Annie Lennox - Songs of Mass Destruction Audio CD
A fair review of the Annie Lennox "Songs of Mass Destruction" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all
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Band: Annie Lennox
Title: Songs of Mass Destruction
Rating: 
Release Date: 2007-10-02
Media: Audio CD
Tracks: 1: Dark Road 2: Love Is blind 3: Smithereens 4: Ghosts In My Machine 5: Womankind 6: Through The Glass Darkly 7: Lost 8: Coloured Bedspread 9: Sing 10: Big Sky 11: Fingernail Moon
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Don't Listen to This at Work! I put it on and went about my tasks. I took this CD to work to listen to, as I couldn't find the time to enjoy it at home. Within moments, I was so rapt in the sheer utter brilliance of this collection that I stopped working completely, unnoticed. Some time later my boss enters my office.
"Are you sick?" he asked. "Why aren't you working?"
It wasn't until he put his hand on my shoulder that I snapped out of the musical trance.
This CD is THAT powerful!! .
The Best Yet
Recently I decided to re-investigate Annie Lennox' solo work after seeing some youtube videos, especially her wonderful performance of "Into The West" at the Oscars, and "Many Rivers to Cross" from an AI benefit. I loved Eurythmics back in the day, especially for Annie Lennox' incomparable vocals, but lost contact later in the 80s, drifting more into other interests. I found some good and some great songs, and then found this recent album, "Songs of Mass Destruction". Being the artist's age, I kind of wondered where she could possibly be musically at age 52, especially when so many musical artists' work seems to fade with their years.
What a stunner! Simply brilliant. Annie Lennox does things vocally here I have never heard her do, and I couldn't imagine her voice to have become even better with age as it certainly has. More depth, more control, more subtlety, and more power (if you can believe it), and more creativity. And the songwriting is just breathtaking, entering new melodic places for this artist, and raising the blues/soul dimension I have always loved about her work to new heights. For me, this album as a whole is the best of her solo offerings (and transcends a good bit of Eurythmics' work as well).
I'm a very particular listener, and accustomed to picking and choosing just a few songs on any album, by anyone. Since getting used to ripping my CD tracks to my ipod, I never have to listen to album tracks I don't care for. But there's not a thing on this album I have left off, it's that good. For me it's difficult to choose a favorite between Big Sky, Coloured Bedspread, Through the Glass Darkly, Ghosts in My Machine, Smithereens. . . . well you get the drift.
I've never written an album review, but I had to express my appreciation for this truly superb album by an artist who has apparently found that special alchemy to turn age and experience into beauty, and found her creative powers deepened, strengthened, and sharpened in the process. Quite a rare thing.
Edit: after 2 months more listening, this album just gets better and better, and is still my favorite. . . But I am also discovering the brilliance of both Diva and Bare, Annie's two other solo songwriting albums. The best way to listen is to mix tracks from all her solo albums, there is so much there to hear, which benefits from attentive listening and repetition. This is not background music, but soul-absorbing, timeless songwriting and exquisite performances.
Wonderful CD...amazing versatility!
Annie Lennox has such an incredible range of emotions within this CD, and it is very energizing and full of feeling. . love it!.
Songs of Mass Destruction
I agree with Rolling Stones Magazine review of this album but since I can not give 3. Songs of Mass Destruction being Lennox 4th studio album and her 2007 release sounds like a generic pop album with quite ordinary lyrics. 5 then I give it 3 out of 5. Songs like "Dark Road" and "Sing" are not bad tracks but I have heard this kind of music so many times and it is not my favorite kind of music by far. All the lyrics are included, and we get a list of whom plays what on the album. 3/5. .
Does Ntot Dissapoint
She has come a long way from her early hits such as "Sweet Dreams" and has changed along the way. Annie has one of the most distinctive and powerful voices to me in music and is able to perform all kinds of music. Though I enjoy her older material for what it was (and still is) to me her newer music expands her horizons and showcases her voice.
If you have only heard some of the older hits and expect to find items that are the same, you may not be enamored of the newer material, at least the first time.
But if you listen to her voice and ability to convery a song, and give it a chance you will not be dissapointed.
You can see a complete list of all Annie Lennox discography, or go back to the Annie Lennox tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.