Eurythmics Be Yourself Tonight CD

This album replays like a greatest hits package, such is the content of full-blown memorable pop songs. The list is almost endless as this album is a chilling reminder of how good pop can be and how well Lennox and Stewart worked together. Even without the legendary Aretha Franklin on "Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves" there is the pace and guts of "I Love You Like A Ball And Chain' or the numerous confessional "I'll be's" of "It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back)". This album stands up to repeated plays and will continue to improve with age. What perfection.

On Be Yourself Tonight, the Eurythmics' most commercially successful and hit-laden album, the duo meticulously blended the new wave and electronic elements that dominated their previous sets with the harder straight-edged rock and soul that would dominate later sets, resulting in a nearly perfect pop album. This disc scored no less than four hit singles and kept them a mainstay on MTV's play lists during the channel's heyday. Fusing pop, soul, rock, electronic beats, and even gospel, this is arguably the duo's finest moment. The first hit, "Would I Lie to You," is a straightforward rocker, complete with great guitar licks, a soulful horn section, and Annie Lennox sounding as vicious and vivacious as ever. The second single, which was a huge chart-topper in Europe, "There Must Be an Angel," is nothing short of shimmering beauty, with Lennox providing truly angelic vocals and Stevie Wonder adding an enchanting harmonica solo. Aretha Franklin lends her powerhouse pipes for the duet "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves," which has gone on to become an immortal feminist anthem. From the soulful electronic beats (a rarity) in "It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back)" to the beauty of the Elvis Costello duet "Adrian" to the pain and longing of the sorrowful rocker "Better to Have Lost in Love (Than Never to Have Loved at All)," this album runs through a wide array of musical styles, with each song standing tall on its own two feet. This disc is, without a doubt, one of the best pop/rock albums from the 1980s and one of the grandest, most creative albums delivered by the ever-appealing and innovative duo of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. A true classic. [This reissue of the album includes five bonus tracks, including a live version of "Conditioned Soul."] ~ Jose F. Promis

Additional Tracks

Eurythmics: Dave Stewart , Annie Lennox.

Personnel: Annie Lennox (vocals, keyboards); Angel Cross, Aretha Franklin (vocals); Dave Stewart (guitar, keyboards, drum programming); Mike Campbell (guitar); Michael Kamen (strings, celesta, keyboards); Stevie Wonder (harmonica); Martin Dobson (saxophone); Dave Plews (trumpet); Benmont Tench (organ); Olle Romo, Stan Lynch (drums); Adam Williams (drum programming); Charles William Singers (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Dave Stewart ; Adam Williams; Don Smith .

Audio Remasterer: Ian Cooper .

Eurythmics: Annie Lennox (vocals, keyboards); David A. Stewart (guitar, keyboards).

Additional personnel: Elvis Costello (vocals); Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder.

Additional personnel: Aretha Franklin (vocals); Mike Cambell (guitar); Michael Kamen (strings, celeste); Stevie Wonder (harmonica); Martin Dobson (saxophone); Dave Plews (trumpet); Benmont Tench (organ); Nathan East, Dean Garcia (bass); Olle Romo, Stan Lynch (drums); Elvis Costello, Angel Cross, The Charles Williams Singers (background vocals).

CMJ (1/5/04, p.16) - Ranked #13 in CMJ's "Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1985"