Back when Annie Lennox first reached popularity as lead singer of the Eurythmics, she was better known for her androgynous orange-haired style and her atmospheric creep-rock music than her voice. Sure, she unleashed some high-pitched wailing in ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)’ but for the most part her vocal performance in that song was wonderfully robotic.
But in later years, Lennox proved to have one of the richest voices in the business. It was showcased beautifully on her 1995 solo record, Medusa, an album of covers on which she performs songs by the likes of Al Green, The Clash, Neil Young and Bob Marley.
One of the standout tracks on Medusa is ‘Something So Right,’ Lennox’s take on the 1973 Paul Simon classic. Simon’s music from that era was pretty straight-forward, so it’s neat to hear this song with the more orchestrated production of Lennox’s release. But she knows better than to change things up too much. Why mess with greatness?
When the fever runs high
You’ve got the look of lovelight
in your eyes
And I was in crazy motion
Til you calmed me down
It took a little time
But you calmed me down
When something goes wrong
I’m the first to admit it
I’m the first to admit it
But the last one to know
when something goes right
Well it’s likely to lose me
It’s apt to confuse me
It’s such an unusual sight
I can’t get used to something so right
Something so right
They’ve got a wall in China
It’s a thousand miles long
To keep out the foreigners
They made it strong
I’ve got a wall around me
You can’t even see
It took a little time
To get to me
Some people never say the words
I love you
It’s not their style
to be so bold
Some people never say those words
I love you
But like a child they’re longing
to be told
Meet Me In Montauk 
I had two immediate reactions reading today’s post:
1. Creep-rock?! I love that music! And certainly think that it shows off Annie’s wonderful voice (though not in the traditional way that this song does)… I mean… come on… “There Must be an Angel” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8B8Y8seX7IU&feature=related
The woman can sing! (and, yeah, sometimes, she can be a bit robotic in the process)
2. BARBRA STREISAND (think the Duck Sauce song) – how can you not mention the absolutely stunning interpretation of this song that the great Streisand did…which I’m enraged I cannot seem to share with you here. Still, anyone who has ever heard her rendition will agree that it is breathtaking – probably the reason I became the frothing at the mouth BS fan I was for all those years. So… if you can find a way to post it, please do!!! š
just realized that it was probably not a good idea to refer to Barbra Steisand by her initials in my last comment š I can promise you that, for the time I was a fervent fan, I was an authentic one!
Here’s a little sample, at least… very little š¦
My responses to your reactions:
1. I don’t mean “creep rock” in a derogatory way. On the contrary, I love that Eurythmics sound. And it is deliciously creepy (picture that weird video for ‘Sweet Dreams’ with the blind cellist in the rowboat).
2. I had no idea Barbra Streisand covered this song.
I doubt this is going to work, but I’ll give it a try (Clay will delete it if is doesn’t, I’m sure)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/dmusic/mp3/player?ie=UTF8&ref_=dm_ty_cp&fromTYPOrderId=D01-8861016-1057662&#songs
I just bought the song and saved it to Amazon’s “Cloud Drive” – which I’d never heard of before, so that was kind of cool. Anyway… here’s hoping it will let me share my purchase with you all.
Sorry, doesn’t seem to work. Your cloud drive is just for you, apparently.
How did you grow up in the same house I did and not know that Streisand covered this song? That reel to reel was on constant rotation….
Wow, I love all the renditions of this song showcased here. Dad thought Carol King had recorded this too, but I can’t find any proof of that. I’m really blown away by Annie Lennox’s voice; it’s just wonderful.
well, I see my absence from the blog yesterday was not missed:)
Like Peg, I love this song in all versions mentioned above, although I am most drawn to the simplicity of the original Simon version.
Amy and I were discussing last night how both of our moms were drawn to Annie Lennox’s sound back in the 80’s and we were trying to analyze why that might be. Was it that strong wonderful voice that shone through the otherwise less conventional sound of the Eurythmics? Was it the strong female image that she represented?
Anyway, Lennox’s voice is definitely wonderful and perhaps she should have been on all of our lists for top 10 female vocals. She would have been on mine if only she were black:)