Eurythmics: Be Yourself Tonight (Remastered + Expanded) CD Track Listing

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Eurythmics Be Yourself Tonight (Remastered + Expanded) (1985)
Be Yourself Tonight (Remastered + Expanded)\n2005 RCA/Sony/BMG\n\nOriginally Released May 1985\nCD Edition Released July 1985\nRemastered + Expanded CD Edition Released November 15, 2005 \n'Boxed' 8CD Collection Released in UK + Europe November 14, 2005\n'Boxed' 8CD Collection Released in USA November 21, 2005\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: On Be Yourself Tonight, Eurythmics' most commercially successful and hit-laden album, the duo meticulously blended the new wave electronic elements that dominated their previous sets with the harder straight-edged rock and soul that would dominate later sets to come up with a near-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 straight-forward 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 lending 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 a wide array of musical styles, each song standing tall on its own two feet. This disc is, without a doubt, one of the best rock/pop 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. -- Jose Promis\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW ('Boxed')\n"Deluxe" is the word, December 14, 2005 \nBy Philip A.Cohen (Bay Harbor Islands, Florida United States)\nAfter 26 months of cancelled release dates, the expanded/remastered Eurythmics CD series is finally here, and for those of you who want all 8 titles, the UK/Europe "Boxed" set is the cheapest way to get them. The CDs more than live up to expectations, with excellent sound, three-panel cardboard packaging (each with a side pocket for an attractive and informative booklet), and a very sturdy outer box. The bonus tracks are a combination of non-L.P. b-sides, original 12" dance remixes by the artists themselves, some unreleased songs & versions (including cover versions of tracks by Lou Reed, Thunderclap Newman, The Doors, The Beatles & French Chanteuse Francoise Hardy), and 2 later 1990's re-mixes by independant remixers (they're not bad). Unless you were an avid collector of the group's UK 7", 12" & CD singles, all of the bonus material will be new to your collection. However, these discs (packed as they are with bonus tracks) only get about half of the group's vinyl-only songs and versions onto CD. Presumably, there will be some future archival box to get the remaining tracks onto CD. Amazon.com seems to be having exceptional difficulty obtaining or supplying this set to customers, but let there be no doubt: it was released in the UK & Europe November 14,2005, and widely advertised in UK music magazines by the manufacturer (BMG/Sony), whose advertisements specifically stated a Nov.14,2005 release date. If you can't get it here, then try record stores in England (as I did). The set is worth your extra effort to obtain it. Amazon was asking me to approve a second shipping postponement (until late January 2006). I declined, and obtained the set quite easily elsewhere. Amazon did some strange things, pretending that the set hadn't been released, temporarily removing customer reviews of the set, and stopping the marketplace merchants from offering the set (as they had been). \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW ('Boxed')\nNice but something is missing, January 6, 2006 \nBy Danielik (Paris, France)\nThe box is very nice and I agree with other positive comments on Amazon. However, I want to stress my deception in seeing that "1984 - For the love of big brother" is NOT included in the box. It is a wonderful album (released under a different label) and certainly I expected to find it in such a collection. \n\nAnother missing point is: lyrics. At the time, all vynil LPs included printed lyrics, while now in the CD jacket there is just a leaflet with photos and historical comments. \n\n\nAmazon.com Editorial Review\nCasting off their rep for digital iciness, the Eurythmics got Be Yourself Tonight over on electric fire and the fluttering warmth of Annie Lennox's voice; the first two seconds of "There Must Be an Angel" are the prettiest seconds ever recorded. In fact, it's essentially a deep soul album in white-English-geek drag, from the Stax horns of "Would I Lie to You" to the guest shots by Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder to Lennox and Elvis Costello doing their best Marvin and Tammi impression on "Adrian." But the style points wouldn't matter without great songs and this disc has some of the band's finest: the best feminist anthem ever written, rockers that dig their heels in deep, and love songs fueled by real longing and joy. --Douglas Wolk \nThis edition has been digitally re-mastered from the original analog master tapes by Eurythmics mastermind Dave Stewart, with input from collaborator Annie Lennox. In addition, there are six bonus tracks: a mixture of b-sides, remixes, and previously unreleased material (notably a cover of the Doors' "Hello I Love You"). The packaging is a redesign orchestrated by Laurence Stevens Design, the firm who art-directed all of the original releases, while the thick booklets contain rare photos and insightful, new sleeve notes. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nA New Sound; A New Voice, December 21, 2004 \nBy D. Aaron Howard "rawherbivore" (San Diego, CA)\nFrom the first few notes of "Would I Lie to You?," it was obvious that the Eurythmics had shed their cool, European sound for something totally new. I remember hearing the song for the first time on the radio and thinking, "What is this?" \n\nOn the Eurythmics' fifth studio album "Be Yourself Tonight," the duo tackle the sounds of North America. Drawing from R&B, the Annie and Dave create a brilliant synthesis of Euro Pop Rock and Motown, and with Annie's soulful vocals, how could they go wrong? In fact, Annie Lennox may be one of the few white women on the planet who would dare share a song alongside the legendary Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin (as witnessed on the feminist anthem "Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves"). \n\nThe rest of the album is quite a gem as the band takes the listener on a journey through some well-crafted pop songs. From the gorgeous "There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart)" to the bitter "Better To Have Lost in Love," there's not a mistep on the entire album. "Adrian," a duet with Elvis Costello, is an instant classic; "Conditioned Soul" and "I Love You (Like A Ball And Chain)" show that Annie's lyrics still carry the irony and bitterness of their early work; but most precious of all is the powerful fourth single "It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back)." This masterpiece is one of the centerpieces of the album. It showcases Annie's vocal abilities like no other song on the album (and arguably any other song from the band, period). Lennox delivers such a punch on this song, we almost forget the Eurythmics are a duo (sorry Dave!). \n\nAfter twenty years, this is still a powerful album. In just a couple of listens, one can hear the hard work and creative energy that permeates this recording. Indeed, it's one of the band's finest works and holds some of the greatest hits of the mid-80s. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nEurythmics cut loose, June 15, 2004 \nBy Tim Brough "author and music buff" (Springfield, PA United States)\nOver the course of three albums, Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart had carved a mighty impressive block of work. But for most, despite the great singles, Eurythmics were hampered by the limitations of a "new wave" sound. So when the MTV World Premiere (remember those?) debut of the video "Would I Lie To You" came on, what a shock to see Annie come out in a leather jacket as Dave coyly whispered in her ear..."just be yourself tonight"...and Annie wailed into Dave's ripping guitar chord with gale force soul.\n\nAll of a sudden, everything changed. Eurythmics had crossed the bridge from being a very interesting band to a great band. "Be Yourself Tonight" was their most ambitious album to that date; proving that the duo had more up their sleeves than previously thought. Hints of soul that dotted "Touch" and "Sweet Dreams" burst through on "There Must Be An Angel" (featuring not only Stevie Wonder on harmonica, but most of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers) in a manner that only Culture Club had even come close to. But there was no way Boy George would have ever kept up with Aretha Franklin the way that the empowerment anthem "Sisters are Doing It For Themselves" had Annie cavorting with the Queen herself. Yet at the same time, the lovely "Adrian" found Annie making a soulman out of Elvis Costello.\n\nEven without the star power of the guests, "Be Yourself Tonight" shown bright on its own. Other, lesser heard songs like "Baby's Coming Back" and "Conditioned Soul" found Dave and Annie working the ideas found on the original albums with the addition of organic horns amidst the swirling synths. To bring the album to a rousing close, there was "Better To Have Lost In Love" which was the most human song that Lennox/Stewart had written.\n\nIf it isn't obvious that this is my favorite Eurythmics album, let me state it for the record now. One or two of the other albums may have sold better or been a shade more popular, but "Be Yourself Tonight" was the album that still holds a place in my CD collection. To me, it was the pivotal moment when Dave and Annie broke their icey veneer and really did "become themselves." \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nThe Definitive Eurythmics Sound, February 27, 2001 \nBy "littleghost" (Los Angeles, California United States)\n"Be Yourself Tonight" is the album that made Eurythmics graduate from cooly stylized New Wavers to a major rock 'n' roll force.\nFrom the opening guitar licks of "Would I Lie To You," there is a directness to the music that wasn't there before. Although Eurythmics hadn't completely abandoned their previous use of electronics in their music (that wouldn't happen until 1986, when they released the "Revenge" album), here on "Be Yourself Tonight" they integrated keyboards with guitars, horns, drums (instead of a drum machine or the synthesized beats of "Sweet Dreams"). The songs fuse pop, soul, gospel, and classic rock. Overall, "Be Yourself Tonight" has an energy that Dave and Annie hadn't had since their days in their previous band, The Tourists, in the late 1970's.\n\nAnd Annie Lennox's voice... wow! Her singing was always soulful, but here on "Be Yourself Tonight," Lennox sings with a new warmth. She sizzles on "Would I Lie To You," and she performs a vocal powerhouse duet with none other than Aretha Franklin on "Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves." She also shows a softer side for the first time here, especially on the lilting "It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back)" and alternates between hard rocker and beautiful balladeer within the verses and choruses of "Better To Have Lost In Love," the album's closing number.\n\nThe only thing missing from this album is "Grown Up Girls." This song was the B-side to the second single from this album: "There Must Be An Angel Playing With My Heart" (a collaboration with Annie's idol, Stevie Wonder). "Grown Up Girls" is Eurythmics' fiercest foray into disco (yes, disco). Annie's vocals are vocoded, and she alternates between singing in French and English. And the song never relents from its Hi-NRg beats-per-minute frenzy. With the predominance of house music in the 90's, and the advent of electronica, "Grown Up Girls" could still pack a dancefloor today. And considering how "Be Yourself Tonight" is such a timeless collection of all musical genres that Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox recorded, "Grown Up Girls" would have rounded out this album very nicely. (After all, "Be Yourself Tonight" only has 9 tracks... not uncommon for 80's albums, but short by today's standards.) \n\nOver the course of their career, Eurythmics would move from rock to pop, and from acoustic to electric, and back again. While most of their albums contained either/or, the "Be Yourself Tonight" album has it all. This album represents the definitive Eurythmics sound, and the songwriting and production values sound as fresh and inspired in the new millenium as they did at the time of this album's original release in the mid-80's. TREAT YOURSELF TONIGHT and buy this CD! \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nSomewhere between the synths and the pop..., September 25, 1998 \nReviewer: A music fan\n...lies Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox's fifth studio release, 1985's Be Yourself Tonight. Somewhere between the sobriety of the synthesizers in Sweet Dreams, Touch and the 1984 soundtrack and the mechanic rock and roll of Revenge is this collection of sometimes breezy, always soulful and 100% all-natural rock-n-roll.\nThere is no other Eurythmics album that is as outgoing as Be Yourself Tonight, no album with nearly the verve or the audacity. There are no apologies for the mix of synths and guitars here or for the mix of guitars and choirs, and that lack of restriction makes this album all the more worth having. \n\nHardly the least among the audacious elements is Lennox holding her own vocally in the face of The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, in "Sisters Are Doing it for Themselves." Lennox won critical accolades for her divinely-inspired singing of "There Must be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)," which features Stevie Wonder in two brilliantly spontaneous harmonica solos. And people remember and still sing along with the angry woman-getting-out-of-her-kitchen-and-dumping-her-man's-ass hit "Would I Lie to You?," featuring a delicious horn section.\n\nThere are songs here to fit any mood, it seems, and yet they somehow all come out with a touch of soul that Lennox and Stewart have not exuded before now. "I Love You Like a Ball and Chain" has understated sexual candor. "Conditioned Soul" runs the emotinoal gambit from lilly-white lovely to intensely frightened. "Adrian" features a beautiful duet between Lennox and Elvis Costello. "It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back)" mixes Caribbean rhythm and lush poetry: I will be your storm at seas, indeed.\n\nOne of my personal favorites is the original B-side to "Would I Lie to You," "Here Comes That Sinking Feeling," a song with the perfect mix of somber mood, undercurrent guitar licks and horns to keep you dancing. Like what Lennox sings about disappointment, this song leaves a smile before it goes.\n\nThis album spawned some memorable singles and came at a time when rock was in the middle of a pop-inspired period: just hard enough to claim that Bryan Adams was a rock star but just soft enough for you to appreciate the balladry of Phil Collins and Sting. Be Yourself Tonight at the time was -- and nowadays still is -- a breath of fresh, creative air. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nSoulful Annie and Dave, January 14, 2006 \nBy Tom (Toronto)\nIt's easy to forget the contributions of the Eurythmics to the pop scene, particularly in the 80s, but listening to "Be Yourself Tonight", arguably one of their best albums, you realize they had a knack for creating great pop hits ("Would I Lie To You?") but they could cross musical boundaries effortlessly -- electronic, synth, pop, soul, rock, and gospel can be heard here, and they come together seamlessly. \n\nThis album features some of the Eurythmics finest pop hits including the hard-rocking "Would I Live To You?", the shimmering "There Must Be An Angel...", the feminist anthem "Sisters are Doing It For Themselves", and the infectious "It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back") which was not as popular as the previous three songs but stands on its own. \n\nYou could say this album has a warmer sound than the previous Eurythmics albums because of the move away from machines to guitars and a live sound, plus the appearances of Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder, who appear on the album, which is one of the reasons why the album is often referred to as their "soul/Motown/R&B" record. There are also some great album cuts including "I Love You Like a Ball and Chain" and "Adrian". \n\nThe remastering on this is excellent and the additional cuts are interesting, but the original album is the real deal. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nI'm Thrown And Overblown With Bliss., November 26, 2005 \nBy Jason Stein (Chula Vista, CA United States)\n"Be Yourself Tonight" marked a turning point for the Eurythmics. They jumped musical styles, and did it effortlessly. This might be deemed their Motown album as they certainly embraced more of a soul-oriented sound. This album proved that they were here to stay and that Annie and Dave were a force to reckon with. It was such a drastic change in style that when I first heard "Would I Lie To You?" in May of 1985 on the radio I didn't know who it was. \n\nThis time, half of the album made to radio with the hits "Would I Lie To You?", "There Must Be An Angel", "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves" and "It's Alright". However, the other five tracks "I Love You Like A Ball And Chain", "Conditioned Soul", "Adrian", "Here Comes That Sinking Feeling" and "Better To Have Lost In Love" all hold their own. Another album where not a note was wasted and no excess. \n\nThe remastering by Dave Stewart is excellent here. I don't know about anyone else, but in my old Eurythmics cds, this album was the worst sounding--like it had been mastered beneath a pillow or on the other side of a thick wall. Now, it shimmers. The b-sides are better here with "Grown Up Girls", "Tous Les Garcons Et Les Filles" and a solid cover of The Doors' "Hello I Love You". The remixes of "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves" and "Would I Lie To You?" are a waste of time as they sound nearly identical to the originals. The live version of "Conditioned Soul" is not as good as the album version. Once again Dave added additional photos taken around the time that are amusing. And once again, no lyrics included. \n\nAll the extras aside, "Be Yourself Tonight" was another outstanding work by this duo, all of which was about to change with their next release, "Revenge". \n\n\nHalf.com Details \nContributing artists: Aretha Franklin, Elvis Costello, Stevie Wonder \nProducer: David A. Stewart \n\nAlbum Notes\nEurythmics: Annie Lennox (vocals, keyboards); David A. Stewart (guitar, keyboards).\n\nAdditional 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).\n\nThis 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.\n\nIndustry Reviews\nRanked #13 in CMJ's Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1985\nCMJ (01/05/2004)\n\n\nROLLING STONE REVIEW\nWith the breeze of a British invasion backlash on their necks and radio's rejection of the single "Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-four)" still fresh in their memory, Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart have prudently performed a little cosmetic surgery on their sound for Be Yourself Tonight. This is Eurythmics at their most upbeat, paying homage to Sixties American soul and British pop. On the stomping single "Would I Lie to You?" they even manage an uncharacteristically gritty blend of the two, with Kinky guitars jittering over a vintage Supremes drum slap.\n\nBut even though the velvety-voiced Lennox belts her heart out, she still has trouble conveying warmth and spontaneity -- she simply ain't got no soul. At best, Lennox is a skillful mimic; on Be Yourself Tonight her every trill and ululation is pure Aretha Franklin. Producer-cowriter Stewart does a few impersonations himself; his hum-along melody and chattering synth backing track for "There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)" borrows unabashedly from Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You." Then, as if Lennox and Stewart had conjured him by sheer will, Wonder himself suddenly appears to add a winsome harmonica solo. Soon after that -- presto! -- Aretha Franklin materializes for the album's other natural hit, "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" (which might have leaped intact from Lady Soul). And perhaps only Aretha, the essence of sisterly community and assertive sexuality, could have transformed Lennox' unintentionally kitschy lyrics about "the conscious liberation of the female state" into such an earthy ode to independence. Although Lennox deserves credit for humanizing her lyrics, it's Aretha's sly, sassy performance that makes "Sisters" this year's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and "She Bop" rolled into one.\n\n"It's Alright -- (Baby's Coming Back)" simmers like an outtake from Dusty in Memphis, but alas, guest-star lightning doesn't strike thrice -- it's only Lennox doing her Springfield imitation (which dates to the Tourists' remake of "I Only Want to Be with You"). Still, her kittenish languor makes this the most compelling track on side two, which, despite a guest appearance by Elvis Costello, reverts to formula Eurythmics: impenetrably layered, repetitive numbers that drone on too long and leave napping listeners in their wake. And that's the irony of Be Yourself Tonight; its most enticing moments are the ones in which Eurythmics pretend to be someone else. (RS 450 -- Jun 20, 1985) -- JOYCE MILLMAN
This rock cd contains 15 tracks and runs 72min 14sec.
Freedb: cf10ec0f
Buy: from Amazon.com

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