I’m not a big fan of most ‘80s synthesizer-influenced music. Too many artists of the time only used synths to smooth out and fill up their music, taking the edge off the harsh rock instrumentation, making it more aurally palatable. Yuk. The edge is what keeps it fresh, folks. (I’m not alone in my complaints; it’s a bit of a cliché, actually, to gripe about ‘80s overproduction.)
But not everyone was using synths to such lame ends. Case in point: Eurythmics, who were dead-set on exploring the new worlds exposed by electronics, and who had the talent and vision to do it well. In the space of a single year, the duo of singer Annie Lennox and producer Dave Stewart released two landmark albums in electronic pop music.
Ironically, when most of the rest of the music world decided to blandly go synth-ward towards overproduction, Eurythmics did an about-face and went back to traditional rock instruments. Guess they didn’t like the can of worms they’d opened so much.
Here’s a taste of Eurythmics.
Playlist 1
Playlist One presents a CD-length blend of the Eurythmics’ two best and most significant albums, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) and Touch, both from 1983. It was a good year for them.
Playlist 2
This roughly LP-length playlist compiles the best of the rest of the Eurythmics’ career, including a side-long dip back to their 1981 debut album, In the Garden—much of which sounds to me like a cross between Touch and the music of Stereolab, who would not yet exist for nearly ten years.
Cover Art:
- Touch and Revenge: Source, Discogs.com, Fair use.
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