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Among the various female artists who have truly changed (or made) the history of global music, many have become recognized for their talents and qualities that allowed them to impose and "push out" the female figure even in the musical universe. Some names? Madonna became the queen of pop for her audacity and disregard for the rules; Gloria Gaynor became a symbol of diversity (due to her skin color and the fact that the homosexual community appreciates many of her songs); Donna Summer was the first to make her way onto the dance floors; Tina Turner was the panther of American shows with her unstoppable voice and wild moves. And the list goes on (I hope others will forgive me for not mentioning their favorite singer.....).
Instead, there is someone like Annie Lennox who has chosen not to jostle with her colleagues who, besides their voice, have centered their careers on their bodies, their shows, and their outward image. Yet nonetheless, even the Priestess of Pop has managed to become a sufficiently recognizable ICON. And not only thanks to her refinement, her very elegant demeanor, and her androgynous charm. But also thanks to a certain substance. Thanks to her artistic side, which for some may not be a source of envy for other international singers. But an artistic side that everyone will agree with me if I say that it is "unique in its kind".
Introducing the album "MEDUSA" after this brilliant description might almost seem like a suicide mission, since it is a work that contains 10 rearranged covers by Lennox herself. Many underestimate and snub artists who very easily build a career on pieces already composed in the past (Marylin Manson, Celine Dion, etc.). But before criticizing a movie, you need to watch it. And before criticizing an album, you need to listen to it. For this reason, I'll give a brief description of this album that, much like the many tentacles of the Greek monster Medusa protruding from its head, shows the various facets, the thousand personalities of a woman who somehow makes these songs "her own."
The album opens with one of Lennox's greatest hits: "No More I Love You's", which, as I always say, "you don't belong to the human race if you don't know this song...". Certainly, the relentless dopopopo dododo and the use of the track in the film Vacanze di Natale 95 have concealed for years the macabre and psychopathic atmosphere of this melancholic song, leaving room for a one-hit summer catch. I invite you to watch the beautiful video of the song (partially set up by Lennox herself) to better understand its meaning...
With the second track, "Take me to the river", Annie takes us into a 70s rock atmosphere, staying quite faithful to the official version by Al Green (indeed, perhaps Lennox has made it less intense and less "black" compared to the original).
Although the original tracks covered by Lennox on this album are mostly unknown to the contemporary general public (at least in Italy), with the third song Annie truly dares and takes on the task of interpreting "A whiter shade of pale", a historic song by Procol Harum that has been defined as one of the most beautiful songs of all time according to the prestigious Rolling Stones magazine. The arrangement is more modern, and Annie's voice fits perfectly.
"Don't let it bring you down" (by Neil Young) redone by Lennox seems like almost another song, despite the excessive use of a pop base that at times dims the magic created by the interpretation of who wrote and sang it before her. The song will be used in the film American Beauty.
With "Train in vain" and "I can't get next to you", Lennox dons the garments of two 70s pop/rock groups (The Clash and The Temptations) with an ambiance that maintains a rhythm typical of those years defined as golden for rock 'n' roll.
The very long "Downtown lights" (by Blue Nile) embarrassingly presents a base identical to the original, but probably the futuristic sound of the song couldn't tolerate too drastic changes.
"Thin line between love and hate" (by The Pretenders) announces that we are close to the conclusion, giving us with its pop/soul rhythm a moment of respite that precedes a song by a music legend.
Even the king of reggae Bob Marley appears among Lennox's favorite artists, as she "steals" the sun-soaked "Waiting in vain" and slightly cleans it of typically reggae instruments, making it her own with her pop voice.
The last tentacle of the album, "Something so right", is probably the most heartfelt in terms of interpretation: so heartfelt that Lennox will perform it with the same author of the song (for the record, Paul Simon) in a re-edition of the album.
This is the musical universe presented in this beautiful album. An album that has always accompanied my days for its variety of musical genres and, naturally, for this "Medusa" of the 90s who has known how to pay homage to artists she undeniably appreciates. And by presenting tracks that did not build the name of these artists but rather represent their more intimate side, more unknown to the general public. A side that Lennox has seized without much ado and made her own.
I would like to conclude precisely with a phrase that Annie writes in the booklet of this precious work just described:
"To the authors of these beautiful songs, to whom I offer my deepest respect."
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
01 No More "I Love You's" (04:53)
Do be do be do do do oh
Do be do be do do do oh
I used to be a lunatic from the gracious days
I used to feel woebegone and so restless nights
My aching heart would bleed for you to see
1-Oh, but now
I don't find myself bouncing home
Whistling buttonhole tunes to make me cry
No more I love you's
The language is leaving me
No more I love you's changes are shifting
Outside the words
No one ever speaks about the monsters
I used to have demons in my room at night
Desire, despair, desire
So many monsters
(rpt 1)
2-No more I love you's
The language is leaving me
No more I love you's
The language is leaving me in silence
No more I love you's
Changes are shifting outside the words
And people are being real crazy
And you know what mommy?
Everybody was being real crazy
And the monsters are crazy.
There are monsters outside
(rpt 2, 2,...)
Do be do be do do do oh
Outside the words
02 Take Me to the River (03:33)
I dont know why, I love ya like I do,
(with) all the changes, you put me through,
Take my money, my cigarretes,
I haven't seen the worst of it yet,
I wanna know, can you tell me?
Id really love to stay...
Take me to the river,
Drop me in the water,
Take me to the river,
Dip me in the water,
(Washing me down, washing me down, washing me down, washing me down)
I don't know why you treat me so bad,
Think of all the things, that we could have had,
Love is a notion, and I cant forget, (aahhh)
My sweet sixteen, I'll never regret
I wanna know, can you tell me?
Id really love to stay...
Take me to the river,
Drop me in the water,
Take me to the river,
Dip me in the water,
Love me, squeeze me,
Love me, tease me,
till i can't, till i can't, till i can't, till i can't.....
I don't know why, I love ya like I do,
All the trouble, you put me through,
sixteen candles, blowing on the wall,
And here I am, the biggest fool of all
I wanna know, can you tell me?
Id really love to stay...
Take me to the river,
Drop me in the water, (come on, come on, come on)
Dip me in the water, (oh yeah, you got to take me)
Drop me in the river, (in the river, come on)
Dip me in the water, (now take me in the water, yeah)
Drop me in the river, (you got to drop me in the river, come on, come on)
Push me in the water, (push me in the water now, come on)
Drop me in the river,
03 A Whiter Shade of Pale (05:16)
We skipped the light Fandango
Turned cartwheels 'cross the floor
I was feeling kind of seasick
But the crowd called out for more
The room was humming harder
As the ceiling flew away
When we called out for another drink
The waiter brought a tray
And so it was that later
As the Miller told his tale
And then a face at first just ghostly
Turned a whiter shade of pale
She said there is no reason
And the truth is plain to see
But I wandered through my playing cards
And would not let her be
One of sixteen vestal virgins
Who were leaving for the coast
And although my eyes were open
They might just as well've been closed
And so it was that later
As the Miller told his tale
And then a face at first just ghostly
Turned a whiter shade of pale
And so it was that later
As the Miller told his tale
And then a face at first just ghostly
Turned a whiter shade of pale
04 Don't Let It Bring You Down (03:38)
Old man lying by the side of the road
With the lorries rolling by
Blue moon's sinkin from the weight of the load
And the buildings scrape the sky
Cold wind nippin down the valley at dawn
And the morning paper flies
Dead man lying by the side of the road
With the daylight in his eyes
Don't let it bring you down,
It's only castles burning
Find someone who's turning
And you will come around
Blind man running through the light of the night
With an answer in his hands
Come on down to the river of sight
And you can really understand
Red lights flashing through the window in the rain
Can you hear the sirens moan
White cain lying in the gutter in the lane
And you're walking home alone
Don't let it bring you down
It's only castles burning
Find someone who's turning
And you will come around
Dont let it bring you down
It's only castles burning
Find someone who's turning
And you will come around
Old man lying by the side of the road
With the lorries rolling by
Blue moon's sinkin from the weight of the load
And the buildings scrape the sky
Cold wind nippin down the valley at dawn
And the morning paper flies
Dead man lying by the side of the road
With the daylight in his eyes
Dont let it bring you down
It's only castles burning
Find someone who's turning
And you will come around
And you will come around
Dont let it bring you down
It's only castles burning
Find some one who`s turning
And you will come around
06 I Can't Get Next to You (03:08)
I can turn the grey sky blue
And I can make it rain
Whenever I want it to
And I can build a castle
From a single grain of sand
And I can make a ship sail
On dry land
But my life is incomplete
And I'm so blue
'Cause I can't get next to you
I can't get next to you,babe
I can't get next to you
I can't get next to you,babe
I can't get next to you
I can fly
Like a bird in the sky
I can buy anything
That money can buy
I can turn a river into a raging fire
I can live forever if I so desire
But I don't want it all these things I can do
'Cause I can't get next to you
I can't get next to you,babe
I can't get next to you
I can't get next to you,babe
I can't get next to you
I can turn back the hands of time
You better believe I can
I can make the season change
Just by the wave of my hand
I can change anything from one to two
The thing I wanna do the most I'm unable to do
I'm an unhappy woman with all the powers I possess
'Cause man you're the key to my happiness
'Cause I can't get to next to you
Ooh you're blowin' my mind
'Cause I can't get next to you
Can't you see these tears I'm cryin'
I can't get next to you
Oh it's you that I need
I gotta get next to you
Can't you see these tears I'm cryin'
Can't get next to you
I,I,I,I,I,I
Can't get next to you
I,I,I,I,I,I
Can't get next to you
07 Downtown Lights (06:44)
Sometimes I walk away
When all I really wanna do
Is love and hold you right
There is just one thing I can say
Nobody loves you this way
It's all right,can't you see
The downtown lights
In love we're all the same
We're walking down an empty street
And with nobody calling on me
Empty street,empty night
The downtown lights
How do I know you feel it
How do I know you feel it
How do I know you feel it
How do I know you feel it
It's all right
Tonight and every night
Let's go walking down this empty street
Let's walk in the cool evening night
Wrong or right,be t my side
The downtown lights
It will be all right
It will be all right
The downtown lights
How do I know you feel it
How do I know you feel it
How do I know you feel it
How do I know you feel it
It's all right
Neons and cigarettes
The rented rose and rented cars
The crowded streets,the empty bars
Chimneytops,the trumpets
The golden lights,the loving prayers
Colored shoes,the empty trains
I'm tired of cring on the stairs
The downtown lights
09 Waiting in Vain (05:40)
From the very first time I rest my eyes on you, boy,
My heart said follow through
But I know now that I'm way down on your line
But the waiting feeling's fine.
So don't treat me like a puppet on a string
'Cause I know how to do my thing.
Don't talk to me as if you think I'm dumb,
I wanna know when you're gonna come.
See, I don't wanna wait in vain for your love,
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love,
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love,
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love,
'Cause summer is here, I'm still waiting there,
Winter is here and I'm still waiting there.
Like I said, it's been three years since I'm knocking on your door
And I still can knock some more.
Ooh boy, ooh boy, is it crazy love? I wanna know now
For I to knock some more. You see...
In life I know there is lots of grief
But your love is my relief.
Tears in my eyes burn, tears in my eyes burn
While I'm waiting, while I'm waiting for my turn.
See, I don't wanna wait in vain for your love,
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love,
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love,
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love,..
'Cause summer is here, I'm still waiting there,
Winter is here and I'm still waiting there.
No I no I, I don't wanna wait in vain
No I no I, I dont wanna wait in vain
No no no I, no I, I dont wanna wait in vain
Its your love that I waitng on
Its my love that your waitng for
Its your love that I waitng on
Its my love that your waitng for
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love
10 Something So Right (03:56)
You've got the cool water
When the fever runs high
And you've got the look of love
Right in your eyes
And I was in a crazy motion
Till you calmed me down
It took a little time
But you calmed me down
Some people never say the words
"I love you"
It's not their style to be so bold
Some people never say the words
"I love you"
But like a child
They're longing to be told
They've got a wall in China
It's a thousand miles long
To keep out the foreigners
They made it strong
And I've got a wall around me
That you can't even see
It took a little time
To get next to me
If something goes wrong
I'm the first to admit it
The first to admit it
But the last one to know
If something goes right
Well, it's likely to lose me
It's apt to confuse me
Because it's such an unusual sight
Oh I can't get used to something so right
Something so right
Some people never say the words
"I love you"
It's not their style to be so bold
Some people never say the words
"I love you"
But like a child
I'm longing to be told
They've got a wall in China
And I've got a wall around me
It took a little time
To get next to me
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