewart's production is characterized by minimalistic yet hypnotic arrangements built around synthesizers and drum machines. The title track features a repetitive synth riff that is instantly recognizable and underpins the entire song. This simplicity creates a hypnotic effect that contrasts with Lennox's soulful and emotionally rich vocals[1][3][6]. Tracks like "Love Is a Stranger" and "I Could Give You (A Mirror)" showcase Eurythmics' ability to blend electronic textures with pop sensibilities. "The Walk" incorporates brass elements reminiscent of Motown influences, while "Wrap It Up" adds funk-inspired grooves with guest vocals from Green Gartside of Scritti Politti. The album also experiments with atmospheric soundscapes, as heard in the haunting "Jennifer" and the ambient closer "This City Never Sleeps." ## **Production** The production on *Sweet Dreams* was groundbreaking for its time. Recorded in their home studio with newly acquired synthesizers, Eurythmics embraced a DIY ethos that allowed them complete creative control. This freedom enabled them to experiment with unconventional song structures and sound design. For instance, many tracks lack traditional choruses but compensate with compelling hooks and layered arrangements[3][7]. Dave Stewart's engineering skills shine throughout the album. The meticulous attention to detail is evident in the crisp drum patterns, lush synth layers, and dynamic vocal treatments. Tracks like "This City Never Sleeps" even include backmasked messages and mixed sound effects that add depth to the listening experience[5]. The production not only defined Eurythmics' sound but also influenced countless artists in electronic music. ## **Themes** Thematically, *Sweet Dreams* is an exploration of human emotions and societal critique. The title track captures the tension between aspiration and reality, serving as an anthem for those grappling with life's contradictions. Other songs address themes such as love's duality ("Love Is a Stranger"), existential questioning ("I've Got an Angel"), and alienation ("Jennifer"). There’s also an undercurrent of satire aimed at the music industry's greed and superficiality[6][8]. The album's cold, European aesthetic—characterized by hard-edged synthesizers—contrasts sharply with Lennox's warm vocal delivery. This dichotomy mirrors the album's thematic exploration of contrasts: hope versus despair, connection versus isolation. ## **Influence** *Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)* was pivotal in shaping 1980s synth-pop and electronic music. The title track became an international hit, topping charts in both the US and UK. Its success helped popularize synthesizer-driven music at a time when rock still dominated mainstream tastes[1][5]. The album also had a significant cultural impact beyond music. Annie Lennox's gender-bending image in the "Sweet Dreams" music video challenged traditional notions of femininity and inspired discussions about gender identity. The video's surreal visuals became iconic, cementing Eurythmics' place in pop culture[5]. Artists across genres have cited *Sweet Dreams* as an influence. Its minimalist production techniques and emotional depth resonate with musicians exploring electronic music today. ## **Pros** - **Innovative Production**: The album’s use of synthesizers and drum machines was ahead of its time. - **Timeless Tracks**: Songs like "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" remain iconic decades later. - **Lyrical Depth**: Themes of ambition, love, and disillusionment are explored with nuance. - **Cultural Impact**: Annie Lennox’s image and the album’s success broke barriers in both music and fashion. - **Diverse Soundscapes**: From haunting ballads to upbeat dance tracks, the album offers variety. ## **Cons** - **Uneven Quality**: While standout tracks like "Sweet Dreams" are flawless, others like "Wrap It Up" feel dated or less impactful. - **Cold Aesthetic**: The stark electronic sound may feel impersonal to some listeners. - **Abstract Lyrics**: Certain songs lean heavily on abstraction, which might alienate listeners seeking straightforward narratives. ## **Conclusion** Eurythmics' *Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)* is more than just an album; it’s a cultural artifact that captures the spirit of 1980s experimentation while addressing timeless human concerns. Its innovative production techniques set new standards for electronic music, while its introspective lyrics provide emotional resonance. Despite minor flaws in consistency, *Sweet Dreams* remains a landmark achievement that continues to inspire artists and captivate audiences worldwide. It’s a testament to Eurythmics’ vision and their ability to blend technology with soul—a balance that few have achieved so effortlessly.
Cool album. I was a busy at work today, so it was background music for me, but I Could Give You (A Mirror) made me pause and look at what I was listening to. Anyhoo, great album. 4 rating from me.
This album sounds ahead of its time. I've always enjoyed Annie Lennox's voice. It's rich and soulful.
Kind of exactly what I expected to hear. A lot of strange, kind of dark 80s synth. The darker edge of this makes it a little better for me than a bunch of the goofier 80s synth pop stuff. Almost premoniscient of Nine Inch Nails in some ways, though nowhere near that dark, obviously. Especially the sounds of tracks like "I Could Give You a Mirror." The song "Sweet Dreams" is obviously a pop masterpiece, but surprisingly that's the only one I've heard before. "This is the House" is a little cheesy, but that's about the only real 80s-style pop cheese on this album. I'm surprised to find this so palatable for an era and genre I typically don't like.
Отличный альбом, но последние песни уступают всему тому что было до них
Eurythmics brought the 80s into focus and outclassed all their imitators. This album was so weird and cool in 1983 and still sounds like nothing else. I got shit for having a crush on Annie Lennox, but come on!
A classic! Annie is great
Fun 80s synth pop.
Like this one surprisingly well, especially given that I really don't care for Sweet Dreams. The rest of the album was pretty funky/weird and could have almost been a modern indie/electric type sound. 4/5
Production is absolutely fire on this. Liked it more than I thought. Synth pop greatness.
i believe in short cutted women supremacy (альбом вроде веселый, флексить можно)
It took me a couple of listens for it to click but the sound is addictive, especially the bass. It really captures what I now think of as that 80s dystopian retrofuture vibe. Other than the big title track (which still connects) I especially liked Wrap It Up, The Walk and the perfect relaxed closer, This City Never Sleeps. It's not all hits but they've achieved a real consistency here and I will go back to it sooner than later.
Figured this might be one of those One hit Wonder albums where everything else is bland, but it's a little better than that. Some pretty fun other songs beyond the title track, although it is still a straight banger. 7/10
Anyone who hasn't at least heard the title track has been living under a rock for the last 40 years... and given the current state of affairs I might want to get some real estate under that same rock. Anyway, it's a good synthpop record that manages to sound varied. They were not afraid to push the boundaries of the style.
4/5
Pretty good, very unique, a few bangers but wouldn't listen to repeatedly
Precioso disco! Es curioso lo oscuro que es, en música y letras, para ser un disco de los años 80.
Fun tunes
Juhui: Eurythmics. Ich liebe d Annie Lennox als Type. Nur scho wäge Sweet Dreams - a de Familiefäschter muess das immer Gsunge wärde. S Album isch sehr villsiitig. Gfalle tuet mer nüd alles. Im übrige isch 1983 de 1. 3-D-Drucker, s 1. Microsoft-Word-Programm und de 1. Nintendo uf de Märt choo. Atari hät hunderti vo nüd verchaufte Videospiel, Konsole und Computer in Mexiko vergrabe (git ä mega spannendi Doku dezue). Pioneer 10 hät euses Sunnesystem verlaa..he, was für ä Ziit
love is a stranger tönt irgendwie mega dünn, aber de song a sich isch suuper geil wechslet meh oder weniger zwüsched zwei akkörd hi und her mega simpel aber funktioniert mega. wrap it up slappt au heerrtt. i could give you seehr cooli melodie sehr coole bass. alles isch uhuere simpel aber s brucht au nöd meh. the walk isch ehner chli langwiliger, ihri stimm und d synths immerno cool. uuuh trompet?? jennifer findi mega schön mega athmosphärisch. this is my house slappt heert. bass suuuper d annie singt sehr cool und d arpeggios ohlesgo somebody told me au seeehr geil. super melodie mega catchy bass riff. lieb au d slide gitarre. this city never sleeps findi chli meh lame.
The title track elevates this to a 4.
I loved this as a kid.
Better than I expected!
Honestly, not a bad song on the album. Sure, some were far bigger than others (such as the title track having 1.5 billion more plays than the second biggest track on this album), but they're all great and I seriously feel they still stand up. Thanks to the solid production and recent 80s rehash from a few years ago, these songs actually sound fairly modern with the only real thing that makes them sound 40+ years old is surprisingly Annie Lennox's voice, which is by no means a negative criticism, you just don't hear singers like her anymore.
This is unfortunately one of those albums where one song (in this case the title track) kind of overshadows the rest of the album. That being said, I still enjoyed it overall. Probably a 7
A good album, loved the classic Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This).
Love it! Car family friendly. What's not to love
There's some padding on the album & some decent 30 second riffs that have been painfully stretched into a whole track but 3 superb tracks (Sweet Dreams, Jennifer & Everything) is enough to squeak 4 stars
real enjoyable
Funsies
Great album, enjoyed it!
listened to before it's a classic
4.5!
a classic. also much more psychedelic than I expected at the end
undeniable
Classic 80s album - loved it for that alone!
there are some classics on here
3.5
Enjoyed this a lot
Eff yeah. First half better than second.
kinda nice with it actually. not a lot of filler either!
Classic
Yes. This was good.
Shits all over anything TS could produce. Above average pop album
80s synth-pop made timeless by Lennox's incredible vocal talents.
surprisingly enjoyable
fajne dźwięki przyjazne wesolutkie spoko
Makes me wanna dance. Some tracks are just so-so and I don’t think this really warrants any deep analysis, but on the whole, quite enjoyable. 4/5 Highlights: Love is a Stranger I Could Give You (A Mirror) Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) Jennifer This Is the House
Verwarren jullie dit ook altijd Roxette? Beide maken elektronisch getinte jaren tachtig-pop, beide bestaan uit een mannelijke producer en een vrouw met kort blond haar, beide hebben een X in de naam (Lennox / Roxette). Het verschil is dat de ene uit Zweden komt, en de ander een hit had met Candy Dulfer. Maar wie was ook alweer wie? Hoe dan ook, Eurythmics waren eerder. Voor die tijd een fris en strak geluid, niet zo koud als Kraftwerk, niet zo rommelig als al die punkers, een tikje commercieel maar dat mag wel een keer.
I really enjoyed this. It starts off so strong with Love Is a Stranger. Those high harmonies on "so it's an obsession" surprised me in the best way. Love that track. And Sweet Dreams really is one of the greats. Though none of the other songs hit the same highs for me, it was still a good listen.
Very good. Annie is amazing as always.
1) Before listening to this album, I'd only heard Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). I was surprised how consistent the rest of the album is to Sweet Dreams. 2) This feels incredibly obtuse, but I never knew Eurythmics was 50% Annie Lennox. 3) If this isn't an 80's time capsule, I don't know what is.
Annie Lennox - One of the best pop vocalists of all time. Great album.
I must admit I was more impressed by this one than I initially expected. I have never listened to this album before, nor did I even know it existed. But I was already familiar with one song (you all know which one), so when I saw the album title I was filled with dread. I don't *hate* that song, but my God is it overplayed. And I fully expected this to be just that for 40 minutes straight, just typical oversaturated 80s pop. But you know what, this is a surprisingly diverse album. It really represents this era of 80s pop really well, and even the title track doesn't feel out of place or stick out like a sore thumb.
The '80's, defined. Annie Lennox is great.
This album right here is why I'm doing this challenge. One of my favorite songs is Annie Lennox's Why, but I have never heard anything else from her. This album is unique, the lyricism interesting, and both of their voices are just awesome.
Never heard this before! Really never paid a lot of attention to Annie Lennox. My first memory of Annie Lennox - again, very casually informed - is of a fine songwriter but vocally not very impressive. A little like Sinead O’Connor. But these first few tracks are changing my mind about that! Love her phrasing and use of harmony. There is an element of sameness quickly creeping in. Each track pretty well feels like the last one. “The Walk” - Love the saxophone. Musically this track was something special. So I’m sad the vocal was so underwhelming. “Sweet Dreams” - I figured I’d be bored to tears by this. I’ve heard it incidentally off the radio so many times. But now listening to it intentionally… Wow. Everything about this track is excellent. “Jennifer” - at first the bass line made it seem like a redux of “Sweet Dreams”, but the song quickly set itself apart with a catchy but haunting vocal. “This is the House” - I actively dislike this song. It’s the vocal melody that’s killing the song. Everything about it screams “I wrote a poem and then tried to spontaneously sing it over music”. “Somebody Told Me” - love the intensity on the vocal. Finally she’s bringing some heat! Album closer “This City Never Sleeps” gave me a real Peter Gabriel vibe. Never a bad thing! Everything about this album SCREAMS the 80s. It sounds dated, but not in an off putting way. If someone wanted to know what the big deal was about 80s pop music, this would be a great album to point people to. They might not like it, but they will get it.
This was so hit and miss for me. I was only familiar with the title track, and that more as the Marilyn Manson version tbh.. Some tracks were absolute bangers and others definitely felt their age and suffered for it.
love the title track didnt listen to much else
When it's tea time in our house Google Assistant says Sweet dreams are made of tea. At one stage we even had it play the song but that was a bit too much. Anyway, good to listen to this whole album. It kicks off strong with Love Is a Stranger but kind of loses its way until The Walk, and Sweet Dreams. Jennifer seems to begin the more electro sessions. Other notable mentions for me would be This City Never Sleeps
My rehabilitation to 80s music continues! To be fair, I've always thought the title track from this album slaps - and it's gotta be one of the main inspirations for the whole electroclash genre too, right? I'm torn between a 4 and 5 on this one - there are some undeniably 5 star tracks, but there are some super dated sounding filler tracks too, and while they're maybe fun, they bring the average down. 🤔 Fave tracks - "Love Is A Stranger" is fantastic! "The Walk" is great. "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" is obviously still iconic. "Jennifer" sounds like it could be dropped into OMD's "Architecture & Morality" fairly seamlessly. There's a fun cover of "Satellite of Love" in the bonus tracks of the edition I listened to, too... 🛰️
Aside from the obvious single this is like off brand Talking Heads. I enjoy the Talking Heads quite a bit, so this is a good replacement when they're all out David Byrne
Really great album. Hear the influence they had on future acts like Florence + the Machine. Sweet Dreams is a standout song and there are other really good ones as well.
This City Never Sleeps is an amazing track.
YEEEEEES This is what pop should do! Only one I got a bit sick of the singular verse thing was Jennifer - she sounds resplendent but that didn't help after 5 minutes of it
Sweet albums are made of this
Sweet Dreams is still a classic. The rest is pretty solid synth-pop. Not five star material, but entertaining.
This was just really good. Almost a classic 5*
If all the songs were as good as the first one, "Love is a Stranger", this would be a 5 star album. Album starts off strong, then starts to blur. Annie Lennox can really sing.
The title track is easily the best track. The rest is actually good as well, just not as good as the title track. I did the mistake and listened to the bonus tracks. Those tracks didn't add anything special and just diluted the album.
As pop music goes, for its time its pretty faultless. Clearly the predecessor, The Tourists, was more straight pop but the androginous Lennox brought an art school persona to this take on new wave. The singles are classic and the album tracks are of its time. They went on to make better records and become a little more mainstream but this is the sound of the early eighties.
It annoys me when people talk about Eurythmics and the only band member mentioned is Annie Lennox. Eurythmics would not have been the success they were without Dave Stewart. It’s obvious that Stewart preferred to stay in the shadows (demonstrated by this album cover) but he still existed and made a major contribution.
Good album, some classics and no bad tracks
I feel like the song "Sweet Dreams" is pretty ubiquitous in music culture, but I don't know that a lot of people are as versed on the rest of the album. Well, I'm here to say that this album is excellent and every bit as excellent as "Sweet Dreams"! It's new wave, but with an added focus on dance pop and synth pop sounds. Based on what I read, it took Eurythmics a bit to find some success, and that this was the album that finally accomplished that success. Additionally, not all new wave acts went as heavy on incorporating these dance and synth sounds, and thus I feel like this strategy further helped Eurythmics stand out all the more on this breakthrough album. Aside from outstanding lyrics throughout the album, Annie Lennox uses a gender-bending singing style throughout much of this album (to accompany her gender-bending physical aesthetic); a dark, ethereal harmonization between masculine and feminine vocals is being mixed on this album to produce a gender nonconforming vocal sound. It's also wild to consider that nearly all of the work done for this very fleshed out and realized album was done by only two people: Lennox and the other half of the Eurythmics duo, David Stewart. Just a great listen and a very solid example of new wave intersecting with synth-pop in a positive and exciting way!
This is a strong synth pop album. Never mind the the overplayed (and, in my case, over-listened) Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). Eurythmics were very early in their carreer when they released this, and the album already shows signs of greatness. While later albums would show a more melodic side of the duo, with more pure pop arrangements and less synth, even this early release is a serious undertaking which set the groundstone for airplay domination in the mid 80s. 3.5/5
I was disappointed with the first half of the album, but the second half saved it for me. One extra star for "Sweet Dreams"
Yeahhhh this slaps. Turns out I love 80s synth pop. And Annie Lennox's vocals, but I knew that about myself already.
Damn ik ging hier heel goed op, bijna een 5
It was ok, great song but the rest was a bit repetitive. There was a song Jennifer
So good, but a little more poppy than I remember.
I like 80s synth pop, and this album beat my expectations. Annie Lennox's voice is heaven over a synthesizer. The songs are very well-crafted, and the album is consistently good 4/5
Some good songs on this!
I enjoyed it.
5/16/24. Peak 80s synth pop, awesome production and great synth sounds. Annie's vocals are also top notch. Since I only knew the widely popular Sweet Dreams, it's great to hear that the rest of the album holds up just as well and not a huge drop-off from that massive hit.
Heel nice
Good
Sweet Dreams, the song, is essentially a zeitgeist song of the 1980’s. It sonically captures what everyone thinks the decade was all about. It's a lightning in a bottle perfect song that used the current technology of the time to create a futuristic, yet very 80’s sounding masterpiece. The rest of the album gives a glimpse into the reality of the time…synths, drum machines, solid songwriting and exotic androgyny. Nothing else here comes close to the perfection of Sweet Dreams. It is still a solid album through and through.
I thought I’d hate it but I really liked it, the ones where Lennox sings are the best in my opinion
Annie Lennox has fantastic pipes. And I think the album generally works well, I enjoyed it and can’t remember ever actually listening to it end to end.
Heavy synths, Sort of dance music, and Annie Lennox singing her lungs out. I'd listen to this again.
A few real standouts - Sweet Dreams, Love is a Stranger - in amongst other decent songs. An enjoyable album and always a nostalgic one. Many road trips were spent belting along with Annie Lennox.
Al principio es un disco medio aburrido pero de Sweet Dreams en adelante hay puros temazos
Really interesting to hear this whole album at once. Listened while going on my first run in a very long time and it was just the right vibe, even in the dark before sunrise. The near consistent vocal stabs tracking through the background of whole album threw me off a bit, as I kept thinking someone was very close to me but it was apparently just Annie Lennox from 40 years ago. Still a fun listen that seemed to define an era, if only briefly.
i <3 annie lennox solid album all round sweet dreams forever a certified tune the album just works together 4/5
Wonderful album. Title track is iconic of course but the rest is very nice time capsule to the early 80s. This album is a love letter to New Age music of that time. This City Never Sleep is a standout track that caught me by surprise. I love it. Today I learned Wrap it Up is a cover, written by Issac Hayes and David Porter later covered by The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Billie Eilish and Finneas writing and producing their stuff feels like an impression of Annie Lenox and David Stewart in some ways. Very personal music made with patch work tech in a personal studio.
Good 80s vibes. You can hear a lot of the bands they influenced
ja europop ofzo? niet echt mijn vibe maar prima toch
Rating: 8/10 Best songs: I could give you (a mirror), Sweet dreams, Jennifer
Synthesized, poppy, classic Annie Lennox
Exactly what I think of when I think of 80s synth pop. Its overall ok, though Love is a Stranger is a standout (besides Sweet Dreams, which is a stone cold classic).
Enjoyable. Some great songs.
Just as sweet as when it came out.
I did not expect much from this one so it was a nice surprise. Very hypnotic but also fun tracks with horns. Another 3.5 rounding to a 4.
Great group, not their greatest album
"Eurythmics' *Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)* album stands as a monumental record in the synth-pop genre, for its innovative sound and timeless appeal. This album marked a significant turning point for the duo, showcasing a masterful blend of synthesizers, drum machines, and Lennox's hauntingly powerful vocals. The title track, "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)," is undoubtedly the jewel in the crown, offering a catchy, yet somewhat eerie melody that remains iconic in the music world. Some tracks may feel a bit dated to the modern ear, and there's a certain uniformity in sound across the album that might not cater to all tastes. Despite these minor critiques, the album’s strengths far outweigh its weaknesses, boasting a pioneering spirit that paved the way for future electronic music. Tracks like "Love Is a Stranger" and "This Is the House" further exhibit the duo's knack for blending emotional depth with electronic innovation. Sweet Dreams is a must-listen for fans of the '80s music scene and those looking to explore the roots of electronic pop music.
Not a fan of all of it, but sweet dreams is a true classic.
Disco. 80s. Annie lennox. Nice production.
not as bad as i was expecting!!!!!
4+/5
This is the most 80’s album, crammed with typic synths and effects used later in the decade, along with haunting experimental instrumental and vocal effects and choices. Drum tracks are bombastic, driving, and unapologetically odd. Vocals are dissonant, harmonious, and raw, but with a glamorous sheen. Lyrics feel ancient and chanting. This album sounds like Stone Age people got their hands on synths and a taste of 80’s Metropolitan Life. Standout tracks include “I’ve got An Angel”, “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”, “Jennifer”, and “This City Never Sleeps”.
4/5
More classic 80s, Revenge is a better album IMHO
Ok!
Canción 8 trozos en español.
Classic, still.
A couple solid bangers in there ("The Walk" and obviously the title track "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)") but beyond that nothing particularly special in the first half with the second half having some more variation to itself
80ies Synth-Pop with wonderful Vocals
Classic 80s tunes. This duo crafted some catchy tunes.
Really enjoyed this. Obviously Sweet Dreams is an all timer The first song is really good too tho. Could be a great cover for LCD Soundsystem
It was fun :)
It was fun
I liked this more than I thought I would. Annie Lennox has an amazing voice, the synths are varied and the guitar is crunchy. I can hear Eurythmics influence in other artists I love, like St. Vincent. I feel like I've been missing out. Highlights: Love is a Stranger, Sweet Dreams, Jennifer, I Could Give You (A Mirror)
Just now figured out where Trent Reznor got half of his sound.
Solid album
"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" is the second studio album by British pop duo Eurythmics. Dance pop, synth-pop and new wave. Annie Lenox on vocals and David A. Stewart on all the synths and guitar. It was their breakthrough reaching #3 in the UK and #15 in the US. "Love is a Stranger" begins with a wobbly-synth melody and a very nervous fashion beat. Annie with layered vocals. Lust and the darker side of love. Horns and a deep synth melody anchor "The Walk." Annie showcasing her powerful voice telling her lover to walk away knowing she'll likely fall into the same trap. And, the big one "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" hitting #1 in the US and #2 in the UK. The iconic synth melody and vocals. Androgynous Annie in the video. Definitely, the first song I think of when you say 80's synth-pop. It's about Stewart and Annie's time after the breakup of their previous band, the Tourists, and the dreamy state they were in. The best hidden track on the album (and maybe the album overall) is "Jennifer." A bouncey synth and sounds waves. But dark and haunting. Annie whispering and talking. It's a fictional story about a woman drowning and based on an actual boyfriend of hers that died. A searing guitar at the end. The album ends with "The City Never Sleeps." A droning synth and slow driving melody. Based on Annie's move to London and not knowing what to do. This album seems to be split between poppy, dance songs (very 80's-ish) and dark, haunting synth-based songs. Those dark songs are very timeless and drive this album. Annie Lennox's voice is incredible: the range, the emotion and the emotionless. Heck, one song alone, the title track, makes this album worth a listen. But, the other darker songs are very good and worthy of listen also.
Idk I liked it
Il y a des chansons franchement agréables, sympa à écouter en fond, sweet dreams bien sûr la meilleure qui est super, bon rythme, joyeuse et à la fois a un message, dansante et satisfaisante. Par contre presque la moitié ne sont pas de chansons que j'écouterais pour le plaisir
So far I love the instrumental palette and the production, everything is so lush. Obviously, Annie Lennox's vocals are amazing.
Eindelijk! Eindelijk een album dat beantwoordt aan mijn motivatie om dit te doen. Iets dat ik eigenlijk niet echt kende, en dat ik echt goed vond. Heb mij hier op geamuseerd tijdens het koken gisteren. Dit is 80ies done right. 'The Walk' heb ik toegevoegd aan mijn likes, die sprong er echt uit. Jammer dat Sweet Dreams al zo verzadigd is, want op zich toch wel een schijfke. Dit is 1 van de eerste 'onbekende' albums die ik zeker nog eens ga opzetten. In de tweede helft van het album even een dipje, vandaar toch 4 sterren ipv 5.
We've all heard the song Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) and we all know that it's considered to be an incredible song. That being said, it's definitely not the best song on this album. It's probably the most accessible - hence it being the single and title track. But the album starts off with a banger. The whole album with the exception of maybe the last 2 songs are fantastic. Annie Lennox is the real deal. I know people have been saying this forever but I'm not overly familiar with her discography. I don't really listen to synthy-electronic-pop music. Some artists that I love definitely have that in their musical DNA, but as for that genre as a whole, it's not my preference. That being said, I really think they did it right. It's not in your face. Textures are there but it isn't overwhelming. The musical parts that are lack luster are shadowed by Annie Lennox being incredible. Really enjoyed this album even though it's not my forte. Wouldn't hate to listen to again but probably wouldn't seek out more music by my choice. Still a solid album. 4 Sweet dreams out 5
Just your typical, 80s, lsd & cocaine fueled dance floor bangers. The Walk was probably my favourite, less heavy on the synth and lots of brass (which I am a sucker for). Oh also, I learned some spanish.
I was not expecting an 80s album to be this good!
Still sound like its from the future
Great vocals and a couple of classics. Very original style especially at the time and the production has aged very well.
Not their best, but still decent
Used to love this album, haven't played it for many, many years and was bit disappointed. Did age a bit. But with the two big hit singles and the best song, the beautiful This City Never Sleeps will never leave my head so still 4 stars for these two geniuses.
Super sympa de découvrir d'autres chanson (un peu plus rock)
By 1983, we had already heard what heavy synth and electronic beats could do, but Lennox and Stewart excel at putting a degree of humanity into synthetic music to make it accessible, enjoyable, and lasting. The lyrical elements of the album are nothing to write home about, but mostly I was surprised how great the 'deep tracks' on this album were from their catchy hooks, primarily "Wrap It Up," "The Walk," "This is the House" (surprisingly, the star of this track is Andy Brown's slap bass, a welcome surprise on an otherwise electronic album), and "This City Never Sleeps." The title track is a masterpiece, and as of today (9/21/2023), over 1.1 billion plays on Spotify. There's a reason for that: it's one of those iconic songs of its era, one that transcends the time period it came from. I suspect it won't ever "die," and that's a good thing. Everything from the melody, the electronics, the lyrics, and Annie's voice are unmatched. The production quality is excellent. Knowing that digital production tools were in their infancy at the time, putting something like this together was a labor of love, and the mix comes out pure, lush, and clean. Songs like "Jennifer" remind me of some of the work Vangelis has done around the same time. I absolutely love how this album sounds from a sonic perspective. Not sure if this is the case, but I can hear some inspiration for later acts like Jamiroquai or maybe Daft Punk in some of this. I can definitely see why this album is on the list, and I'm happy to have taken time to listen to it beyond its radio hits.
Enjoyable album, Annie is a great vocalist and the whole album is a great pop album
I remember when this came out. Annie Lennox was such a singular figure, causing quite the cultural firestorm. I loved it then and I still love it now. Sweet Dreams and then Love Is a Stranger are masterpieces and deserve their place in the cannon. The entire album may not be up to that standard, but the songs are all interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed listening straight through.
There were some true bangers and ones ive never heard before. I was surprised by how much I really liked Jennifer
Drops off a lot after sweet dreams, but surprisingly solid with incredible vocals
hab ma mehr erwartet
Full disclosure: I had this album on vinyl was it was released. I’m a big fame of the 80s New Wave movement. Even though synth pop bands like Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), Blancmange and Human League preceded them, to me the Eurythmics were different in that Annie Lennox can actually sing. The songs are well written and the arrangements are lush. "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" is the breakout hit but their cover of Sam and Dave’s "Wrap It Up" is really good. I also enjoyed "The Walk” due to the addition of horns. “This is the House” gets high marks for that wicked bass line (and horns!) There aren’t any *bad* songs on the album but “Jennifer” comes close. It’s subdued and repetitive. It’s just okay. Not sure who she is (maybe Annie’s alter ego?) or why she warranted over 5 minutes of attention although I do think she drowned. I’m going to put “The City Never Sleeps” in this category too. It’s a trip that never actually goes anywhere. Compared to their contemporaries, this album is probably a “5” but I am going hold my ground about not giving out many 5s. So 4 of 5.
While one may see this as a filler collection that houses one of the 80s most important songs, it becomes apparent upon digging deep into this album that there is more that meets the eye. Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart offer up an aesthetic that still serves as a send-up to those appalled by the serving of androgynous styling and new wave pageantry that hasn't ceased its hold on the imaginings and retrospectives of the decade it came from. Sweet dreams are made of this, who am I to disagree? Favorites: Love is a Stranger, I've Got an Angel, Wrap It Up, The Walk, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), Jennifer, Somebody Told Me, This City Never Sleeps.
по-моему я никогда еще не слушала его целиком, хотя он кажется был где-то скачан энивей тэ бест оф классикс ;-)
3.75/5 This album really confirmed to me that I love electronic music. Even in it's origins I enjoyed it. Even though I had never listened to the album before, I felt like what had formed my love of synth and electronic music. It was fun to listen to.
Better than most 80s synth pop albums. But title track is far and away the best thing on this.
Something bittersweet is nice from time to time.
Had only ever heard the title track. A fun pop album with lots of experimentation on it. Favorite track: Wrap It Up
two massive tracks, and the rest is a slice of 80s pop, not a bad listen
Not looking forward to this one but was pleasantly surprised. A but repetitive but it works
Decent album, with of course the title track standing out on a first listen. Got a bit better overall during the second listen, but still a bit too flat in places for full marks.
I was pleasantly surprised by the variety on display, but still too much 80s cheese to really push into a 5 for me.
I have a feeling that Touch is their better album that is NOT in the book (it's also from 1983!), but makes sense that they'd choose their big break over the confident follow-up. Still making up my mind over parts of it, like the plastic soul in "Wrap it Up", or "This City Never Sleeps" which just goes and goes, but I can't help but dig the Eurythmics sound, and Annie Lennox's voice elevates the weaker tracks and supercharges the strongest ones. June 14, 2023 HL: "Love is a Stranger", "Jennifer", "I Could Give You (A Mirror)", "This is the House" oh yeah and that title track
It’s clear this album influenced so many acts. Like on the first track I heard a ton of LCD Soundsystrm, even though I never really got into Eurythmics. Sweet Dreams still holds up and a lot of these songs are really catchy!
Свит дримс ар мэйд оф зиииис! Ну конечно все знают этот трек, куда же без этого. Долгое время я не знал, как называется группа, которая его написала. Окей, как минимум, я запомнил, что это был не Мерлин Мэнсон. Его кавер кстати неплох... В остальном же - классный синти-поп, нью-вейв, ещё какое-нибудь модное название для жанра... звучит хорошо, возможно немного скучновато. Огромный респект ребятам, что всё это было сделано почти в формате DIY, на собственном сетапе и почти без помощи продюсеров.
Another first for me. Other than the title track i knew nothing. This sounded a lot fresher than i thought it would considering it's early 80's release date. Fully buying what they're selling
One of my favorites from before this project.
they have a sound and they stick to it. it’s not a bad sound though so the album works. my favorite song (This Is The House) was the one that strayed from the sound a little bit though, very bass led and cool horns
banco una bandAaa!!! 8/10
Oh my - I loved this back in the day!
I listened to this album while working on one of my projects for class and I have to say, this is fantastic music to listen while coding. This album felt so short first time go around, I was just wanting more when it was over. I wish Sweet Dreams didn't completely overshadow this album because the rest of the songs are really good songs as well. This was a really solid synth pop album
Wrap it up sounds like the song SpongeBob’s pet jellyfish plays when he’s throwing a rave at SpongeBob’s house. This album was dope though. The three song run of the walk, sweet dreams, and Jennifer made the album for me. The walk has so many different elements that occur and build throughout the song and all of them help lift the song rather than distract from it. Sweet dreams is obviously an 80s banger. Jennifer is like Proto-dream pop and almost sounds like a beach house song. It was a surprisingly intimate song and contrasted the previous two darker songs really well. Certain songs seem a little dated but I think that’s partly cuz of how much of an 80s staple this is. 👍: walk, sweet dreams, Jennifer
Alright, not amazing, but some truly catchy songs on here. Sweet dreams is iconic
one of the best.
A classic, influential and Annie Lennox has an unbelievable voice
Bumpin’.
The more I listen to Eurythmics, the more I like them. Annie Lennox has such a distinguished voice and uses it well to layer on top of the synth beats on every song. Pretty solid collection of tracks on here, and they are all very well produced and sound polished. Cool, dark and fun. Fave tracks: Wrap it Up, The Walk, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
Properly talented songwriters and musicians. Not always my choice, but clealy a cut above.
who am i to disagree?
Ok
Loved Eurythmics back in the day. This is great
I’ve always thought Sweet Dreams was a banger of a song and now I think it was a banger of an album!
I liked it. It had a vibe. I used to write off that 80s sound but I think I quite like it now. Lots of cool sounds used interestingly. Still not sure if I'd have it on regularly but a couple of stand out songs.
Done
Yes. Awesome. So many classics. Annie Lennox is a legend - and also nice to have a group where people remember the female member rather than the male 😂
Quite a lot of odd things going on in this album, and I like it. It might be because I can hear a lot of Talking Heads on some of the tunes. And all these backing sounds/vocals bring the eccentricity level up to at least 6 or 7. Jennifer is a stand out track I hadn't heard before. It could've been made last week.
It simultaneously sounds very 80s and very contemporary at the same time. I was listening to ‘Jennifer’ whilst, very slowly, plunging my cafetière this morning and felt like I was in an art film. Aged impeccably
The tremendous voice of Annie Lennox soars effortlessly over Dave Stewart’s revolutionary synth soundscapes. While the title track remains an all-time classic, songs like Love is a Stranger and The Walk also stick in the mind long after the album is done.
A few tracks in the second half stop this from being a much deserved 5 stars.
Whats not to like? Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart at their best :)
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) is the second album by British pop duo Eurythmics. It contains the hit single - the title track, that is now the duo's most recognizable song - that took the world by storm and boosted this album to be a commercial success a year after its release. This synth-pop / new wave album has been certified gold in the US. Of course I heard the single "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" and loved it, so it was fun listening to the rest of the album. None of the other songs hold a candle to the title track, but they come close. It was a great album from the 80's and still holds up to this day.
The album is consistent and cohesive in its 80s new wave, synth sound, making for an enjoyable front-to-back listening experience. Nothing quite reaches the high of Sweet Dreams, but it’s placement in the middle of the album creates a good build up and cool down effect. Solid 4/5.
Having never listened to this album, despite having really liked most of Eurythmics' singles, I was struck by how sparse and open it sounded, and how varied its moods. And of course, Annie Lennox's voice shines throughout! Definitely not "just another synth-pop album", it's got plenty to offer for further listens.
This is where the Eurythmics realize that they can write an all-time classic song (Sweet Dreams), and a pretty great single (Love is a Stranger). Most of the album, though, is pretty stripped back, showing that most of the album is in fact a home recording on 8-track tape. That stripped back 80s synth pop sound can be pretty, although (as Robert Christgau points out) it can be a bit pretentious. I disagree that it is overwhelmingly pretentious, certainly compared to a lot of the stuff coming out from similar bands (see the contemporaneous parody from Not the Nine O'Clock News; Lufthansa Terminal 'Nice Video (Shame About the Song)': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FhYOcf2_5Q). It really isn't that bad. And besides, it is nice to have a pop song that doesn't make you feel slightly lobotomized just for listening to it. I like the stripped back production. 'Jennifer' really reminds me of the Kills, a band I really like, and they must be influenced by the earlier Eurythmics. That said, I could live without the weird cover of Wrap It Up. This sounds like it was intended to be a single, but fortunately never was released as such. Annie Lennox's voice, which is one of the great pop voices of the 80s. Her range of tone and ability to convey the drama of a song lift the Eurythmics well above the standard of similar bands of their vintage. You can hear how close they came to not making it. If it wasn't for Sweet Dreams (the 4th single from the album!), I suspect they would have disappeared into relative obscurity. I find this album pretty listenable, although Sweet Dreams and Love is a Stranger are clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the record. It was very pleasing that they took the lessons of those tracks and produced a string of incredibly strong singles over the next decade or so. I was talking to Shawn just yesterday about how the 1001 list leans heavily towards classic rock and is criminally short of female artists. This piece of fresh, smart, female-fronted pop arrived just in time to save me from the hell of Stephen Stills and everything he stands for. It's a 3.5 stars album for me, rounded up because it turned up on the list in the nick of time. Thanks, Annie, much appreciated.
This list includes a lot of albums that ultimately boil down to "they were a one hit wonder and this album is the song that the one hit was on". You get one very famous track and a lot of useless filler. By the end of the album you wonder why it was included on the list at all, what you're doing with your life, and if you should maybe call your therapist. But this album isn't that! This album is actually great! Sweet Dreams (Is Maybe This Album's Lamest Track).
Taas ollaan klassikoiden äärellä! Yllättävän hyvin kestäneet aikaa muutkin biisit kuin levyn megahitti. 4/5
My Dad had the Touch tape in his truck so I'd say we were primed for this record as a house when it dropped. And yet, only the single Sweet Dreams made its way in. Hearing this record now, most of the songs are unfamiliar to me. Of course, the sound and vibe are all familiar through hearing the Eurythmics as well as many other bands who were trying to catch that 80s synth-wave lightning in a bottle. I'm not particularly captivated by it here but it's totally listenable. An extra star added to this review for the song Sweet Dreams alone.
"This City Never Sleeps" is great. How have I never heard that song before?
Lots of quality on this
Nostalgia is a powerful thing, one of the first bands I saw live. Still evokes powerful memories of that time in my life
Fun pop album - it verges a bit on the overly cheesy, lyric wise and even song wise - but it has quite a few timeless classics in here. The synth sounds though - wow - impeccable production and arrangement. The whole record has a strong start, but kind of tapers off towards the end after the title track - which is kind of expected since it overshadows this whole band's career. But don't get me wrong - it's not a one song album.
Annie's voice is sooo good. Good album but not a five.
I always forget that Eurythmics had soul.
Perfect Annie Lennox vocals and distinctive Eurythmics beats. Solid stuff.
I like Annie Lennox. The best song: "Sweet dreams".
Transformative in every conceivable way. Transcendent. 4/5
This album is surreal. At face value it’s just a lot of catchy pop songs that at times can be cryptic and almost nonsensical, that alone makes for a good record for some people. What takes Sweet Dreams to the next level for me is the amount of charm and nuance that reveals itself with repeated listens. That is what I want from an album, an empty space for my imagination to live inside of. For example, several songs lead me to believe something far darker is going on, and this mysterious energy is exactly what draws me into this album and in turn leaves me wanting more.
Finally an album that breaks the 80s one-hit wonder plague on this list by being really good in addition to having one really great standout song. Get fucked a-ha and soft cell annie lennox can actually make both a classic song and good album to go along with it that has fantastic use of synthesizers and sounds ultra 80s but also not dated. I also really liked somebody told me and jennifer.
Classic 80s. Another band I know largely through best of records. Nice to her a full record.
8/10
Annie Lennox has been around for so long - and definitions of androgyny have become so, well, flexible - that it's easy to lose sight of her voice as something otherworldly.
Still figuring out my rating system, so I guess this is a low 4 for me. I’d already heard Love Is A Stranger and the title track before, and as expected they were my favorites. This Is The House was pretty bad, though.
This album brings back memories, such a good album with so many songs worth listening to, its made a difference in my life when I was young
Electro
I would say closer to a 4 than a 3, but somewhere in there, I would say that I was more impressed with the back half than anything, I felt like they experimented a little more after sweet dreams. Can't argue with a hit like that though, great track.
Very fun(ky)
A great electro-pop album, at the height of new wave and yet more future-forward than "new," this album was ahead of its time. No one can argue the unique creative power of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart together. But also no one should ever cover "Wrap It Up" (certainly nobody this melanin-deprived, but honestly i would argue NOBODY EVER).
Yo they really are - Always loved the single, and fun to listen to the whole album - essential 80’s, amazing synths Wrap it up is WILD hahaha I Could Give You (A Mirror) ‼️ THIS is a 🏠 Loved this, but loses some steam at the end
damn, this was good. Pretty sure the only song I'd heard on here was "Sweet Dreams" but the whole album was really strong
I was a big Eurythmics fan back in the day. I thought they were leading edge back then but if I think about it objectively, they really weren't. As far as electronic / synth pop goes, they weren't groundbreaking. Even Gary Numan's album was 5 years old when Sweet Dreams was released. There was just something about Annie Lennox that was so fucking cool. I saw them in concert a year two after Sweet Dreams was released. She had a boy cut, and wore a man's coat - this androgynous look was beautiful but not sexy. I expect this was the objective although she took off her coat and shirt and wore only a red bra for the encore. I guess she thought she should set the record straight before the show ended. Dave Stewart also had a good look and it was cool that the band's name didn't start with "The". The title song was quite good in the day but has been overplayed. "This is the House" was not overplayed and might be my fave song today. The South American girl's vocals make it.
I remember hearing Love is a Stranger the first time and thinking the vocal sounded dreamy and unique. The next song, I've Got an Angel has the same quality, whereas songs like Wrap it Up and This is The House borrow more from R&B. I've tired of the title track but that speaks to its longevity
Bops, bops, bops. All the bops are bopping. Thank u, Eurythmics, for the this.
Obviously, Sweet Dreams is the star of the show here, but the whole album was definitely really good. I'll be revisiting this one soon!
One of the greatest new wave albums of the early 80’s due to strong production and Annie Lennox powerful voice. Pure nostalgia in a nice way
God how I loved Annie Lennox. It was the orange hair that did it for me, along with her overall presence in the Sweet Dreams video (far be it for me to state the obvious, but Sweet Dreams is an absolute all-time 5). She had my favorite voice since Linda Ronstadt wailed about going back to Blue Bayou. And Eurythmics follow up album to this one had Annie on the cover, shirtless and wearing a Robin mask. I might prefer that album (Touch) to this one, but along with the aforementioned title track, there are plenty of bangers here. I should have made my move on Annie Lennox when I had the chance. Follow up: I never had the chance.
This is a hulluva good electro dance/pop album. Every song has something to offer. One of the best pop albums of the 80s / new wave era. The only negative I can say is it may one song too long. 4.5 stars
Awesome ethereal synthpop. Atmospheric with a dreamy lead singer who shows both a beautiful and quirky side. Has pop hooks, weird sound effects, and is just fun to dance to. Very polished production, distinctively 80s. I can hear the Talking Heads influence, especially with the use of funk and afrobeat, but also things like the random shrieks and multitrack vocals. I also like the synths and horns, with plenty of diversity to maintain interest. I'm a bit biased because this is my type of music, and I admit many of them can be improved, especially in the last few, but it's really solid and I enjoyed every track. Favorites: Love is a Stranger, I Could Give You, The Walk, Sweet Dreams, Jennifer
Sweet Dreams is one of those songs I never tire of singing along to on the car radio. And I wish other songs like Love is a Stranger or Wrap it Up got more radio play.
Wonderful spacey and rocking.
Eponym song = ICONIC. Good rythm I like
Absolutely iconic album with some of the most influential songs written
Eurythmics slaps, so this album slaps fr.
pling plong detta är bra.
Good all through, more than just the title track.
Lip syncing battles in the childhood bedroom of my mind are made of this. Solid gold.
yea its acutally pretty good , i have cancer
LOVE IS A STRANGER 👌 THIS IS THE HOUSE 👌
Annie & Dave, a great partnership over many years. loved them in the Tourists. But the really hit the ground running with this one. some great tracks here. My favourites are "Love is a Stranger" and "Sweet Dreams". Endless joy from there 80's output altogether. Sweet dreams are definately made of this! Deffo in my top 1001 albums.
A pop masterpiece
who am i to disagree??
Carine le prime canzone, non particolarmente memorabili. Naturalmente 'Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)' alza di molto il voto.
Ahhhhh yeah I love 80s synth
Funky but title track is gold
Liked.
Les nombreux anachronismes utilisés au fil de mes excellents reviews ont commencé à me monter au cerveau. Je me mets petit à petit à perdre la notion du temps, c'est pourquoi j'ai d'abord pensé que cet album n'était qu'une copie de Marylin Monson. Il n'est pas nécessaire de me tomber dessus, je suis actuellement pris en charge par un professionnel, et suis un traitement de rehabilitation à la chronologie musicale.
Good overall album
Cool stuff. Great vocals.
Awesome album! Very 80s. "The Walk" was particularly fun. Not every song was perfect, but certainly worth a listen.
I used to dislike Eurythmics’ cold metallic sound. These days I’m much older and perhaps a tad wiser, and I appreciate the band for its innovative sound and for Lennox’ voice. It’s a pity there’s a bit too much fluff in this album, but overall: noice, if not very much so.
This is a great example of how you properly make an electronic album with quality songwriting, melodies, and interesting progressions, and not just mindless beats like the 90s contemporaries on this list. I particularly enjoyed the haunting use of minor scale progressions.
Synthesizers, yeahhhh. Maybe a Gen X thing, but the video-gamey sounds in 'Love is a Stranger' and 'I Could Give You' are THE BEST. The subway noises in 'This City Never Sleeps' are very pleasing. I always loved the single Sweet Dreams and I'm glad it fits into the rest of the album well. Love Lennox's voice, especially when she does her own backing vocal.
A pretty decent record. I like Annie Lennox's vocals a ton, so that swayed my vote a little bit. Some songs I could do without (This Is The House, I'm looking at you) but overall I enjoyed this. This is a 3.5 for me but gets pushed to a 4. Favorites: I Could Give You (A Mirror), Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), Jennifer
Decent. New direction musically, and you won't be able to find fault with either the performance or the production. I find it doesn't capture me though. Am I humming Sweet Dreams today? Nope.
A great 80's sound that didn't sound too "techno" or "alternative". Great singing and songwriting. This album has aged really well. "Love Is A Stranger" and "I Could Give You" are the standouts.
Mildly dark, strange, almost goofy. Hitting me just right today.
I didn't know much about this album except for the singles going in to this. The two hits ("Love is a Stranger" and "Sweet Dreams") are great tracks and I love the mix of Annie's voice and Dave Stewart's synth work. I was pleasantly surprised by the rest of the album. "I've got an Angel", "Jennifer" and "This City Never Sleeps" being the standout tracks for me. Looking forward to listening to more of their 80s music.
4.5
The title track is so strong, it makes it hard for the rest of the album to live up to that massive legacy. I was a little disappointed with the first half but it picked up on the flip side. But just to say it again - the song Sweet Dreams is one of the best songs ever made.
Title track still a banger despite being overplayed, rest of album nice if not incredible - 3.8
Love, love love this - I am a big Eurythmics fan though, so always was going to rate high.
A great album for all synth pop and 80s fans. The couple middle tracks are the best, but the beginning and end is somewhat lackluster
Relevant as used to see Dave Stewart a lot in Harringay Arms in Crouch End neighbours want to shut due to noise (the NIMBY morons). It's a great breakthrough album, little filler and Annie Lennox's voice is iconic
The eighties were a very, very strange period for music. In only a very few years whole paradigms were turned upside down, and this under a twofold influence: technology and business. Overreliance on the first and obsession about the second created overall aesthetics and atmospheres so representative of that period that, apart from the sixties, no other decade can boast being so instantly recognizable on the merits of its *sounds* alone. And this for better or for worse. During those early eighties, just as Eurythmics was conquering charts worldwide, it's for instance worth noting that even someone like Neil Young was busy using synths and vocoders (see the much maligned and frankly misunderstood *Trans*), and this mere anecdotal footnote here speaks volumes. The times they had-a *really* changed in those years. But probably not in the ways good ol' Bob had expected. Contrary to Neil Young, Eurythmics were typically "eighties" from the get-go, and that's a *huge* difference between the two, of course (one among many). By the time of their second album *Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)*, the duo had indeed fully embraced the schlock, glossy world of fatty synth bass lines and other electronic-driven pulses and would never fully depart from it, even during the nineties. But *there* was also a peculiar twist, a paradox of sorts, because Eurythmics had actually only embraced the clichés of their day and age so as to better reinvent songwriting tropes from far earlier periods, namely the ones of the good old rhythm 'n blues of days yonder. At least, that was the plan. To counterbalance the increasing power of the machines, the solution Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart found out was to inject *soul* into the 'popular mechanics" of their time, even though such "soul" could turn up being totally unrecognizable in those brand new, icy whereabouts. When replicants in *Blade Runner* claim they have their own 'souls', and that they are therefore as 'human' as you and me, there's more than a few eyebrows raised in response. It's the sort of eyebrows that Lennox and Stewart's band are still raising today, especially now that the eighties are far off into the rearview mirror. They were certainly not the only ones to step on that tightrope line in those days. In the U.K. dance scene, Soft Cell's legendary cover of "Tainted Love" had used the same mash-up of electronics and African-American, tried-and-true, melodic lines. But Eurythmics's version of that formula was a whole other level of complexity. Annie Lennox's diaphanous timbre and androgynous presence were not just masks or disguises in plain sight, only *pretending* to hide the obvious rhythm'n' blues influences of her voice inflexions. They were also an ambiguous statement about cultural appropriation and simulacrum. Music once considered "warm" or even "hot" was turning into its own *cold* self-conscious copy. It was *whitened*, in all senses of the word. And it seems audiences just took a lot of pleasure out of this without asking too many questions. In a way, Lennox's almost superhuman abilities on a technical point of view, like when she adlibs soulful pleas and performs other risky voice tremolos, only reinforces that initial ambiguity between (wo)man and machine. What do we have here? A genuine soul singer with flesh and bone? Or a robot only pretending to be one? Do androids dream of cybernetic Aretha Franklins? Not even Philip K. Dick or William Gibson had answered those queries before... Let's just address the electric elephant in the room, once and for all. As overplayed as it is, "Sweet Dreams"--that bouncy title track everyone has hummed under the shower at least once--still sounds superb today. But the apparent simplicity of that hit belies the fact that the song is first and foremost the epitome of the paradoxes spotted up there. And that at its core, it's part of that "Tainted Love" tradition of expressing doubt or heartbreak in such a lively manner (while not plagiarizing the full on minor-key vocal line of the old Gloria Jones hit, there's definitely a similarity in its "Sweet Dreams" equivalent). So if f the track works so well, it's because of those rhythm 'n blues influences first, as is the case in most of the less famous cuts in the album. The great synths sounds, drum-machines, and overall "programming" are just cream on the cake. Excellent cream, but cream nonetheless. The only problem with this track and its place on the album is that it is like a large tree hiding a whole forest. Indeed, if Eurythmics's second effort still holds up relatively well decades after it was released, it's for one reason only: the songwriting. Strip *The Walk* of all its trimmings, for example, electronic or otherwise--yes, even the horn section and that mellifluous trumpet solo at the end--and what you have here is basically a good PJ Harvey song circa *Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea*. Just imagine a different "rock" instrumentation on its verses, and the ressemblance is simply striking. Likewise (but conversely in a chronological point of view), final track "This City Never Sleeps" is nothing but a barely-veiled homage to Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues", with its hypnotic bassline supporting lyrical snapshots of urban melancholy and destitution. What links those two very different reference points (PJ Harvey and Marvin Gaye) is inspiration from the blues and nothing else. And it's an inspiration that a synth-driven act like Depeche Mode will use only quite a few years later compared to Eurythmics. So they knew what they were doing here. Other strands of black music run throughout the course of the album. The use of echoes and reverb in "I've Got An Angel" is drawing its inspiration from dub, and it's a move that feels like a weird, off-kilter way to explore the same paths Massive Attack would step on fifteen years later, musing about other sorts of 'angels'. And in "Somebody Told Me", Lennox even... raps (!), and the outcome of this experimentation is definitely not as ridiculoius as it may sound on paper. Add other decent tracks like that, plus a fantastic Kraftwerk-like, minimalistic opener ("Love Is A Stranger"), and the whole proposition holds the proverbial water like no other Eurythmics record. Speaking of water, don't miss that mesmerizing dark reverie about a drowned girl veering towards This Mortal Coil's goth territory. The girl is named "Jennifer", but she could as well have been named 'Ophelia'. There are only two duds in the album: first another Kraftwerk-inspired track, a cyberpunk cover of Sam And Dave's "Wrap It Up", which might read like an interesting or even daring idea on paper, except that it's not when you're hearing the final clunky results. And there's also "This Is The House", which sounds like a reject from The Talking Heads post-*Remain In Light*. it actually says a lot about the 'Heads that the line between success and failure when it comes to such "white funk" forays is so... thin. But the study of this thin line will surely come in its own time... The point is that if a band like the Talking Heads is enjoying such a raving critical status today, I don't see why another act like Eurythmics couldn't be redeemed as well, at least partly. So the *ideas* behind those failed experiments in the album might have been worth it and you can't blame the band for trying a little too hard. Unfortunately, they are the sorts of ideas that will increasingly come to Lennox and Stewart's minds after *Sweet Dreams...", and there again, the execution will produce many mixed results, actually far more than on this second LP. There will always be a couple of great, catchy tracks and singles to redeem those failures, but nothing that will *wholly* save any of the subsequent records. Replicants always have an expiration date, and for some non-fans, 1983 was maybe the date Eurythmics should have been "retired" by a disgruntled Rick Deckard policing good music out there. Given that it's the exact same year our endearing Roy and Pris of eighties pop broke out with *Sweet Dreams...* (and also *Touch*, released the same year), it seems that, creatively speaking at least, 'replicants' appear to have an even shorter life in reality than the ones they are enjoying in Sci-Fi flicks. You just can't always 'replicate' souls, Annie and Dave, you need to have ones of your own, too. Skills, influence or production values won't necessarily give you one. There are things that all the money in the world can't buy, even during the eighties.
80s synth pop album that still sounds amazing in 2022.
Great to hear this all the way through. Some surprises along the way. Interesting how Sweet Dreams REALLY stands out among the album
Done
New waviest of the new wave.
Big step forward from Kraftwerk!
Nice sound with an all timer of a song on the album
This is a really good album. Lots beyond Sweet Dreams, though that's a classic. It's 80s but doesn't sound dated. It's a keeper 4 🌟
Refreshing and weird
fun album, very electronic feel, i think they were pioneers? dunno. enjoyed it though.
Liked it more than I anticipated and it got better as I kept listening. It didn't turn me onto synth pop as an entire genre but I enjoyed this album. Favourite songs: sweet dreams (of course), Jennifer, This is the house, somebody told me
Very good.
Great band. Leave a couple of songs sounding in our minds.
I can imagine this being spun in an underground nightclub filled with typical 80s dancing young adults. I like that, though.
7/10. Considered an 8/10, but not feeling generous today. Fun and synthy, short and sweet, would relisten to because most of the songs were solid enough and the opening and title tracks were quite good.
There are some really interesting electronic soundscapes on this album, which I was not expecting going in. Still, it was a bit low energy for my taste and many of the songs were just alright. 7/10
This is a pretty good techy sounding album. Obviously the popular song for which the album takes its namesake but it has a number of other good ones. 7/10.
I knew of this band before but only really knew one song. The Sweet Dreams song is enough to carry the entire album.
Aah, eighties nostalgia. Great opening song. Great titelsong. Some of the other songs are also okay.
4/5. Surprised that I enjoyed this as much as I did. Standouts: Sweet Dreams, Love is a Stranger, Jennifer, This is the House, Somebody Told Me. I also enjoyed some of the bonus tracks.
supercatchy 80s pop music. music to vogue to
Such a complete album.
Najs!!
Annie Lennox's haircut and 80's synth are inseparable. Though dated, I enjoyed listening to this woman sing. Not sure who that other guy is. They could call themself The Eurythmic and it would be just the same.
The songs are fun and great head-boppers, but they don't build up to/don't stand up to the highs of the album, which they need to if the album is going to come together as a whole. It sometimes feels like the other songs are just filler for the killer hit of "Sweet Dreams," or the less killer but still really good "Love is a Stranger." That's not to say they're bad, just secondary.
Great bops, endlessly catchy, sounds futuristic and retro at the same time
Cleaned my car to this album was pretty groovy
solid sound on classic album.
ooh don't mind if I do
Like their work.... a few songs I liked a lot but others I didn’t recognize .....seems to be filler for the LP....
Very 80s! Lots of energy and synth sounds.
All good songs